I've been to a Starbucks once in my life.( I can get out the stove top percolator and burn coffee myself thank you.) But were I regular customer and been approached with this nonsense I think I would overturn the coffee cup and walk out never to return.
1
A couple of random thoughts:
It's sort of a good idea, better than doing nothing, please don't stop, but:
The having baristas hand-write on the cups sounds sort of phoney - like you are trying to create the image of a spontaneous communication, when actually it's totally top-down. Why not just go ahead and print your message on the cups, if you are the CEO or whatever...
There is something half-way about it - you want to encourage a conversation, but you don't quite want to take a side. Well, I guess "...together" has positive connotations, but only connotations. How about being a little bolder, and printing various messages like "Have you read "The New Jim Crow" yet? Copies available here." or "Black Lives Matter" or "5% of all profits donated to the NAACP this year". These messages might have the effect of starting conversations... and they might be educational, too.
It's sort of a good idea, better than doing nothing, please don't stop, but:
The having baristas hand-write on the cups sounds sort of phoney - like you are trying to create the image of a spontaneous communication, when actually it's totally top-down. Why not just go ahead and print your message on the cups, if you are the CEO or whatever...
There is something half-way about it - you want to encourage a conversation, but you don't quite want to take a side. Well, I guess "...together" has positive connotations, but only connotations. How about being a little bolder, and printing various messages like "Have you read "The New Jim Crow" yet? Copies available here." or "Black Lives Matter" or "5% of all profits donated to the NAACP this year". These messages might have the effect of starting conversations... and they might be educational, too.
5
Good for Howard!
2
By the power of Sharpie this astonishingly bad idea can be changed into a positive. Simply finish the hashtag to say #racetogether4collectivebargaining, snap a pic for facebook and you will never hear of it again.
3
Starbucks should focus less on politics, and more on time & motion studies efficiency to avoid long lines, slow service as a result of under staffing, & order of operations behind the counter! Many times I walk out of Starbucks as a result of long slow lines to purchase my coffee elsewhere. It amazes me more patrons don't .
6
Cafe' Americano, Vente; and did you see what nation we invaded today? Oops, sorry; wrong company.
I don't "start conversations" about things with people that are not wanted or relevant at the point of sale since there are other customers behind me. If I have an opinion of race relations, I hardly think Starbucks would be a place to refine or espouse it.
I don't "start conversations" about things with people that are not wanted or relevant at the point of sale since there are other customers behind me. If I have an opinion of race relations, I hardly think Starbucks would be a place to refine or espouse it.
2
Goodness gracious. Schultz isn't allowed to initiate a conversation on race because he is a rich white man? Will people start upbraiding those who also admit that they benefit from white privilege without a minority broaching the subject? As a woman of color, I suggest people pull up their pants, their heads out of the sand, and have honest, constructive race/class conversations.
8
When I opened this article, I kept reading to find the controversy. Surely writing the words "Race Together" on a coffee cup and possibly getting a sticker with the same phrase couldn't be getting people this upset.
But it is.
What a shame. People are SO perfect in their glass houses. How can you not see the bigger picture? The head of one of the largest companies in the world-easily among the most recognizable-acknowledges that race is an important discussion to have and feels so compelled by the idea that he dedicates his time not to researching stocks or the next big deal, but to arranging seminars to discuss it with his employees, to alter his business strategy to promote awareness. How can this not be a positive sign? A moment of progress in corporate America?
This is why no one talks about race. Because if you don't say the exact right thing, in the exact right way, in the exact right place, the perfect people will pounce and destroy you with their self-righteous comments and sanctimonious, holier-than-thou social media campaigns. How have you, oh perfect people, helped talk about race aside from ridiculing the company? You feel they screwed up? Make a PRODCUTIVE suggestion instead of feigning such offense at a hashtag.
But it is.
What a shame. People are SO perfect in their glass houses. How can you not see the bigger picture? The head of one of the largest companies in the world-easily among the most recognizable-acknowledges that race is an important discussion to have and feels so compelled by the idea that he dedicates his time not to researching stocks or the next big deal, but to arranging seminars to discuss it with his employees, to alter his business strategy to promote awareness. How can this not be a positive sign? A moment of progress in corporate America?
This is why no one talks about race. Because if you don't say the exact right thing, in the exact right way, in the exact right place, the perfect people will pounce and destroy you with their self-righteous comments and sanctimonious, holier-than-thou social media campaigns. How have you, oh perfect people, helped talk about race aside from ridiculing the company? You feel they screwed up? Make a PRODCUTIVE suggestion instead of feigning such offense at a hashtag.
14
Starbucks is thee coffee shop with heart- they give coffee away on election days- they never charge me extra for any small tweak- whereas Peets always does ! If u ask for a smile wid yo latte at Peets they gonna ask for a quarter...this may have been foolish but it was all heart...i love you guys !
2
I went to my local Starbucks Wednesday morning on Hawthorne at 37th (in probably the most liberal neighborhood of supposedly liberal Portland) very interested in the campaign. I had served many years ago in the Peace Corps in a country that was populated by people of African descent. It was a very positive experience and I was impressed by the idea of a conversation about race in this country.
I looked in vain for the slogan that was supposed to be written on my cup of tea and asked why it was missing. I was coldly told that the baristas didn't want to talk about "that subject" at work. I was stunned and felt like I had been slapped in the face.
I looked in vain for the slogan that was supposed to be written on my cup of tea and asked why it was missing. I was coldly told that the baristas didn't want to talk about "that subject" at work. I was stunned and felt like I had been slapped in the face.
6
"I was coldly told that the baristas didn't want to talk about "that subject" at work. I was stunned and felt like I had been slapped in the face."
Don't you support the right of workers to have some say in what their job entails?
Don't you support the right of workers to have some say in what their job entails?
6
It appears to me we can't even have a civil discussion about having a civil discussion about race.
6
Starbucks' push for 'race conversations ' seems to piggy back a bit on that ad campaign a number of years back where coffee was touted as the 'think drink'. I can see how the company is now marrying say 'thinking on race'.
I know companies are always looking at their 'share of market' in the competitive business environment. Seems to me this 'conversation' is also looking for a 'share of voice' with Starbucks perhaps wanting to be the loudest on things of social import. But the coffee they're making now may or may not be too strong. We'll see as people get to sip expensively into all this!..;-)...
I know companies are always looking at their 'share of market' in the competitive business environment. Seems to me this 'conversation' is also looking for a 'share of voice' with Starbucks perhaps wanting to be the loudest on things of social import. But the coffee they're making now may or may not be too strong. We'll see as people get to sip expensively into all this!..;-)...
2
Why are people so offended about a subject that's been a hot topic of conversation in recent months? If you listened and/or read the premise, you would realize that one need not participate in a discussion of race (something I completely understand, not wanting to discuss anything more serious than whether or not I want cream or sugar in my first cup of the day, myself). However, race in America is a very serious topic and one that will affect the future of all of us, our children and our grandchildren, so hiding our heads in the sand isn't the solution, either.
4
I used to love Starbucks and over the years have spent quite a bit of money there. I liked the coffee, the atmosphere, the aroma, the friendly baristas. I carried my refillable eco-friendly Starbucks cup every day and recommended Starbucks to everyone I knew. Then I found out what Howard thinks of me. Gun owner? We don't want you. My initial reaction to that was "Fine. See if I save you when you get robbed." That was walked back somewhat, enough to mollify me into making Starbucks a once in a while thing instead of the almost every day thing it had been. It's hard to spend money at a place where you know the owner who you helped get rich says he doesn't like you, but I'll forgive just about anything once. And now Howard wants me to endure a lecture on race from a barista young enough to be my child? Howard, darling, a lifetime pass to Starbucks wouldn't entice me to do that. You've turned out to be an abusive boyfriend. We are done. I suggest Etiquette 101 (don't bite the hand that feeds you) and a course on How Not to Alienate Your Customers class (helpful hint - don't judge people you've never met and stop condescending). I gave you one more chance. You blew it.
5
Shrug, this doesn't bother me. Strange people reactions.
2
Yes, there is a commercial aspect. So what? At least Starbucks is raising the issue. It should be raised and talked about and when and where better, over coffee at a coffeehouse. Cut Starbucks some slack. They are doing more than most businesses.
11
I heard about this in passing on NPR and after reading your article, in which you no doubt presented all the details available on the topic, I still don't completely understand what was supposed to be happening here. It did remind me of a program we had at my workplace once called Courageous Conversations, based around a book by Glenn Singleton. Unfortunately that did not last very long... We do need some way to help each other heal around the issue of race. If Starbucks wants to help, perhaps they could put tent signs on the tables or something, to encourage conversation among the customers, but give their baristas a break. They are already too busy.
2
"We do need some way to help each other heal around the issue of race." I grew up in the South. Rare is the person my age to be found openly discussing race. For many the views haven't changed they're just submerged under a blanket of civility or a desire to leave the scab in place. Schultz needs to leave the scab alone. People's minds don't always change on some topics.
I think it's a great idea. The fact that bigotry still exists in law enforcement / justice proves that America's race relations need to advance to the 21st century.
