Dry Asparagus Prompts Allegations of Racial Discrimination in Missouri City

Member of University City's human relations commission wondered if standards of asparagus at different stores was correlated with demographics

UNIVERSITY CITY • A dried-out batch of asparagus has touched off a debate about racial discrimination, grocery stores and the role of citizen-led commissions.

It started in May when resident David Olander was perusing the produce section of the University City Schnucks. He noticed the asparagus weren't resting in a tray of water.

"It was just sitting there dried out," said Olander, a member of the city's human relations commission.

Olander summoned an assistant manager, and then he asked the question: Did the quality of the asparagus have any relationship to the store's location in a black neighborhood?

H/T Mark Sletten