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Black Truckers Hire National Attorneys Erica Wilson and Harry Daniels After Discrimination Video Goes Viral

September 12, 2023

SIOUX FALLS, SD – Damon Whitfield and Hector Madera, the two Black truck drivers who were racially profiled, refused service and threatened at a South Dakota Denny’s last month, have hired nationally renowned Civil Rights attorneys Harry Daniels and Erica Wilson following video of the incident where a white waitress ignored the two men while serving white customers went viral on social media sparking outrage across the nation.

The incident began on August 13 when Whitfield and Madera took a break from their cross-country haul and stopped at a Denny’s off Interstate 29 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for breakfast. Before long, the pair noticed that their waitress was intentionally ignoring them in order to serve white customers who had come in after they had. When the pair calmly attempted to get the waitress’ attention and order, she began yelling and said “I don’t need you people calling me over to this table.” She then stormed off and threatened to call the police.

After Whitfield and Madera spoke to another waitress who said she had “no idea” why they were being asked to leave, police officers arrived and escorted the men out of the restaurant. Upon hearing the full story of the incident, one of the officers apologized to Whitfield and Madera saying “I’m sorry that happened to you.”

Pointing to recent incidents ranging from Sen. Tommy Tuberville defending white nationalists as patriots to last month’s hate crime shooting in Jacksonville, Daniels said that racists and white supremacists across America are increasingly empowered making the kind of unapologetic bigotry Whitfield and Madera faced far too common.