4
When corporations start to believe they can be moral beacons for society, then we know we're in trouble. Only people, persons, and real human beings are capable of making moral decisions. Companies exist for only one purpose which is to make money. To allow them to pose as leaders on moral issues or on race relations is nothing but a travesty.
3
I agree. The idea is absurd. The Billionaire
Barista is just trying to sell more over-
priced coffee. Why people patronize his shops
is a mystery to me.
Barista is just trying to sell more over-
priced coffee. Why people patronize his shops
is a mystery to me.
3
Sounds like a PR stunt.
Hey Howie, just gimme' my coffee and leave the forced conversation to 'have a nice day!"
PS Give your workers a raise!
Hey Howie, just gimme' my coffee and leave the forced conversation to 'have a nice day!"
PS Give your workers a raise!
5
And so what is to be accomplished with Starbuck’s race campaign, besides lining the pockets of Starbuck’s executives?
The article and the company leave open so many questions that it difficult to see this as anything other than a cynical ploy to increase revenue and generate millions of dollars in free publicity.
I find it difficult to believe that Americans are unaware of the current state of race relations, which needs to be improved as much as any human relationship. We should work on human relations. Limiting the dialogue to race by itself is racist.
We don’t need an excuse to talk about race relations when it is very much a part of the cultural zeitgeist and has been since the civil rights movement of the 1960s. But talk is not enough. The “socially-conscious” corporation does not exist when you have shareholders to answer to.
Nice try Howard Schultz but all races can see through this self-serving marketing ploy to sell more coffee.
The article and the company leave open so many questions that it difficult to see this as anything other than a cynical ploy to increase revenue and generate millions of dollars in free publicity.
I find it difficult to believe that Americans are unaware of the current state of race relations, which needs to be improved as much as any human relationship. We should work on human relations. Limiting the dialogue to race by itself is racist.
We don’t need an excuse to talk about race relations when it is very much a part of the cultural zeitgeist and has been since the civil rights movement of the 1960s. But talk is not enough. The “socially-conscious” corporation does not exist when you have shareholders to answer to.
Nice try Howard Schultz but all races can see through this self-serving marketing ploy to sell more coffee.
6
A poorly thought out gesture at a really important issue. Of course lots of trolls jumped in with the hate and invective. So what. Race has no scientific basis; we are all out of Africa and from a population that probably was no more than 10 thousand persons 70 thousand years ago. However, racism is real and needs to be addressed. A seminar could be held on how to do this program more effectively, but nice try anyway.
1
There are always those who respond to discussions about inequality that this is not the appropriate time for that; that we should work on implementing [insert "obvious" solution here] first; that we have no right to be talking about it anyway, since we are obviously biased; that we are making them uncomfortable and disrupting their daily routine and won't we just shut up and let them drink their coffee?
Indeed, there will never be a comfortable time to talk about inequality. There will never be a clear-cut solution on which we all agree. There will never be participants without their own biases, and we will always have to work hard to find common ground.
It is precisely by talking about these difficult issues anyway that we can begin to imperfectly work our way toward an improved society. Yes, it is uncomfortable and awkward and probably won't work out so well the first time (or the first thousand times). The true leaders for change are those who are trying to have the conversation anyway.
Indeed, there will never be a comfortable time to talk about inequality. There will never be a clear-cut solution on which we all agree. There will never be participants without their own biases, and we will always have to work hard to find common ground.
It is precisely by talking about these difficult issues anyway that we can begin to imperfectly work our way toward an improved society. Yes, it is uncomfortable and awkward and probably won't work out so well the first time (or the first thousand times). The true leaders for change are those who are trying to have the conversation anyway.
3
Really now, barristas have better things to do than promote race relations. I for one, do not want to hear about it when all I want is a coffee and I certainly do not want to hear propaganda from every salesperson I encounter for whatever pet concern their overlords at a Corporate personhood feels is the trendy issue of the day.
9
Just say no thanks.
6
"Race relations" is a loaded subject and at this point in time can't be discussed disinterestedly in this country. Passions and ignorance will come to the fore. Ethnic culture is usually what the real issue is and not simply the color of someone's skin--other physical characteristics being ignored. Explanations for the suspicions of one group toward others is unheard of--such as the perspectives that evolutionary biology offers--groups naturally want to know they are safe from others, and that other groups pull their own weight. To compare such groups by percentage of crime committed or measures of accomplishment attained--without explicitly saying that criminal conduct, etc. occurs because of the prejudice of others--will be greeted with outrage.
If you just want a good cup of coffee in the morning, why be confronted with a complex and hitherto unsolvable problem such as the antagonisms among "racial" groups.
If you just want a good cup of coffee in the morning, why be confronted with a complex and hitherto unsolvable problem such as the antagonisms among "racial" groups.
8
What makes me laugh is the concept, espoused many times in these comments, that this might be our first national conversation about race. Pardon me, but we have been discussing race and racism for as long as I can remember. MLK, Rodney King, OJ Simpson, they all spawned conversations about race. Minority leaders have been 'conversing' about race forever. The problem is these conversations always include blame on other races for our own troubles. What we need is not more conversation but accountability.
4
I've read hundreds of these comments and I haven't seen a single one of them that claims this would be the first time we've discussed it.
1
Perhaps I'm alone with this feeling but I'm really tired of all these nonsense campaigns , they seem to be very big on slogans and not much else.
4
Is this just another example of Corporate America's seeming lack of serious concern for many of the problems that real people in their daily lives are forced to have to suffer through and endure without any help from anyone but themselves?
Trivializing the gravity and serious nature of the issue to some snappy graphic on their coffee cups, is probably nothing more than a cynical marketing ploy to sell more over-priced coffee and to assuage the consciences of those who'll carry them in their hands, while feeling the same animosity and prejudice in their hearts, only now consoling themselves without any change in their heart simply due to the cup they're now holding in their hand.
Will that graphic change be all the change they feel will be required to make to help fix a real problem that they in fact may be to blame for, as long as they leave the empty cup on their desk for others to see for a little while and before they throw it in the trash?
Maybe if they recycle the cup they'll then feel extra virtuous by feeling their saving the planet from environmental disaster as well.
Wow, and all from one high-priced cup of coffee! Miraculous.
Trivializing the gravity and serious nature of the issue to some snappy graphic on their coffee cups, is probably nothing more than a cynical marketing ploy to sell more over-priced coffee and to assuage the consciences of those who'll carry them in their hands, while feeling the same animosity and prejudice in their hearts, only now consoling themselves without any change in their heart simply due to the cup they're now holding in their hand.
Will that graphic change be all the change they feel will be required to make to help fix a real problem that they in fact may be to blame for, as long as they leave the empty cup on their desk for others to see for a little while and before they throw it in the trash?
Maybe if they recycle the cup they'll then feel extra virtuous by feeling their saving the planet from environmental disaster as well.
Wow, and all from one high-priced cup of coffee! Miraculous.
2
I applaud Howard on his initiative. What a great idea and a great forum. Having been in an inter-racial marriage for 35 years I can attest that racial stereotypes are something I for one an constantly vigilant about.
How can anyone criticize Howard Schultz for his idea to discuss race relations ?
How can anyone criticize Howard Schultz for his idea to discuss race relations ?
7
First coffee-houses in London and Amsterdam were discussion clubs, incubators where ideas of the Enlightenment were hatched in conversations among strangers. Coffee-shops still play a similar role in Europe and Asia.I had spirited political debates with strangers in China and Italy, despite language barriers. And though we often did not agree, it was wonderful to be exposed to a contrary point of view and learn how to debate and defend your position. Cut to the U.S. where debate is a dirty word and anybody who disagrees with you is a mortal enemy. Kudos to Starbucks for trying to revive the tradition of a public agora where strangers can disagree without reaching for their guns and where quick wit and knowledge may count for more than aggrieved self-righteousness. Perhaps those who are most opposed to this initiative know that they have no good arguments and are afraid to lose.
12
We have truly become a country where cynicism and criticism are the norm.
Everything the critics complain about may be true -- but can no one say "Well, at least they are TRYING?"
Everything the critics complain about may be true -- but can no one say "Well, at least they are TRYING?"
7
Ok, here's my opener: Hey good morning, how about that shooting last night of the 6 year old in Washington DC SE? Or last weekend shooting of the 22 yr old in SE? Or last week's shooting of a 2 year old, caught in the cross-fire in SE? No, SE is a black neighborhood. No, nothing equivalent in NW, a white neighborhood. I think we should race together down to SE....
6
If we need the McDonald's of coffee to urge us to engage in a intellectual debate, then we do indeed live in a dumbed down society.
7
What happens when a customer with a real gift for gab gets the invitation, and the barista is detained for a good 45 minutes?
5
That happens anyway. I listened to the entire life story of a woman a few weeks ago.
3
Racism is a controversial issue. sometimes, when folks discuss it gets heated. sometimes the emotion is helpful, sometimes not. I belong to a book club that meets in a Startbucks. Discussion is always civilized. Starbucks seems to be inviting us to civilized conversation about race. When they find that things repeatedly get heated, they will hopefully realize that they have bit off more than they can chew.
