‘Don’t Answer Her’: Illinois Nail Salon Tech Allegedly Tells Woman She Doesn’t Serve Black People. White Customer Rushes to Worker’s Defense and Is Hit with a Brilliant Clap Back, Video Shows

A Black woman alleged in a video she posted to TikTok that she was denied service at a nail salon because of her race.

TikTok user @kamyacantgetadoll posted a video to her account on Saturday showing the aftermath of her customer experience at a nail salon she visited.

The video starts with a view of an Asian nail tech doing a manicure for a white female customer.

“So you don’t service Black people for real?” the Black woman asks nail tech.

The nail tech looks up, but the white customer interjects and tells her, “Don’t answer, she’s been recording you. Unless you wanna be recorded, don’t answer.”

“You heard her say it, though,” the Black woman tells the white woman in the viral video.

“I know, but it’s actually illegal to record somebody in the state of Illinois,” the white woman states, citing a two-party consent state law.

“It’s illegal to discriminate,” the Black woman says in response.

Most U.S. states enforce one-party consent laws that allow a person to record a conversation or encounter with someone without that person’s consent. This allows people to secretly record interactions with other people barring certain exceptions.

However, in Illinois, under the eavesdropping statute, it is illegal to record video and audio of a private conversation without the permission of all parties involved. Anyone who violates this law could face felony charges or civil action.

The law has been amended several times since its enactment in 1961, so there are some exceptions that allow recordings in certain situations when one or more parties don’t consider the conversation or interaction private. Also, Illinois citizens are allowed to record police interactions and encounters with people they reasonably suspect are committing a crime.

The Black customer posted another part of the incident, protesting the white customer’s defense of the nail tech.

“You’re a witness to her saying that,” the Black customer is heard stating. “You just don’t have these problems in your life.”

“If you’re unhappy, go somewhere else,” the white customer flatly says.

Numerous comments expressed frustration and outrage at how the Black customer was treated during her visit to the salon.

“Time to protest….shut them down. Shame on the other women that not standing up for justice,” one commenter said.

“This is heartbreaking. Racism is everywhere so no matter how much we protest or do this and that it’s always Going to be there if we like it or not,” another person wrote.

Some Black women also posted their accounts of similar experiences they faced at their local nail salons.

“A nail shop down here told me soon as I walked in ‘they don’t do long nails’ .. I was confused no hello may I help u or nothing,” someone wrote.

“They won’t say it by my house they just will let you stand there till you leave…I can’t make this up,” another stated.

Some social users purported that the business in the recording is a nail salon in Granite City, but Atlanta Black Star has been unable to independently confirm that information. Many viewers have written bad reviews on that salon’s Google page since the video’s circulation online.

Atlanta Black Star also reached out to the user who posted the video for more details on the incident.

‘Don’t Answer Her’: Illinois Nail Salon Tech Allegedly Tells Woman She Doesn’t Serve Black People. White Customer Rushes to Worker’s Defense and Is Hit with a Brilliant Clap Back, Video Shows