Black Panther director Ryan Coogler was temporarily in police custody in Atlanta after attempting a routine $12,000 withdrawal of his own money from his Bank of America account. That was in January 2022, and things tended to spiral out of control: Coogler’s request for discretion was misinterpreted as a possible robbery attempt, amid a wave of social media discussions about racial profiling in banking.
On the day of the incident, Coogler allegedly went to the teller wearing a mask, hat, and sunglasses-a combination in line with COVID-19 precautions-then handed over a withdrawal slip accompanied by a note. The note served simply to ask that he “be discreet” and count the large sum in private to avoid attention. He even provided his identification to assure the teller the transaction was not illegitimate. However, to a teller reported to be pregnant and queasy, the note was seen as an indication of a robbery. She called her manager, who in turn called the police.
That’s when the unbelievable happened to Coogler. In handcuffs for quite some time, he found himself being escorted to a private area where the police questioned him, wanting to know what he was trying to do.
Although he had already supplied them with all the identification and current account details, Coogler was forced into proving his identity all over again before the police finally became satisfied that he was telling the truth and allowed him to go free. Associates who had waited in a car for him were initially detained but later cleared-just like Coogler.
It sent the meats of public outcry, celebrated primarily in Black communities, as a harbinger for uncomfortable discussions on racial profiling. Why would such a simple request for discretion automatically get treated with suspicion, considering Coogler had literally done everything to prove who he was?. “Banking while Black” went viral online, and many came forward to share comparable experiences as to how suspiciously they had been treated in everyday life. It wasn’t until Bank of America issued an apology over the incident that the news came to light. Coogler also released a statement where he expressed how regretfully the incident happened, but that he was satisfied with the way the bank checked on his concern thereafter.
It’s just wrong that it happened,” Coogler said, though he did indicate the bank has since taken action to rectify the situation with him personally. While discussions around the incident continue, there is a raft of broader implications: activists and public figures urge changes in the way banks and other public institutions would handle such situations in the future-more so if racial minorities may be concerned. A lot of people wonder whether this could be a catalyst for more sensitivity training and anti-bias protocols in banks, so these kinds of misunderstandings don’t balloon into traumatic experiences for customers.