1
Name a barista who wants to discuss race with a customer while the customer is waiting for their tall in a grande cup, skinny vanilla latte with two extra shots. The discussion will likely fall flat, or become heated or the customer will become instantly irate and verbally abusive. The discussion on race in the US was become very polarizing and resentment on both sides leads to little compromise or discussion. White Americans get angry for a variety of reasons and this have even lead to the development of White Anger. The Non-White Americans will focus being disenfranchised and discriminated against. A meaningful discussion over coffee or coffee based drinks is a great idea, it is hard to get this discussion going when both sides feel wrong, put in a bad light and angry the other side is not doing something immediate to fix these problems. The sheer persistence of this topic and historical issues makes good intentions such as these fail. Who wants to discuss race, when all I want is my coffee and pastry so I can get on with my day. Further why should I talk about race when all I am going to be is cast as the bad guy and told how I am keeping this person down when I had to work hard and am working hard to earn a living?
1
Order plain brewed coffee, in your own cup. That way there's nothing to track, and nothing to write on.
Conversation aborted.
You're welcome!
Conversation aborted.
You're welcome!
3
So the head of Starbucks did something stupid. Big deal, it happens and no one got hurt. Take a chill pill.
6
Kind of reminds me of when Apple gave everyone with an itunes account the new U2 album without bothering to ask if they like U2. Apple had to come out with a fix allowing the thousands of people who don't like U2 to remove the album from their play list.
6
Barista????that's a big part of the problem in America today. Can't call something what it actually is. Barista in Starbucks? Try "cashier"
4
i'd be halfway sympathetic if "the campaign" didn't seem so cynically aimed at selling more (mediocre) coffee.
2
Starbucks has been called a purpose-driven brand.
It seems to me the purpose is to get you to pay $3.50 for a cup of coffee. And another few bucks for a leaden scone.
The rest is all fake. If I can afford to buy the coffee, let me drink it in peace.
It seems to me the purpose is to get you to pay $3.50 for a cup of coffee. And another few bucks for a leaden scone.
The rest is all fake. If I can afford to buy the coffee, let me drink it in peace.
7
Looks like Starbucks started a conversation here.
14
I visit Starbucks once in awhile for the Tea and snacks, mainly because it is a welcome respite, especially in noisy, bigger cities. I like the refreshments, relative quiet and wi-fi for my Iphone.
As a progressive white man, I think that race -- together with its closely intertwined cousin, class, is a crucial subject (and the subtext of both American life and all of American politics) -- I didn't see how Starbucks was the place to discuss it.
Individuals or small groups at Starbucks may want to do so -- fine. But to have Starbucks employees initiate it seems forced and awkward to me.
As a progressive white man, I think that race -- together with its closely intertwined cousin, class, is a crucial subject (and the subtext of both American life and all of American politics) -- I didn't see how Starbucks was the place to discuss it.
Individuals or small groups at Starbucks may want to do so -- fine. But to have Starbucks employees initiate it seems forced and awkward to me.
7
Oh good grief. Is this all that Howard Schultz has to fill his hours? Find additional duties for already harried employees? This seems to be a common flaw among CEO's and upper management of big firms - they try to prove their worth by coming up with more work for those further down the pay scale. Here's an idea: How about if 'ole Howard works for a full week, early shift, at a busy Starbucks somewhere and deals with the rush, crowds, employees out sick, impatient customers, etc. Then see if there's a need to have baristas writing something else on cups or trying to hold a conversation, while all people really want is the coffee they paid (a lot) for.
14
At least they are attempting to do something, I am not sure this is the best way to go about it. I am not a social change expert, but Starbucks is a well respected multi-billion dollar company, money talks and at least they are trying to say something important/valid. The government/world might actually listen to them too.
8
Racism is an evil that must be eradicated now, not later.
Every effort to do that peacefully, however imperfectly, is a step in the right direction. Many steps are necessary. Let's not trip-up those who try to move forward. Instead, let's lend them our support and suggest to them more ways to strengthen the effort.
And let's join them as they venture forth. Now, not later.
Every effort to do that peacefully, however imperfectly, is a step in the right direction. Many steps are necessary. Let's not trip-up those who try to move forward. Instead, let's lend them our support and suggest to them more ways to strengthen the effort.
And let's join them as they venture forth. Now, not later.
5
There definitely seems to be a misunderstanding of what the company is attempting to do. It isn't about the baristas speaking to you about race relations, it is merely trying to put the thought in your mind to spark a potential conversation about it within your own network of friends and acquaintances.
Also, it should be pointed out Starbucks employs a huge number of minority workers and pays a generally very good wage for service staff.
Also, it should be pointed out Starbucks employs a huge number of minority workers and pays a generally very good wage for service staff.
16
I am tired of companies jumping on the political and social bandwagon. Just sell the product and be done with it! I am also tired of race discussions. It is so stale! I don't want philosophy along with my Taco Bell burrito!
5
For me, what comes up every time I stand anywhere waiting for a latte (not just Starbucks) is how privileged I am as a (white) person to be in a position where I can afford that drink. That seems to go for my fellow coffee drinkers as well. We are pretty privileged to be consumers of coffee - not just in that line, but in the world in general. Coffee growing and production is something I don't see or think about but it's laborious and unless it's fair trade, exploitative. Starbucks focuses on fair trade coffee and not being exploitative at the production level. Why not at the delivery point?
I think it makes total sense that Starbucks would want to help to promote conversations about privilege and race among a crowd of privileged folks drinking coffee. I think also sharing that they want people to connect to the humanity of the people who serve them and/or live in their communities isn't a bad thing. (all you people "who just want your coffee right" and "don't want to be bothered to exchange names" with a fellow human, geez)
That said, I think a softer educational approach in the store inviting guests to talk to each other would using some type of "download it yourself guide" make more sense. Asking baristas to take on these conversations without the benefit of training exposes them to potential impacts related to their customer's privilege and ignorance that may be more damaging than helpful.
I think it makes total sense that Starbucks would want to help to promote conversations about privilege and race among a crowd of privileged folks drinking coffee. I think also sharing that they want people to connect to the humanity of the people who serve them and/or live in their communities isn't a bad thing. (all you people "who just want your coffee right" and "don't want to be bothered to exchange names" with a fellow human, geez)
That said, I think a softer educational approach in the store inviting guests to talk to each other would using some type of "download it yourself guide" make more sense. Asking baristas to take on these conversations without the benefit of training exposes them to potential impacts related to their customer's privilege and ignorance that may be more damaging than helpful.
3
Mr. Shultz was correct. We do need to have an open and frank conversation about race relations in the US. This dialog has started, uncomfortable as it may be. From the looks of the comments here the start of this conversation is as sordid as the South's response to the "sit ins" in Selma 60 years ago.
8
I find this interesting as when I lived in NYC across from the Waldorf Astoria, I never saw any staff that were not Caucasian. I was born in a mixed neighborhood in Kokomo, Indiana, then we moved to a mostly white area then, S. Oregon, where even Jewish people "hid" their names.(decades ago with events of past war still close to the heart).
Starbucks as Demographic Indicator
Mr. "Magic" Jackson - has done a lot with regard to placing Starbucks in "minority" locations.
http://mije.org/bobbibowman/starbucks
If race discussions are to be addressed it must as well include bias against whites, others as well. Yes that occurs, and I've been deliberately targeted based on what was "whispered" in my ear while assaulted. (to vile to repeat here).
Or the response when Nicolle Simpson, was "allegedly" murdered by O.J. Simpson - the message boards often had many stating "that w b deserves it for going out with a black man (term used then).
Imagine my shock when at age 21 while working and living in Boston, the man I thought I would marry, (a man of color) and I were both attacked by Italians - my Italian boss fired both me and my brother (famous Hotel where we worked, while attending college). I had no idea this behavior occurred, but (as it turns out) when we would go into Newberry Street cafes, the owners (Italian) found out where we both lived, and for me, I had stones tossed into my bedroom window at night with death threats!
Starbucks as Demographic Indicator
Mr. "Magic" Jackson - has done a lot with regard to placing Starbucks in "minority" locations.
http://mije.org/bobbibowman/starbucks
If race discussions are to be addressed it must as well include bias against whites, others as well. Yes that occurs, and I've been deliberately targeted based on what was "whispered" in my ear while assaulted. (to vile to repeat here).
Or the response when Nicolle Simpson, was "allegedly" murdered by O.J. Simpson - the message boards often had many stating "that w b deserves it for going out with a black man (term used then).
Imagine my shock when at age 21 while working and living in Boston, the man I thought I would marry, (a man of color) and I were both attacked by Italians - my Italian boss fired both me and my brother (famous Hotel where we worked, while attending college). I had no idea this behavior occurred, but (as it turns out) when we would go into Newberry Street cafes, the owners (Italian) found out where we both lived, and for me, I had stones tossed into my bedroom window at night with death threats!
1
Is a brief acknowledgment of our shared humanity and connection really that offensive to so many people? I did not mind a reminder of the importance of fair trade, access to clean water or responsible packaging either. Good for you Starbucks!
4
People are primed to be upset about anything these days.
8
Race isn't the issue in America, the culture born out of poverty is, black people just happen to be a large percentage of the people trapped in this cycle. The roots of this lie greater in slavery perhaps and breaking up families, but there are white people stuck here too, unrelated to a historical systematic atrocity. No one will say what is true and that's why we are stuck. Uneducated men, with no father figures are suspicious and hostile to authority. When they lash out, the police react and people die. Rarely is it the fault of the police. Rabble rousers found their political football and they throw it every chance they get. Statistics don't have a color. Crime is a big problem in certain socio-economic segments, a large portion of which is black men. No one will talk about this. So we remain spinning uneasily.
