According to Associated Press, the Oprah Winfrey Racial Incident generated empathies but also anger through the American minorities and the subject was long discussed over the media and Internet.

"The presumption in America is that if you have the wealth, you'll get equality but where's Oprah's equality?" asked Bruce D. Haynes, a sociologist at the University of California, Davis. "It picks up on every inkling of discrimination that a black person might experience in daily life."

"Many people are saying, 'I don't have the money, but Oprah represents what I could be � She's like the black Donald Trump. And if it can happen to Oprah, it could happen to anyone."

A week ago, in her trip to Paris, Oprah Winfrey wanted to shop from designer bag store Hermes, but was turned away by shop assistants, who argued that they had been "having problems with North Africans".

The store Hermes apologized later for the incident, arguing it was not a racial problem, but "a private public relations event was being prepared inside."

Daniel Butler, vice president for merchandising and operations at the Washington-based National Retail Federation declared "As retailers, we want to treat every customer well. So I tell retailers not to look at the customer for what they look like but to address the product they want and what service they're looking for."