‘Humiliated’: Content creator Alicia Johnson details alleged racial profiling at Kmart

For the second time in as many weeks, an Indigenous woman has spoken out after she was allegedly racially profiled at a Sydney Kmart – leaving her “humiliated”.

For the second time in as many weeks, an Indigenous woman has spoken out after she was allegedly racially profiled at a Sydney Kmart – leaving her “humiliated and hurt”.

Alicia Johnson, a First Nations PhD scholar, content creator and “re-educator”, detailed the incident in an Instagram video on Saturday, which occurred at the budget retailer’s Marrickville store, in the city’s inner west.

The retailer has since responded, contacting Ms Johnson directly and telling news.com.au that Kmart “take reports like this extremely seriously”.

Ms Johnson said she was inspired by her “sister”, Australian rapper and Malyangapa and Barkindji woman Barkaa, to talk about the incident on her platform, after the latter was subjected to similar treatment at her local Kmart earlier this month.

Having shopped at the Marrickville store for “over 10 years”, Ms Johnson explained it wasn’t the first time she’d been racially profiled there – “but never this invasive and openly”.

Indigenous content creator and ‘re-educator’ Alicia Johnson. Picture: Instagram

Ms Johnson alleges she was racially profiled at Marrickville Metro’s Kmart. Picture: Instagram

“The service attendant was watching me very closely and then proceeded to check that I’d scanned a 30c bag. Which I did,” she said in the video.

“She then grabbed my receipt and read it in front of everybody. She had not checked the receipts of anyone else … I asked the staff member in front of everyone, ‘Why am I being checked?’

“A Māori lady was hurt for me. She then insisted that the staff member check her receipt in solidarity.”

The incident left Ms Johnson so “humiliated” and in “distress” that she called her mother after leaving the store.

“The first thing she said was, ‘Imagine if that happened to some young Indigenous girl. How traumatic would that be?’” she said.

“This is why I’m speaking out. This racial stereotyping has to stop and I’m requesting a formal apology.

“In 2022, Indigenous people should be treated with respect just like all other customers – paying ones at that.”

Ms Johnson said in an update on Sunday that she’d been contacted by Kmart and they had discussed the issue. Picture: Dean Martin/NCA NewsWire

A Kmart spokeswoman told news.com.au in a statement that the retailer is “aware of an incident in our Marrickville store on Friday and have been in conversation with the customer to chat through this further”.

“We take reports like this extremely seriously and (are) investigating internally and organising a time to meet with the customer,” she added.

Researchers at Monash University, on behalf of Inclusive Australia, last May found that major discrimination against First Nations people remains at elevated levels.

The survey, conducted over several years, looked at (among other things) “everyday discrimination”, defined as “more chronic, routine, and relatively minor experiences of unfair treatment”, like “being treated with less respect and courtesy, receiving poorer service than others at restaurants or stores, or being called names”.

Everyday discrimination was highest for Indigenous people among the groups surveyed, having risen dramatically since December 2018.

Ms Johnson has called out Kmart, claiming she was racially profiled while shopping in the store. Picture: Instagram

Providing an update on the situation on Sunday in a second video, Ms Johnson said she had been contacted by Kmart and they had discussed the issue.

She also thanked “each and every single one” of her followers for supporting her in the wake of the incident.

“This is not an easy topic and one I do not speak about publicly, the degradation and abuse I’ve received in this country is something I deal with privately,” she wrote in the caption alongside the post.

Ms Johnson cited what her mother said to her as the reason “why I’m speaking” and “why I’m holding @kmartaus accountable”.

“All the comments on the post of people sharing their testimony, is living proof of the racially discriminatory practices that are being upheld and enforced within their stores,” she added.

“I will continue to document this process, and share with you all what the outcomes will be and the next steps @kmartaus will put into action.

“I’m fighting for change. I’m fighting for freedom.”