Cafe: No Entry If 'Allergic To Black People'

A businesswoman who believes her ethnicity puts off some customers has put up a sign saying: "Be aware I am a black woman."

A cafe owner in a West Yorkshire market town has put up a sign warning customers not to come in if they are "allergic to black people."

Martha-Renee Kolleh, who runs the Caribbean and British-themed Yeanon Cafe in Ossett, said she put up the message because she was fed up of people leaving when they had seen her.

The sign on the entrance reads: "Attention. Everyone be aware I am a black woman, and always will be. If you are allergic to black people, don't come in.

"But if you prefer quality wholesome meals in a pleasant and clean environment, come in. I don't bite. Thanks, Martha-Renee."

Ms Kolleh, a single mother-of-three who has owned the high-street cafe for almost two and a half years, said customers were reacting differently to her than to white members of staff.

She said: "I put the sign up last Tuesday to vent my frustration and I was just expressing the way I felt at that moment.

"People would come in, open the door, look at me and turn round and go outside.

"At first I said to myself 'Maybe I'm being paranoid.' It's not like I've got two heads or something."
She said the market town of Ossett, which has a population of 16,000, of whom 97% are white, was not a racist place.

She said: "I've encountered some people who've been exceptionally nice. But I would say I've met some extremely horrible people too.

"It's not about who's racist and who's not. I'm just expressing the way I feel."
Customer Spike Falloon said he could understand why Ms Kolleh had made the sign. But he added: "Ossett is a lovely little town. It's never known any racist problems at all."