NEW YORK: A group of black women from a book club were kicked off a wine tour in California’s wine country at the weekend - sparking accusations of racism on the company’s part.

One of the women, Lisa Johnson told a local newspapers it was ‘humiliating’ when she and her friends were escorted off the Napa Valley Wine Train by a police officer.

A train company spokesperson said the women had been cautioned several times by the train manager after complaints from other customers that they were laughing and talking too loudly. But one passenger who witnessed the incident later claimed that it was clearly racially motivated.

The Napa Valley Wine Train offers a ‘three-hour journey through world famous vineyards: wine tours, wine tasting & great dining’.

The women — who all wore matching T-shirts with their book club’s slogan, ‘Sistahs on the Reading Edge’ — departed on the train on Saturday shortly before noon, one news report said. According to the report the women admitted that they were laughing and talking with one another as they enjoyed their wine.

At one point, a fellow passenger told the ladies — including an 83-year-old grandmother — ‘this isn’t a bar’, while a manager said they needed to quiet down.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play