YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — After Denzel Skinner turned to Facebook live last week to say he was being fired from Taco Bell for wearing a Black Lives Matter mask, his story quickly made national headlines.
Now, Taco Bell has responded with a statement in which they say the company will make “serious, tangible changes.”
Here’s the Taco Bell's full statement, which was released Thursday afternoon:
We are deeply upset by the incident that took place in Youngstown, OH. Denzel Skinner should never have been put in this position.
We believe the Black Lives Matter movement is a human rights issue and not a political one. We do not tolerate racism or violence against the Black community and we demand inclusivity.
We know we still have a long way to go and we will make serious, tangible changes. We have been in conversations with Denzel and our franchises to make sure our actions represent our words.
We will hold ourselves accountable.
The Facebook live, which was posted June 8, features Skinner telling his story from inside a vehicle. You can watch the full video at the bottom of this story.
“I’m legit being fired because I have a Black Lives Matter mask,” he says into the camera.
As he’s talking, his attention turns to somebody standing outside of the vehicle.
“You can’t bring politics into the building,” a voice off camera is heard saying.
“I’m not taking it off,” he responded.
“OK, well then there’s nothing I can do for you. I mean, seriously. I’m just doing my job,” the voice said before adding, "You just don't get it."
“You don’t either,” Skinner replied.
The off-camera voice also told him "it's a company thing."
You can watch Skinner's full video below (Editor's note: Content contains adult language).
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