5
This dialogue on race has been promoted for some time now by McDonalds. In the days leading up to St. Patrick's Day, the appearance of the Shamrock Shake is a tacit 'tip o' the tam' to the Irish. And every February, McDonalds also has a 2 week promo for a free small black coffee (no purchase required)--- offered as part of Black History Month, I guess.
Personally, I can't wait for another nationality to be recognized on McDonalds beverage menus. Maybe a beet smoothie for Pulaski Day......
Personally, I can't wait for another nationality to be recognized on McDonalds beverage menus. Maybe a beet smoothie for Pulaski Day......
4
Well, I don't think much about race until I see it on the news but, if this applies to you white or black we will probable not end up respecting each other.
Pull up your pants.
The N-word is offensive no matter who uses it.
Respect where you live and don't litter.
Finish school and Stop telling kids they're acting white because they go to school or they speak proper English.
Pull up your pants.
The N-word is offensive no matter who uses it.
Respect where you live and don't litter.
Finish school and Stop telling kids they're acting white because they go to school or they speak proper English.
14
Don't take your marching orders from white guys. Tell them not to show their beer bellies in public, Honky is offensive no matter who uses it. They need to respect where they live and clean up after their dogs. They should finish school and stop telling their kids that they're acting black because they like loud music and dancing and they have black friends.
6
Why do people feel they have to preach at the American public? Probably 95% of America has no race issues or problems, and when we are together as family and friends, we love each other and TCB.
4
95%? Take a look at the number of states enacting voter ID laws. Match up a map of those states and a map of the states where slavery was legal and you'll see a striking similarity.
2
What about the baristas who are going to be answered with verbal abuse from some of the customers. I work retail - I know with some folks it does not take much to get their 'mean' going. Especially because they know you are trapped behind the counter and can't really defend yourself, i.e. you risk getting fired if you do. The worker does not need to be put into this uncomfortable position.
7
We should remember that Starbucks is a corporation and, as such, deserves less of the credit or blame for its actions than we often give it. Sure, by all means pressure a corporation to do what you would like it to do. However, let us not confuse our ethics and values with corporate motivation, whether we approve or disapprove of its actions.
As to Schultz, I'm not into reading entrails, so I will not speculate on his personal motives.
As to Schultz, I'm not into reading entrails, so I will not speculate on his personal motives.
1
Barristas as our latest Solons of cultural ethics!
Perfect in a country that reduces everything to sloganeering in the the sway of consumerism.
And where our congressional leaders quote the Bible as their intellectual touch stone.
Bread and Circus and Mass psychic entropy reign supreme!
Perfect in a country that reduces everything to sloganeering in the the sway of consumerism.
And where our congressional leaders quote the Bible as their intellectual touch stone.
Bread and Circus and Mass psychic entropy reign supreme!
3
Well, they say there's is no such thing as bad publicity...
1
The people who always claim "we have to have a conversation about race" instead want a monologue which is dominated by the grievances of blacks.
I wonder how blacks would feel if they were always told "we need to have a conversation about anti-Semitism" or anti-Asian racism. I wonder how they would feel if Jews or Asians blocked roads, interrupted public meetings and descended on restaurants with a predominately black clientele and hollered through a microphone the names of al the people of their race murdered by blacks. Sorry, but a lot of anti-black attitudes comes from experience not the media or the Tea Party. This "race relations" is always a black/white thing. Hispanics, Asians, Jews and Native Americans are excluded unless it works to forward black grievances against whites. Contrary to what we are told blacks are the most powerful minority in this country and have a long history of abusive behavior towards smaller minorities that is brushed under the table. Let's see those minorities demand blacks acknowledge the pain they cause others. The uproar from the black community would be sky high.
I wonder how blacks would feel if they were always told "we need to have a conversation about anti-Semitism" or anti-Asian racism. I wonder how they would feel if Jews or Asians blocked roads, interrupted public meetings and descended on restaurants with a predominately black clientele and hollered through a microphone the names of al the people of their race murdered by blacks. Sorry, but a lot of anti-black attitudes comes from experience not the media or the Tea Party. This "race relations" is always a black/white thing. Hispanics, Asians, Jews and Native Americans are excluded unless it works to forward black grievances against whites. Contrary to what we are told blacks are the most powerful minority in this country and have a long history of abusive behavior towards smaller minorities that is brushed under the table. Let's see those minorities demand blacks acknowledge the pain they cause others. The uproar from the black community would be sky high.
5
Why can't we stop using the word race to distinguish, etnicity? Biologically, there is only one race on earth, the human race.
7
RACE is such a epidemic in this country that it is needed to be handled with the sense of emergency , business leaders can pioneer such a pious cause. , to free our kids mind from the shackles of race to grow as a better and sane human society. economic cost of racism could eat away all the pride and growth so far achieved by this country and could very well throw this country as a third world country of the mid 21st century .
The BASELINE is, if a female and male could sexually reproduce a child then they are regarded of same RACE.
Be human, be considerate and realize that the other's input is equally important as yours or help others to learn to race-together positively in building our future generations.
The BASELINE is, if a female and male could sexually reproduce a child then they are regarded of same RACE.
Be human, be considerate and realize that the other's input is equally important as yours or help others to learn to race-together positively in building our future generations.
I buy coffee. Starbucks sells coffee, baked goods, and knickknacks. Sell me coffee and shut up.
It's not only the cyber-sellers who want to get into your brain. Now it's the coffee-sellers, too.
It's not only the cyber-sellers who want to get into your brain. Now it's the coffee-sellers, too.
2
If Starbucks is concerned about relations, how about sponsoring programs for schools and communities that address race. They could hire people trained to discuss sensitive issues to hold these forums. And serve Starbucks coffee for free. People would show up for that and probably be very pleased under those circumstances to sip coffee and listen to or participate in a discussion. Just a thought.
4
I get my coffee at Chick-fil-A.
7
Starbucks. how dare you think a Barista, after violating my rights putting my name on my cup, has ANYTHING to offer me regarding my political views!!
Go away. I am not going to Starbucks until this narcissistic, self indulgent, irresponsible campaign is shut down.
Go away. I am not going to Starbucks until this narcissistic, self indulgent, irresponsible campaign is shut down.
2
What right do you believe you have, that they are violating when you purchase a cup of coffee from a private company?
2
Which part of the Constitution has the part about coffee cup rights? I must have missed that day in law school.
1
The only race is the human race. All differences among us are merely environmental adaptions.
3
Until we start having the conversation on race we want, we'll only get the conversation we don't.
4
No good dead goes unpunished,
4
Damned if you do, and damned if you don't.
I think their heart was in the right place.
I think their heart was in the right place.
7
The success of this company is still a complet mystery. I like coffee, but theirs is too strong for my tastes. And now, they decide to offer up a new brew that can't be sweetened by latte, sugar or aspatame. Serves 'em right.
Howard Schultz & Starbucks should be commended for attempting to take on one of America's great taboos, race relations & how to improve the sorry state of those relations.
I'm not certain how well such a move will, in the end work to improve race relations in this country, or for that matter improve the state of relations between various ethnic, cultural, religious & gender groups within this most diverse population.
Unfortunately, most people would rather not deal with these issues, because we might have to confront uncomfortable beliefs we have but don't talk about.
There is a lack of language with which we can express our individual feelings & beliefs on this topic, without expressing a lack of understanding of what it's like to be a person from a minority group that feels in some way or another threatened by the larger, dominant culture in the United States. As such, whatever our intent, unless we each embrace the concept of "walking a mile in another person's shoes", we can't empathize with another person's struggles. Without empathy, we can't move forward.
I'm not certain how well such a move will, in the end work to improve race relations in this country, or for that matter improve the state of relations between various ethnic, cultural, religious & gender groups within this most diverse population.
Unfortunately, most people would rather not deal with these issues, because we might have to confront uncomfortable beliefs we have but don't talk about.
There is a lack of language with which we can express our individual feelings & beliefs on this topic, without expressing a lack of understanding of what it's like to be a person from a minority group that feels in some way or another threatened by the larger, dominant culture in the United States. As such, whatever our intent, unless we each embrace the concept of "walking a mile in another person's shoes", we can't empathize with another person's struggles. Without empathy, we can't move forward.
5
You don't magically change society, you change individuals if they are receptive. When enough individuals change, then society shifts. It doesn't work the other way.
Maybe Schultz is just a cynical greedy capitalist, or maybe he actually was trying to play a role in inviting individuals to think on this issue, talk if moved and maybe change their own attitudes if open to such.
It's clear from the comments that many seem offended by the effort, I'm not. Hope we all consider how we can do better in our relationships.
Maybe Schultz is just a cynical greedy capitalist, or maybe he actually was trying to play a role in inviting individuals to think on this issue, talk if moved and maybe change their own attitudes if open to such.
It's clear from the comments that many seem offended by the effort, I'm not. Hope we all consider how we can do better in our relationships.
