Ricky Peterson is speaking out after his former boss got caught calling him the N-word in the now infamous ICandy nightclub video (above).
Peterson recalls the time he spent working under ICandy owner Darryl DePiano, saying it was “uncomfortable” because he was the only Black person not working as security and DePiano micromanaged his every move. Not surprisingly, Peterson left the Philadelphia club after only a few months of working there. Now, he has a lot to say about the horrible clip, courtesy of G Philly.
On seeing the video for the first time:
“I received it via text message from a friend, and I immediately went to the break room,” Peterson says. “I watched it five times before it hit me that Darryl was in fact saying my name. I was angered by it — I just felt disgusted.”
On feeling “targeted” by DePiano:
While working there, Peterson claims, he was the only black barback and staff member of color “that was not security or a bouncer. There was no one else, blacks or Latinos, working around the bar or hosting … this put pressure on me being the only one.“It was difficult working under [Darryl] because he micro-managed everything I did — I felt targeted,” Peterson says. “He would pick at the type of jeans I wore and would complain about the type of tanks I would wear as well. I quit after three months of working under him — it was an uncomfortable experience.”
On the person DePiano was speaking to in the clip:
Peterson says he also knows the man DePiano is speaking to in the video. “The man Darryl is talking to is my ex-boyfriend, Scott McFerren, who works at ICandy and is good friends with him. … I recognized his voice the moment I heard it.” Peterson claims he dated McFerren for a month and a half shortly after he left ICandy.
On not feeling comfortable around his friends anymore:
“I can’t hang out with anyone in my immediate circle right now without people asking me questions about what was said in that video,” Peterson says. “I feel exposed. It feels damaging that I was referred to as the n-word by my former employer and that he felt this way about me all along. He wasn’t referring to just any random customers — he was talking about someone, in this case myself, that worked alongside of him.”
On wanting justice:
Peterson says he agrees with recent protests and boycotts of the bar. “I support the protesters in standing up against racism and discrimination, and ICandy should be boycotted right now,” he says. “I personally have not gone to any of the demonstrations yet, but I support them and think they are necessary to bringing about change in the community.”
Peterson says he is currently looking for legal counsel. “It doesn’t sit well with me that I had to be subjected to public racial humiliation by my former employer,” he says. “I feel like something needs to be done, and I hope nobody has to go through such an experience.”
If you haven’t seen the video, watch it above. We hope Ricky Peterson gets the justice he deserves.
SOURCE: G Philly | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty
[ione_media_gallery id=”4200425″ overlay=”true”]
