NAACP Calling Love's Store Closure Race-Based

OKLAHOMA CITY -- NAACP officials say the closing of two Guthrie Love's Travel Stops and Country Stores early Sunday was racially motivated.<br/><br/>A Love's spokeswoman says the closure was for

Saturday, November 4th 2006, 5:42 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY -- NAACP officials say the closing of two Guthrie Love's Travel Stops and Country Stores early Sunday was racially motivated.

A Love's spokeswoman says the closure was for safety reasons at the recommendation of Guthrie police.

Spokeswoman Jenny Love Meyer says the stores closed from 1 am to 4 am after a large group of people came in about 10 pm and became "unruly" after a Langston University homecoming party.

Love Meyer says after a Langston Homecoming two years ago about 40 people went into the store and intimidated employees and stole thousands of dollars of merchandise.

But local NAACP President Roosevelt Milton said Friday the store could've added extra security if they were worried about the safety of employees or theft. And Milton says some Langston alumni and students believe the closing was a race-based decision.

He says the NAACP wants to meet with Love's officials and Love Meyer says the company would like to do the same.