2
I like Starbucks. I simply wish there was more substance behind the initiative.
Instructing front-line employees to write messages on cups is easy. But where are the Starbucks locations in the minority areas that our government is right to call "new markets"?
Instructing front-line employees to write messages on cups is easy. But where are the Starbucks locations in the minority areas that our government is right to call "new markets"?
In the off chance a higher up at a major company is reading this, everyone who is a minority or female know middle aged white men have all the important positions in your company. It is a weight you will never feel, knowing deep inside you'll never get an equal chance to truly "make it" in society. It simmers below the surface, and we live with it, and you are clueless to it.
The multi-culteral advertisements with beautiful people are seen ironically and laughed at, obviously they are created to make yourself feel better.
So don't be confused by the reaction Starbucks. You are essentially pointing out and laughing at an open wound. Yes, we all have no doubt things will get better because a group of white dudes is telling us to "work together" and "lets talk about things". You watch your ads, we will go back to watching the news, and looking around the neighbourhoods we actually live in.
The multi-culteral advertisements with beautiful people are seen ironically and laughed at, obviously they are created to make yourself feel better.
So don't be confused by the reaction Starbucks. You are essentially pointing out and laughing at an open wound. Yes, we all have no doubt things will get better because a group of white dudes is telling us to "work together" and "lets talk about things". You watch your ads, we will go back to watching the news, and looking around the neighbourhoods we actually live in.
7
Weill, i don't know. However, I am worried that if I say I want my coffee black it might be considered some sort of political statment.
2
Who cares? It appears Starbucks' efforts are well-intentioned. If you don't want to discuss race with the barista, I imagine he/she will be relieved. Don't overanalyze it as this article does.
1
His heart was in the right place but to the average person just wanting a cup of coffee his campaign comes off as another rich white guy coming across as a fool.
Starbucks deserves praise, not derision, for trying to bring reexamination and discussion to the ever-sensitive subject of racial relations in this country. This topic cannot be a one-sided discussion in our society where people of color simply protest the status quo while caucasian americans stay silent out of fear of being criticized no matter what they say. It's fairly obvious this dynamic is not achieving the results all people of good will are hoping for. Starbucks' approach may not be perfect, but they are trying...and doing so in uncharted territory for a big corporation. I am not a fan of their product nor their prices, but they are doing the right thing by attempting to further this discussion in America. I wish more large companies would show such courage.
1
Well well, when was the last time the white collars at corporate work at their own coffee bars? Let them work the lines and see how hard it is for people of color to survive minimum wage compare to the hard work that they do.
1
This country will always have 'race' issues because the media always finds the need to point out race even when it is not needed, i.e. leadership predominantly white while baristas are members of minorities.
1
Oh yes, by all means, let's continue to sweep the subject of race under the rug as if all is sunshine and butterflies in the area od race relations. Howard Schultz is to be applauded, not derided, for his progressive thinking and for bringing the conversation out into the open as a corporation. As President Obama so eloquently put it in the shadow of the bridge in Selma, we have accomplished much but have a long way to go before we can truly claim that race is NOT an issue in this country. Maybe Starbucks can help each of us to begin taking baby steps to bring this much needed discussion to the table. Bravo Mr. Schultz!
1
This is confusing.
If there is a shooting, it is a negative racial issue, as it should be.
If a company honestly attempts a benign marketing campaign promoting racial unity, it is a negative race issue.
At this point, is there even a winning solution?
At this point, why even try nowadays?
If there is a shooting, it is a negative racial issue, as it should be.
If a company honestly attempts a benign marketing campaign promoting racial unity, it is a negative race issue.
At this point, is there even a winning solution?
At this point, why even try nowadays?
Honorable intention, poor execution.
3
I'd like to order a doppio macchiato and what do you think of the Dred Scott Decision? Can't wait to see the cartoons.
1
The reasons Americans cannot talk about race are many, but I think that the biggest one is that we do not have a common understanding about what the terms mean:
1. Race -Is this just visible differences between people?
2. Culture -Are there any cultural characteristics that are caused by one's race? What is culture?
3. Whiteness -Are there a set of cultural/behavioral/values/attitudes that are "authentic" only for white people?
4. Blackness -Same question as above.
5. Racism. -This can only be defined if we can agree on the terms above.
My opinion is that racial differences (in other words, genetically based differences) are very small. Most of what we observe as somewhat consistent differences between people of different races are exclusively cultural (and are learned during childhood and continually reinforced).
If the above is true, is it fair to criticize cultural values of other cultures? For example, I think my culture, European American has some glaring flaws that ought to be called out. Racism for one. And I would also add that European Americans are too obsessed with material wealth. This has created comfort for some, and but has made life difficult for those that perform essential labor, but are not "professionals". And the brilliant advances in science and industry appear to be about to destabilize the climate of the planet.
Can we criticize Islamists for their treatment of women? Can we criticize the culture of greed of Wall Street?
1. Race -Is this just visible differences between people?
2. Culture -Are there any cultural characteristics that are caused by one's race? What is culture?
3. Whiteness -Are there a set of cultural/behavioral/values/attitudes that are "authentic" only for white people?
4. Blackness -Same question as above.
5. Racism. -This can only be defined if we can agree on the terms above.
My opinion is that racial differences (in other words, genetically based differences) are very small. Most of what we observe as somewhat consistent differences between people of different races are exclusively cultural (and are learned during childhood and continually reinforced).
If the above is true, is it fair to criticize cultural values of other cultures? For example, I think my culture, European American has some glaring flaws that ought to be called out. Racism for one. And I would also add that European Americans are too obsessed with material wealth. This has created comfort for some, and but has made life difficult for those that perform essential labor, but are not "professionals". And the brilliant advances in science and industry appear to be about to destabilize the climate of the planet.
Can we criticize Islamists for their treatment of women? Can we criticize the culture of greed of Wall Street?
1
I am more than happy to engage in a discussion about race, but not at all happy to be forced to do it with the person who is selling me coffee.
2
As a thoughtful American dealing with race going back to the riots of the 1960s up through the racism unleashed by the election of our first black president I would be offended if a young barista suggested we needed to talk about race. Where on earth to start? What could I possibly teach him in the few minutes of our commercial interaction?
1
I'm with Gwen Ifil– there's a time and a place for this stuff, and getting my coffee isn't it. I want a latté, not a lecture. What happens when the conservative owner of a niche brand favored by the crunchy granola set (of which I am a nominal member)— say John Mackey of Whole Foods for example— starts making cashiers promote his pro-Republican. quasi- Tea Party, anti-Obamacare agenda when all you want is to go in, get some organic peaches and Palestinian olive oil, and get home? Business owners have a First Amendment right to promote their politics at the cash register as i check out, but if they do I will exercise mine by getting my stuff somewhere else.
5
What about Starbucks offering predictable, full-time schedules with benefits and livable wages to their staff? Now, that would be great for race relations and the overall economic situation. But hey, shareholders might object... So let's focus on empty publicity stunt instead!
6
As I understand it they do offer better wages than their competitors and a variety of benefits.
1
I wish everyone at Starbucks would read DC Barrister's comment below.
Schultz may be well-intentioned but he is putting the baristas and their customers in an awkward position. If he is interested in improving race relations, why not help Gates with helping educate African American ghetto kids?
Schultz may be well-intentioned but he is putting the baristas and their customers in an awkward position. If he is interested in improving race relations, why not help Gates with helping educate African American ghetto kids?
3
The problem with the internet and television, but especially the internet, is instant gratification and often, instant awareness of each instance of adultery, bad behavior, hate, nudity, injustice, police brutality, gun violence, genocide, political upsizings and killings, natural disaster destruction, so everyone believes incorrectly that everything can be solved, not in understanding the primitive nature of the human animal, but online in tweets and posting. We will only become further polarized not with either side admitting the truth only their own truth, prejudices, experiences or indoctrination of religious beliefs. The best example of what is wrong with the internet is the incessant posting of Kim Kardashian's nudity mostly by herself, and no, most of us are not prudes but nudity if for the beach bedroom, etc. not for incessant in your face. What if all of us, men and women, did that each and every day? It doesn't mean we are uninhibited and free if we can do that, only that we would be considered not only narcissists, but mentally ill. For the E network to pay their family $100 million for this new season shows how shallow and whoring they will go for dollars. This isn't want young girls or boys, for that matter, need. It really does contribute to more female victimization because the human animal is by nature driven to its basic needs for attention, food, and sex. There is not need to reinforce what is already a given.
Starbucks how about this idea, work with the NAACP - ask them what your company could do to combat racism....or local Starbucks work with local predominantly black organizations that need support and make donations to combat racism....while the intention is good, this is another example of a predominantly white organization coming in to rescue or save the day.....
2
While I applaud Starbucks for initiating race-related dialogue, I only request that they finish what they started. I think that the barrage of internet attacks on this “Race Together” initiative are rooted in the fact that what people really want is to talk to Starbucks EXECUTIVES, not BARISTAS, about race. People that have something to say about race don’t want a two minute conversation eked out over grinding coffee machines, they want this major corporation to address racial equity within their top leadership and the company’s overall (un)fair labor practices. I challenge Starbucks executives to show that they’re truly committed to having this difficult discussion.
