Aireal Bonner was asked to leave Southern Kitchen & Bar in Birmingham in August 2021 due to her attire, which the restaurant deemed a violation of its dress code. Bonner, wearing a crocheted top she felt was unfairly labeled a “bikini top,” refused to cover it and was threatened with police action. She suspected her Afro-centric appearance, rather than her clothing, was the true reason for being asked to leave,
The restaurant later issued an apology, claiming the situation was mishandled, as staff waited until Bonner had seated before addressing the issue. Despite this, Bonner rejected the apology and urged others to leave negative reviews, leading to the restaurant’s Yelp page being taken down. Alabama Rally Against Injustice organized a protest, citing the presence of women in similar attire on the restaurant’s social media.Note: we are republishing this story, which originally made the news in August 2021.
