Radio Shack apologizes for selling device offensive to black customer

Jet, July 10, 1995

A Black man in San Diego recently received an apology from Radio Shack after he purchased an English-Spanish translator that he discovered used the translation "nigger" for the word "negro."

Walt Roston, an eligibility technician for the San Diego County Department of Social Services, bought the translator from a Radio Shack in the College Grove shopping center.

Roston sought the device because he works with a large Hispanic population and believed the translator would help him communicate with his clients.

When Roston saw that one of the English translations for the Spanish word "negro," which means Black, was the racial slur "nigger," he was astounded.

"I was disgusted. I couldn't believe it," he said.

Saying that Radio Shack, a national company, should know to be more sensitive to its customers, Roston promptly complained to the store's management.

In an apology letter to Roston, on behalf of the company, an official at the executive offices of Radio Shack in Fort Worth, TX, thanked Roston for bringing the matter to their attention.

The letter apologized to all who were offended and added: "The manufacturer was notified immediately that we would accept no more product that contained this translation."