2
What doesn't draw attacks from the cozy anonymity of the on-line world?
3
Oh! boy... It never came to my mind about a race relation issue to get a cup of coffee in New York. All I need was a strong nice coffee that smells great with couple of donuts. In New York there were plenty of it to start the day. Now Starsbucks that grabs a lot more money for a cup of coffee mixes race in it... It doesn't smell coffee anymore but race! Get away... I need a coffee, only a cup of coffee... please...
1
Mr. Schultz has something that most CEOs lack --guts. I think I will be buying Starbucks stock today.
4
What’s the big idea?
Can we exhibit curiosity about the campaign?
Can we experiment with new ideas?
Can we see other points of view?
Can we challenge our own beliefs?
Finally, Do we want to do all that before 8:00 am in the morning and if not, when do you think it is ever a good time?
Can we exhibit curiosity about the campaign?
Can we experiment with new ideas?
Can we see other points of view?
Can we challenge our own beliefs?
Finally, Do we want to do all that before 8:00 am in the morning and if not, when do you think it is ever a good time?
3
Over dinner with friends and family? In a class where the topic comes up and needs to be examined as part of the course? Or maybe it needs to be discussed when we hear some of politicians making idiotic generalizations about the poor, the handicapped, immigrants, welfare, etc.
As a Jewish lesbian with a handicapped sibling I've been forced to see other peoples points of view. All too often I've been treated to their ideas about how abnormal my sibling is or how that sibling should be treated like the brat he is when he's autistic, not a brat, not deaf, and not without feelings. I've also been forced to hide who I am from most of the world because I'm not heterosexual.
My wish is that we could all learn to stand for a minute or two in another person's shoes. Perhaps then we'd understand how uncomfortable it is to be treated like dirt for something we can't help like being a different color, not being heterosexual, being handicapped.
As a Jewish lesbian with a handicapped sibling I've been forced to see other peoples points of view. All too often I've been treated to their ideas about how abnormal my sibling is or how that sibling should be treated like the brat he is when he's autistic, not a brat, not deaf, and not without feelings. I've also been forced to hide who I am from most of the world because I'm not heterosexual.
My wish is that we could all learn to stand for a minute or two in another person's shoes. Perhaps then we'd understand how uncomfortable it is to be treated like dirt for something we can't help like being a different color, not being heterosexual, being handicapped.
3
When are we going to realize that anything that goes on on social media has very little to do with the real world? What comments on social media have to do with is . . . social media. It's like arguing that the world has become more violent because there has been an increase of red cards in soccer.
This may indeed be a very bad idea by Starbucks, but they shouldn't stop doing it because of negative comments on Twitter.
This may indeed be a very bad idea by Starbucks, but they shouldn't stop doing it because of negative comments on Twitter.
2
Our society is too polarized. No matter the issue Americans have allowed themselves to be manipulated into overstating their ideas in stark, angry terms. First by 24-hr media and secondly by having pocket computers that make spouting tiny bursts of outrage easy. The online ridicule is so mean-spirited, and peoples mob-like lust for retribution so vitriolic that most of us opt to post our ideas anonymously.
This morning on the subway I saw two pushy men, one white, one black have some idiotic tiff about space issues. One motherly woman told them to stop and succeeded in calming them down before it got physical.
She acted as the lone voice of reason because she was able to look at the big picture and think ahead to the consequences. She didn't get sucked into the unimportant minutiae of who said what; she focused on the most important thing, the avoidance of a fight, and succeeded.
If people learn impulse control and focus on what’s really important we’ll all be mentally and physically healthier. Whatever your view on race, the cup is not important. It’s just the flavor of the week, another triviality to angrily focus on that means nothing. Companies turn issues into slogans because our society has become hyper-focused on political issues. The important thing is how we treat one another in each moment. If people can clear their minds of the noise, the worthless chatter of angry people, they may find they don’t have such a hard time treating other people well at all.
This morning on the subway I saw two pushy men, one white, one black have some idiotic tiff about space issues. One motherly woman told them to stop and succeeded in calming them down before it got physical.
She acted as the lone voice of reason because she was able to look at the big picture and think ahead to the consequences. She didn't get sucked into the unimportant minutiae of who said what; she focused on the most important thing, the avoidance of a fight, and succeeded.
If people learn impulse control and focus on what’s really important we’ll all be mentally and physically healthier. Whatever your view on race, the cup is not important. It’s just the flavor of the week, another triviality to angrily focus on that means nothing. Companies turn issues into slogans because our society has become hyper-focused on political issues. The important thing is how we treat one another in each moment. If people can clear their minds of the noise, the worthless chatter of angry people, they may find they don’t have such a hard time treating other people well at all.
6
Barista: "Hey there, I see you're a person of color. Care to have a quick discussion about the most painful aspect of your existence in front of total strangers while they tap their foot in impatience? No? ... Okay... That was non-fat right?"
The dumbest stunt since New Coke. I feel sorry for the busy Baristas and cranky early-morning customers who are just trying to earn a living or wake themselves up. Shultz should just run for president if he wants to have an effect. But I'd hope he'd be less clueless than this campaign.
The dumbest stunt since New Coke. I feel sorry for the busy Baristas and cranky early-morning customers who are just trying to earn a living or wake themselves up. Shultz should just run for president if he wants to have an effect. But I'd hope he'd be less clueless than this campaign.
6
I applaud the thought but this is a conversation that has to happen on an ongoing basis and Starbuck's has no role in the dialogue. There are other ways for the company to inject itself in the discussion/issue. Management diversity would be a good place to start.
2
I find it so strange that everyone from the President on down talks about the need for a "national conversation on race" and yet when someone tries to make that happen, they are pilloried. The cynic in me says that some people are not interested in a conversation, i.e. a give and take, and are more interested in a lecture.
6
This is the most horrendous sort of sanctimonious liberal pap. Dear Lord. I can't imagine anything that would make me less likely to go into a Starbucks than the prospect of being accosted for a race-based conversation with the barista.
6
hey starbucks, how about if we ask your staff about the practice of leaving a faucet running constantly...wasting water?
4
Thanks for mentioning this. The amount of water wasted at Starbucks and other cafés is revolting. Hundreds of gallons per store lost forever.
1
No problem, environmentalists love watching unutilized fresh water run to the sea.
Thanks for mentioning this. Every day each Starbucks store wastes many gallons of water a day. Other cafes too. Stopping water waste is a realistic goal for Starbucks, not influencing race relations.
1
Since most fail to try to address race issues - whether it's successful or not - I do respect Starbucks for the attempt.
5
The real problem is race combined with poverty. White Starbucks customers seldom see the ghetto and aren't much aware of the vast gap between these folks and themselves. If there were a dialogue between these two groups something could be accomplished. But they live in separate worlds and out of sight is either out of mind or an abstract stereotype of each other,
3
I don't drink coffee and would most likely make it at home if I did. Politically, I live in a Red State and vote Republican.
But I applaud Starbucks for this effort. I do not think they were suggesting that customers have a race conversation with the person who is selling then the coffee, but that at some time during the day (perhaps later over another cup of coffee) that people discuss this very important topic. It need not be a conversation with a person of color, just a conversation when might be talking about March Madness.
It is U fortune that in today's world, people rarely engage in conversation about any topic beyond the weather or sports. When we talk, share ideas, even "agree to disagree", it brings us together. Anything that might encourage such conversation is good.
What I see Starbucks saying is "just talk". How can that be controversial?
But I applaud Starbucks for this effort. I do not think they were suggesting that customers have a race conversation with the person who is selling then the coffee, but that at some time during the day (perhaps later over another cup of coffee) that people discuss this very important topic. It need not be a conversation with a person of color, just a conversation when might be talking about March Madness.
It is U fortune that in today's world, people rarely engage in conversation about any topic beyond the weather or sports. When we talk, share ideas, even "agree to disagree", it brings us together. Anything that might encourage such conversation is good.
What I see Starbucks saying is "just talk". How can that be controversial?
8
Starting a conversation is the easy part, look at what this has done. The problem is that no one ever accepts the fact that nothing can be done about race in this country because it's easier to ignore it and hope no one notices the problem. It's tragic that even the supreme court seem to think the there is no racism in this country and watered down the voting rights act. Within minutes five or six states began submitting laws to restrict voting that affects people of color. I love my country but we are no longer the greatest on earth. We allow people with criminal history or who have mental issues to purchase and own guns. We have a republican congress and senate that is trying to take health care from millions of people so they can award the insurance lobby. The majority of these representatives are white men who know nothing about being a victim of racism, so how can they relate. They don't.
Start a conversation, we should be starting a popular revolt against the stupidity of our so called leaders who have not lead in over six years.
Start a conversation, we should be starting a popular revolt against the stupidity of our so called leaders who have not lead in over six years.
3
When I go into a store to buy something I don't really want to have a conversation about race, religion, politics, gender identity, etc. I want to buy what I'm looking for at a reasonable price, pay for it, get my change, treat the checkout person courteously and be treated courteously. When I'm not, I do not patronize the store again unless I'm desperate.
