Antiblack Discrimination in Public Accommodations: Differential Drink Pricing in Urban Nightclubs

Studies have demonstrated evidence of racial discrimination in public accommodations. Within urban nightclubs specifically, blacks experience racial discrimination when attempting to gain access, yet little is known about the treatment they receive once inside. To assess whether there is racial disc...

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Main Authors: Reuben A. Buford May, Matthew Soener, Carileigh Jones, Quinesha Bentley
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2025-08-01
Series:Socius
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/23780231251363299
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author Reuben A. Buford May
Matthew Soener
Carileigh Jones
Quinesha Bentley
author_facet Reuben A. Buford May
Matthew Soener
Carileigh Jones
Quinesha Bentley
author_sort Reuben A. Buford May
collection DOAJ
description Studies have demonstrated evidence of racial discrimination in public accommodations. Within urban nightclubs specifically, blacks experience racial discrimination when attempting to gain access, yet little is known about the treatment they receive once inside. To assess whether there is racial discrimination inside urban nightclubs, the authors sent black and white men testers to 30 nightclubs in Chicago to determine whether black men paid more for drinks than white men paid for the same drinks. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data from our field tests, the authors found evidence that black men paid more for drinks on average than did white men and that nightclub staff members add fees to the cost of drinks for black men but not for white men. The authors contribute to the literature by demonstrating specifically how the diffusion of racial discrimination can affect black consumers at multiple points in the same service encounter.
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spelling doaj-art-b2a86d99885140d593967dc5bba5b0852025-08-22T12:03:35ZengSAGE PublishingSocius2378-02312025-08-011110.1177/23780231251363299Antiblack Discrimination in Public Accommodations: Differential Drink Pricing in Urban NightclubsReuben A. Buford May0Matthew Soener1Carileigh Jones2Quinesha Bentley3University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USAUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USAUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USAUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USAStudies have demonstrated evidence of racial discrimination in public accommodations. Within urban nightclubs specifically, blacks experience racial discrimination when attempting to gain access, yet little is known about the treatment they receive once inside. To assess whether there is racial discrimination inside urban nightclubs, the authors sent black and white men testers to 30 nightclubs in Chicago to determine whether black men paid more for drinks than white men paid for the same drinks. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data from our field tests, the authors found evidence that black men paid more for drinks on average than did white men and that nightclub staff members add fees to the cost of drinks for black men but not for white men. The authors contribute to the literature by demonstrating specifically how the diffusion of racial discrimination can affect black consumers at multiple points in the same service encounter.https://doi.org/10.1177/23780231251363299
spellingShingle Reuben A. Buford May
Matthew Soener
Carileigh Jones
Quinesha Bentley
Antiblack Discrimination in Public Accommodations: Differential Drink Pricing in Urban Nightclubs
Socius
title Antiblack Discrimination in Public Accommodations: Differential Drink Pricing in Urban Nightclubs
title_full Antiblack Discrimination in Public Accommodations: Differential Drink Pricing in Urban Nightclubs
title_fullStr Antiblack Discrimination in Public Accommodations: Differential Drink Pricing in Urban Nightclubs
title_full_unstemmed Antiblack Discrimination in Public Accommodations: Differential Drink Pricing in Urban Nightclubs
title_short Antiblack Discrimination in Public Accommodations: Differential Drink Pricing in Urban Nightclubs
title_sort antiblack discrimination in public accommodations differential drink pricing in urban nightclubs
url https://doi.org/10.1177/23780231251363299
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