Sadly, I was never able to experience an actual class at American Martial Arts, and it was a…read moretremendous disappointment to say the least. I was so excited about attending my first class, as my life is so incredibly busy and I was thrilled to think that I had potentially found a wonderful place to relax. My first class was setup by Kerri, who was an employee at American Martial Arts. We had been in contact for months, but my schedule was so busy that I simply didn't have time to connect. When I realized that there was finally an opening in my otherwise hectic schedule, I immediately reached out to Kerri. We were able to schedule a class, and I was beyond excited. On the day of the class, I nervously entered their facility and was immediately impressed by the size. There was a lot of activity all around, but I found what I thought to be the Reception desk and waited while the woman behind the desk finished with a group that was there. I observed a upbeat and friendly conversation amongst them, and waited patiently for them to finish. Once done, I stepped up to a smiling woman who, upon seeing me, suddenly looked surprised, if not shocked. I was a bit thrown off by her sudden change in demeanor, with her smile completely leaving her face and that smile becoming what could best be described as a scowl. The energy in that space and in that moment became negative and unbalanced, in a way that was uncomfortable. What came next should not have surprised me as the woman's facial expressions were absolutely leading up to it. The now "smile-less" woman looked at me and said "do you need something"? No hello, no niceties, just "do you need something"? I barely knew how to respond, but one thing was abundantly clear, this wasn't a place where I was welcome and I felt an overwhelming need to leave immediately. I attempted to respond with a full sentence, but I was too taken aback to even think, I asked the woman if she could please let Kerri know that I had stopped by, as I had absolutely no intention of spending even another minute there. I then began to leave, but of course this exchange would not be complete without the requisite sarcasm that is to be expected from someone who greets a potential customer in such a manner. No surprise here. When I went home and told my husband what happened, he calmly and quietly explained that I did the right thing by leaving immediately. He said "babe, that wasn't a place for you, and that woman at the front desk was making sure you understood that you were not welcome.". Of course I understood exactly what he meant, but it still saddens me to my very core that people of color are not always welcome. I never, ever, ever pull the race card, but something went very wrong at this place of business, and that woman seeing my face in person ignited it. There was no hiding her contempt and obvious disdain for me, she didn't even try, and I am guessing that she behaves this way because someone has set the tone for that behavior within this place of business.