Maybe if we all tried to treat each other better or more politely than we do no matter what our race, creed, color, or gender, we'd have a nicer society to live in. When I walk into a store and can't find help if I need it because the store is busy saving money by not hiring or by hiring too few people I get annoyed. I also walk out. When I'm shopping in a store that is dirty, where I can't find things, or where things have no prices, I walk out. If someone tries to discuss race with me while I'm shopping in that store, I will walk out.
There's a time and a place to discuss race. It's not while we're standing on line waiting to pay for something we need or want.
Maybe if we all tried to treat each other better or more politely than we do no matter what our race, creed, color, or gender, we'd have a nicer society to live in. When I walk into a store and can't find help if I need it because the store is busy saving money by not hiring or by hiring too few people I get annoyed. I also walk out. When I'm shopping in a store that is dirty, where I can't find things, or where things have no prices, I walk out. If someone tries to discuss race with me while I'm shopping in that store, I will walk out.
There's a time and a place to discuss race. It's not while we're standing on line waiting to pay for something we need or want.
2
I don't waste money on buying coffee out, but I would find it annoying and intrusive if someone wrote on my cup. And as an employee, I wonder if he's paying them extra to foster social change. I'm sure the baristas aren't into the extra work either.
1
This is so clearly an advertising campaign
on the part of Starbucks that it stinks.
They should instead donate 5 million dollars
toward efforts to promote race dialogue and education on college
campuses and in high schools. If they
really care they could also do so anonymously.
on the part of Starbucks that it stinks.
They should instead donate 5 million dollars
toward efforts to promote race dialogue and education on college
campuses and in high schools. If they
really care they could also do so anonymously.
4
Perhaps the photo of the woman balancing seven or eight coffees in both arms in the Wall St area could provoke some discussion of gender roles.
4
What about the excellent NY Times piece by Jodi Kantor skewering Starbucks for its inhumane scheduling policies that make it impossible for employees to plan, raise their children, and take classes to get ahead? First Starbucks needs to treat its employees fairly before educating us on fairness. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/08/13/us/starbucks-workers-sched...
4
When you consider how much press they have gotten for this initiative, I'd say their mission was accomplished.
1
Why would I, a white person, participate in a game of "gotcha" when I can get a good cup of coffee almost anywhere? Good-bye Starbucks.
6
This article and the ensuing comments illustrate WHY we don't have conversations about race. It's a powder keg. I wish there was a way to turn down the heat and have civil, heartfelt conversations on the topic. Perhaps it would allow us to reach a greater understanding of each other.
Bravo to Starbucks for starting this "Race Together" initiative as there has been increasingly an unwillingness to openly and honestly talk about race relations in America. Regardless of Starbucks' motive, one has to applause it for going beyond the we-have-to-do-it monetary contributions and lip services that many American largest public companies are doing.
The US, as a society, has been relentless and willingly in suppressing the race, class and poverty issues dividing this country. Talking about these issues openly and publicly will broaden understanding among Americans and move this society to a better place.
The US, as a society, has been relentless and willingly in suppressing the race, class and poverty issues dividing this country. Talking about these issues openly and publicly will broaden understanding among Americans and move this society to a better place.
2
Given the incredible amount of racism still out there in the land (just read the comments section on any right wing news site, especially stories about President Obama, there is a visceral hatred of him in red America that can only be explained by racism), I applaud Starbucks' effort, though they may be preaching to the choir.
1
Expect to wait even longer for your capuccino now that the barista has to write meaningless PC phrases in your cup.
3
Key point for Schultz: I believe he is trying and that he is genuine. Now. Have all white folks worked out their internal feelings of supremacy? No, but let's give our species some credit for trying. Trying is meaningful. And meaningful becomes beautiful not before many meaningful errors.
Keep moving forward America.
Keep moving forward America.
1
As a Black man, the only conversation Howard Schultz has started for me begins with this question:
Where can I go for a decent cup of coffee and not get hassled over race?
Where can I go for a decent cup of coffee and not get hassled over race?
6
It's fascinating to me that you talk about being a conservative and you pillory the left for bringing up race and yet you ever hesitate to bring up the fact that you're black.
3
It's a conversation we all need to have-mostly with ourselves, finding our own reality check about our unconscious racism. I think it is a noble try from a progressive corporation to initiate some social good. However all sides seem too angry, disappointed and exhausted to debate America's oldest problem.
I'm white. My wife is Asian. My uncle is black. My home state will be majority Latino within my lifetime. I don't need a conversation on race from Starbucks. I just need a tall Pikes Peak, no room for cream, and no additional comments on the cup.
20
Thank you Rick for a refreshing personal quip without an ulterior motive. I'm also white (albeit semi freckled from sun damage,) have a Dutch Indonesian husband, a bi-racial child, experience working with inner city youth of all cultures for over 20 years and graduated with a Masters degree in counseling with an emphasis on cross culturalism. I prefer to contribute to the success of the friendliest coffee shop in town which happens to be owned by friends of my family who already know my name and don't need to write it in black marker on a cheap cup. I might add that this coffee shop has a blackboard for writing comments or doodling or drawing pictures with white chalk. Buy local where everybody knows your name.
2
Should be obvious you are the exception. Should also be amply obvious that serious issues still exists in our nation concerning race. Dialog is usually a valuable first step in resolving any issue, why not race? I believe we need to bring prejudice and hatred out of the closet and into the light. If you could offer a more effective way to move forward we'd all be in your debt however ignoring the problem is no way to address it.
1
Fair points all.
Here's the thing, for me: I don't want my coffee retailer engaging me on race, for the same reason I don't want my politicians engaging me on religion, or music distribution services engaging me on AIDS awareness. It's presumptive, and falsely personal. Starbucks and iTunes/Amazon aren't people. Even individual politicians are mostly constructs, designed to backtrack/evolve, rather than just say "I changed my mind."
There probably is more I can learn about race in America, but promoting it as a corporate initiative/PR campaign from Starbucks feels ham-fisted and plastic. Want a conversation? OK, sure. I like talking. In person. With someone I actually know, or asked to talk to. Not the barista who probably feels just as awkward as I do the moment I read what's written on my cup.
I've no doubt this campaign was well-intended. I've also no doubt that it wasn't tested outside of the bubble that conceived it, before it was launched. Corporations aren't people, and they shouldn't try to talk like us.
Here's the thing, for me: I don't want my coffee retailer engaging me on race, for the same reason I don't want my politicians engaging me on religion, or music distribution services engaging me on AIDS awareness. It's presumptive, and falsely personal. Starbucks and iTunes/Amazon aren't people. Even individual politicians are mostly constructs, designed to backtrack/evolve, rather than just say "I changed my mind."
There probably is more I can learn about race in America, but promoting it as a corporate initiative/PR campaign from Starbucks feels ham-fisted and plastic. Want a conversation? OK, sure. I like talking. In person. With someone I actually know, or asked to talk to. Not the barista who probably feels just as awkward as I do the moment I read what's written on my cup.
I've no doubt this campaign was well-intended. I've also no doubt that it wasn't tested outside of the bubble that conceived it, before it was launched. Corporations aren't people, and they shouldn't try to talk like us.
I read thru the comments and begin to think that we ourselves continue to perpetuate the racism and division in the country. How many references to, "I am an african-american", "I'm an asian-american", "i'm mexican-american" and on and on and on ad infinitum...we will never be able to break the chain until we can just say, "I'm an american". And stop right there. Until we stop dividing ourselves into smaller and smaller groups, we will never be able to come together as one.
6
We just had parades in major cities with people celebrating their Irish heritage. There's nothing wrong with identifying ourselves that way, the problem comes when other people think that being black, Hispanic, Irish etc. makes someone a lesser kind of person.
1
Some would like to say that they are simply "an American" but when you look different, even if your family has been here for 4 generations, you will not be treated as simply "an American" by some people. I have Asian-American friends whose relatives came to the US from China in the 1850s and Mexican-American friends whose families owned land in California before California even became a US state. However, they are still complimented on their English and regularly asked "Where do you come from?"
Also, as DR says, a lot of different people celebrate their heritage -- why did you just write about African-Americans, Asian-Americans, and Mexican-Americans? How about German-Americans, French-Americans, and Swedish-Americans? Each of these groups holds festivities related to their culture in my city every year.
Oh, I get it -- it's because they look white and are not questioned about their behavior even it appears to be outside the American "mainstream" however it is defined. Whereas if someone non-White does something different, they are automatically branded as "un-American" or not doing enough to blend in.
Also, as DR says, a lot of different people celebrate their heritage -- why did you just write about African-Americans, Asian-Americans, and Mexican-Americans? How about German-Americans, French-Americans, and Swedish-Americans? Each of these groups holds festivities related to their culture in my city every year.
Oh, I get it -- it's because they look white and are not questioned about their behavior even it appears to be outside the American "mainstream" however it is defined. Whereas if someone non-White does something different, they are automatically branded as "un-American" or not doing enough to blend in.
1
I'm trying to understand how Schultz though these "conversations" would go.
I would like to see a sample to the dialogue he envisioned.
The truth is anti-black racism is treated like a cancer is this society while black bigotry towards other is very rampant and does not result in any consequences. I do not see blacks punishing their own people for their bigotry towards others yet have successfully pressured everyone else to ostracize and denounce anyone who has any anti-black sentiment. I resent it.
