An e-mail and an attached photo has recently circulated on the Web vilifying a Coral Gables, Florida, Barnes & Noble bookstore for racists intentions towards President Barack Obama. The photo shows the window of the bookstore featuring a carefully arranged display of various books dedicated to or written by the 44th President. However, one book featured in the center of it all is entitled “Monkeys.”
The photo stirred enough of an uproar to get Mary Ellen Keating, a spokesperson for Barnes & Noble, to issue an official apology from the retail store, blaming the incident on a mischievous customer and not on store employees.
“We want to assure our customers that the book placed by someone other than any of our booksellers was never intended to be included in our display and was removed as soon as we became aware of the situation,” said Keating. “We are looking into it and taking the steps necessary so that it doesn’t happen again.”