Wells Fargo Denies Teacher’s Custom Debit Card – Rep Calls BLM Design ‘Offensive’ (TWEETS/VIDEO)

By
Danielle Hartshorn
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With most people using cards instead of cash nowadays, an eye-catching design is a great way to express yourself. Wells Fargo even has a collection of gay pride images to choose from.

They’re not on board with the Black Lives Matter movement, though.

Freddie Gray

After the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody, a white teacher in Baltimore, Maryland wanted to evoke a conversation about it with her students. So Rachel Nash ironed ‘Black Lives Matter’ onto a tank top and then wore it to school.

Gray’s death was just one of many that occurred at the hands of law enforcement.

As a white person, she wanted to show the Black community that she supported their cause. While whites haven’t experienced racism because of our skin color, also known as white privilege, we can (and need to) stand up for racial equality.

https://twitter.com/darnellmmusic/status/788320943571607552

Having A Discussion

Nash says she grew tired of fellow whites assuming she didn’t support BLM, saying:

“A lot of white people have really problematic views about race, and they feel like because I’m a white person I agree with them automatically.” 

So she kept that in mind when designing her debit card with Wells Fargo. After creating the card, which included the iconic fist along with the words ‘Black Lives Matter,’ she submitted the design and waited for an approval.

She was met with rejection.

A simple ‘doesn’t meet the company’s guidelines’ email prompted her to call their customer service. She said:

“As soon as I said ‘Black Lives Matter,’ [the customer service agent] said, ‘Oh, that’s why it got rejected.'”

BLM Is ‘Offensive’ And ‘Antisocial’

Nash was shocked at what the representative said and asked for clarification, to which the rep said the bank:

“…Didn’t want to be associated with any antisocial or offensive organizations.’

Since getting political can cause irreparable damage to a company, the representative went on to say:

“Oh, it’s political.” 

Wells Fargo has since said the reason wasn’t political but rather because the fist is associated with BLM and therefore not original.

It’s not a trademark, though. In fact, nobody can get a patent to officially brand anything as BLM. It’s simply a phrase that’s used to bring social awareness.

There are many items to buy to show your support of the movement, though.

The refusal to support BLM on a debit card has been met with some backlash. A reminder that people tend to stick up for what they believe in.

While Wells Fargo won’t approve the image, they do have cards that celebrate Black History Month through their ‘Untold Stories’ collection. You can view them here.

The BLM movement has prompted educators to get involved. Per an article on ABC News, teachers in Philadelphia are planning a Black Lives Matter week beginning January 23. They’ll be wearing clothing and talking about the movement with their students.

Watch this video of a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest.

Feature Image: Screenshot Via Twitter.

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