Friday’s rally at Rally’s Hamburgers ended without many answers and
with a lot of frustration.

More than 35 students gathered in front of Rally’s, 1309 S. Mission
St., to protest what three male CMU students allege was a racist encounter
on Tuesday night.

Jerome Harville, Ferndale freshman; Dujuan Hawthorne, Detroit freshman;
and Willie Sims, Eastpointe freshman, said they waited for more than
15 minutes at the fast food restaurant before manager Jason Towne waited
on them and allegedly referred to the men as n—–s.

The three students said the incident occurred at the walk-up window,
which Harville knocked on to get a crew member’s attention. Harville
said patrons were being served at the drive-thru when Towne came to
the window "and very rudely stated that he had 18 orders before
ours and we would have to get our order when they could get around to
it.

". . . I told him we had been standing out in the cold for 20
minutes and Willie (Sims), for even longer. Mike said, ‘That’s too bad.
Well, I can just give you your f—— money back. We don’t need your
business.’"

Harville alleges that Towne then turned around and said, "I don’t
know why these n—–s think they can come here."

But Rally’s franchise owner Alan Balen said the story he has gotten
from his employees differs greatly from the story of the three men.

Balen said the employees who worked Tuesday evening have denied that
Towne ever used the racial slur.

"Bad service is bad service and they, (my employees) didn’t get
to them (the three men) in time. We were understaffed, but that doesn’t
give people the right to bang on the windows and throw punches,"
Balen said.

The Mount Pleasant Police Department was called and sent five police
cars to the scene, Harville said. No charges were made by either party.

Balen said he would reprimand or terminate Towne if it was proven that
he used a racial slur, but thus far, it has been a case of hearsay.

"Obviously, their’s and the manager’s stories are going to conflict,
but a 16-year-old girl working sandwiches doesn’t have a reason to lie
to me," Balen said, referring to one of his employees who witnessed
the alleged altercation.

During Friday’s protest, Balen said the three men could name "the
time, the place, and the day, and I’ll be there so we can sit down and
talk."

Harville, Sims and Hawthorne would not comment about their plans to
deal with the situation.

Carlton Watts Jr., Mount Pleasant freshman and friend of the three
students, however, said there will be "more rallies" in the
near future.

"They think just because we came here, we’re going to eventually
go home. It’s not over. We want to accomplish a public apology for the
ridiculous and unnecessary, uncalled for behavior by the establishment
of Rally’s to the African-American people and these three young gentlemen,
these three young gentlemen who were oppressed," Watts said.

Watts said there will be a rally on Tuesday beginning at 5 p.m. on
the CMU East Campus Drive band field, which is parallel to Mission Street.

Throughout the protest, several individuals yelled at Balen, who answered
calmly without raising his voice, before retreating to a picnic table
near the restaurant building.

Balen said, "I would have much rather talked to them and tried
to work out an amicable situation, and hear their stories and hear their
witnesses’ stories. I mean, I’ll do what I have to do."

Shanta Smith, Flint junior, sat with Balen during the protest and talked.

"There’s a lot of people arguing at one time and you won’t get
s— done," Smith said.

Smith said he spoke with Balen because he felt it was the only way
to "actually get something done."

Smith said he noted the number of people who went to Rally’s to order
food during the protest, and said "they will come and they will
keep coming," even though the students were protesting.

"We can stand out here all day and get nothing accomplished."

Though protesters alongside Smith said they felt Balen was racist,
Smith disagreed.

"I don’t feel he (Balen) is prejudiced at all – maybe his employee
(Towne), but even he might not be prejudiced. I feel that the situation
that occurred was cause for him (Towne) to get riled up and say some
things," Smith said.

"Everybody’s out here protesting and that’s OK, but we need to
get something more accomplished."

Tom Woodward, Lansing freshman, said he was in the drive-thru the night
of the alleged incident.

"I heard everything. . . through the windows," Woodward said.
"I told those guys I’ll be a part of it (the protest). Racism will
not be tolerated."

Adrienne Brune, Mount Pleasant junior, said, "I saw the article
in CM LIFE this (Friday) morning, so that’s pretty much all I know right
now, but I just came to show my support and let these people know, driving
(by) on the road, that I don’t support any sort of injustices towards
race or any injustice."

Balen said Towne may seek legal action on his own, but the business
may press charges against the three men if the protest incites a decrease
in business.

"But that would be a very last resort," Balen said.

Towne was not available for comment.

E-mail the author: Angie FentonLIFE Assistant News Editor