I don't suppose that is the conversation Schultz was envisioning, is it?
ps- interesting that the "race relations" is dominated by black concerns and sensitivities while other POC are treated like an afterthought.. Isn't that also a little racist?
I would like to see a sample to the dialogue he envisioned.
The truth is anti-black racism is treated like a cancer is this society while black bigotry towards other is very rampant and does not result in any consequences. I do not see blacks punishing their own people for their bigotry towards others yet have successfully pressured everyone else to ostracize and denounce anyone who has any anti-black sentiment. I resent it.
I don't suppose that is the conversation Schultz was envisioning, is it?
ps- interesting that the "race relations" is dominated by black concerns and sensitivities while other POC are treated like an afterthought.. Isn't that also a little racist?
1
Why are we all so angry all the time? I feel sorry for the company and their executives. In a situation like this you have to look at the history of the company. Starbucks has always been very forward thinking, very green, very open to a lot of points of view. Perhaps it wasn't expressed correctly, I don't know, but I sure do give them credit for trying to do something. They chose to get involved. Many Americans lash out in the safety of their homes with their tweets, etc. But I am inclined to side on those who show any kind of face to face passion about anything.
2
I discuss race issues often, but I'm usually on a trip when I stop at Starbucks, and am not ready to talk except to give my order and say thank you.
I also wonder how this will go: How much time will the barista, order taker, cashier spend in race discussions; will this increase the long lines I often face in getting a coffee. Or, to be effective, will they have spokespersons around who's job will be to discuss race in a productive manner? Already, when I'm on the road and stop at a rest area, I often leave the Starbucks line and go to the convenience shop by the gas station. And what a surprise; their coffee is very passable, quicker to get, and not overpriced. Also, their half and half doesn't run out so I don't have to go back to the cashier and ask for the half and half to be refilled!! Please, no more delay in getting my coffee!!!
I also wonder how this will go: How much time will the barista, order taker, cashier spend in race discussions; will this increase the long lines I often face in getting a coffee. Or, to be effective, will they have spokespersons around who's job will be to discuss race in a productive manner? Already, when I'm on the road and stop at a rest area, I often leave the Starbucks line and go to the convenience shop by the gas station. And what a surprise; their coffee is very passable, quicker to get, and not overpriced. Also, their half and half doesn't run out so I don't have to go back to the cashier and ask for the half and half to be refilled!! Please, no more delay in getting my coffee!!!
1
Maybe print some racial disparity facts on those cups. Their sales will plummet since the rich whites, most of their patrons, will start feeling guilty and stop buying their coffee.
1
I am in a city (not in N.Y.) which has an historic dividing line separating the races. The line holds to this day although the penalties for violating the barrier are not clear.
We wouldn't want to talk about that, would we. Easier to pretend we're all one (un)happy citizenry.
We wouldn't want to talk about that, would we. Easier to pretend we're all one (un)happy citizenry.
2
Why doesn't he pay them MONEY? That might improve race relations, if the minority people who work for Starbucks got some real money, some money approaching a tiny percentage of what the corporate criminals who run half of these companies get. Corporate America has a million PR gimmicks to hide the fact that they don't want to pay anybody. It's disgusting. Tax the rich, tax corporations. make them pay for their ill gotten gains.
2
Customers trying to get their morning coffee already are irritated when the barista is conversing with the customer and delaying movement of the long line. This is a bad idea and Mr. Schultz needs to spend a little more time thinking about whether or not his customers want to discuss a social issue first thing in the morning and with a stranger. There are plenty of coffee spots available and after years of loyalty to Starbucks, I may need to take my business there.
3
It isn't stated in this article that baristas have to start the conversation, only that the words are written on the cup. Starbucks is known to be socially progressive/liberal, and I support and like the company all the more for it. As a mom of a mixed-heritage child, I applaud their opening a dialog about race.
3
Whenever it comes to race relations, it seems as though both sides have to make an effort. Why don't more people realize that the first priority is for the Caucasians to stop being ignorant and insensitive? Many, many people have pleaded for this but maybe they are not being blunt enough. All of that white guilt and white privilege and psychological distress and other syndromes would be addressed much simply if we can overcome this initial hurdle. The burden is on one side.
1
Can we just start with the obvious idea that human beings are innately ego-centric? We are most comfortable with someone who is approximately the same race/sex/religion/age group/political viewpoint as ourselves. We fondly assume we know the stands/viewpoint/history of the person who most resembles us and have no clue to the "other." The otherness makes us uncomfortable which is why we don't discuss the issues of race or religion. The difference is that once we become grown-ups we should have enough self-examination to recognize our failings and when we have a racist/sexist/ us vs them reaction RECOGNIZE IT and overcome it, especially if we find the stereotype comes to us from the media rather than based in reality or experience. Only then can we treat each other as individual humans with the right to be respected.
And so what is to be accomplished with Starbuck’s race campaign, besides lining the pockets of Starbuck’s executives?
The article and the company leave open so many questions about this marketing tactic that it difficult to see this as anything other than a cynical ploy to increase revenue and generate millions of dollars in free publicity.
I find it difficult to believe that Americans are unaware of the current state of race relations, which needs to be improved as much as any human relationship. We should work on human relations. Limiting the dialogue to race by itself is racist.
We don’t need an excuse to talk about race relations when it is very much a part of the cultural zeitgeist and has been since the civil rights movement of the 1960s. But talk is not enough. The “socially-conscious” corporation does not exist when you have shareholders to answer to.
Nice try Howard Schultz but all races can see through this self-serving marketing ploy to increase coffee sales.
The article and the company leave open so many questions about this marketing tactic that it difficult to see this as anything other than a cynical ploy to increase revenue and generate millions of dollars in free publicity.
I find it difficult to believe that Americans are unaware of the current state of race relations, which needs to be improved as much as any human relationship. We should work on human relations. Limiting the dialogue to race by itself is racist.
We don’t need an excuse to talk about race relations when it is very much a part of the cultural zeitgeist and has been since the civil rights movement of the 1960s. But talk is not enough. The “socially-conscious” corporation does not exist when you have shareholders to answer to.
Nice try Howard Schultz but all races can see through this self-serving marketing ploy to increase coffee sales.
So, a burger chain like Cook Out can propagandize religion freely on their soda cups and to-go bags, but Starbucks reaps criticism for this...?
Only in Uhmurica. Jesus loves you (unless you're not white).
Only in Uhmurica. Jesus loves you (unless you're not white).
5
Shouldn't a multibillion-dollar international company conduct a few focus groups before starting such a campaign? They could have run the idea past their patrons who like them on Facebook and it would have cost them almost nothing.
2
Looks like Howard Schultz is Gladhand to America's Sharks and Jets.
If some people don't want to acknowledge that racism exists and we have to work towards improving the situation, they can buy a cup of coffee elsewhere. I welcome going to a place where such people have removed themselves.
2
Some years ago, Ted Leavitt of the Harvard Business School argued that corporations should engage in "socially responsible" behavior only to the extent to which it enhances shareholder wealth. The basis of that precept is: Do we really want the arbiters of morale behavior to be in the hands of for profit corporations?
Our society certainly could benefit from candid discussion of race and white privilege, but the conversations should originate with us as citizens (noting that corporate executives are citizens too), not within commerce. An easy way to begin is to visit a worship community that caters predominately to an ethnic group different from your own (there's likely to be one nearby), and engage in ordinary conversation about "what is your life like."
Our society certainly could benefit from candid discussion of race and white privilege, but the conversations should originate with us as citizens (noting that corporate executives are citizens too), not within commerce. An easy way to begin is to visit a worship community that caters predominately to an ethnic group different from your own (there's likely to be one nearby), and engage in ordinary conversation about "what is your life like."
4
"Do we really want the arbiters of morale behavior to be in the hands of for profit corporations?"
Alas, in this country, the answer would probably be "yes."
Heck, we've embraced for-profit healthcare (the sicker you are, the more money I make off of you), just as we're embracing privatization of every single government service more and more everyday. This was the next logical step...
Alas, in this country, the answer would probably be "yes."
Heck, we've embraced for-profit healthcare (the sicker you are, the more money I make off of you), just as we're embracing privatization of every single government service more and more everyday. This was the next logical step...
1
This is just another thing for the "I ♥ angry tweets" crowd.
10
And another thing! I'm getting incredibly infuriated at the little hearts in such phrases as "I (heart) angry tweets"! A heart is a vital organ and when ripped out and placed in a sentence it's effectively killing someone! #Ihatehearts
4
Jeez! You didn't know that those little hearts are donated by lab mice?
1
their stick went up 4% today, so the market is not worried about this new campaign. having a company this omnipresent make the statement that racism needs to be acknowledged now is not a bad thing. how they execute it remains to be seen, but i support the campaign.
1
This initiative doesn't seem particularly practical, but I really like the slogan. Race together. Very St. Paul like.
1
Its amazing what people will get exorcised about these days. Lets move on.
1
Some overpaid senior vice president doesn't have enough real work to do. The person responsible need to be fired.
2
By opening this discussion Starbuck's is courageously inviting criticism into it's own hiring practices and promotion numbers. If they keep this mantra, the must make sure they are hiring and promoting equally and fairly.
2
However, the saddest part of this campaign is the need for it...what is America's ongoing problem with anyone who isn't white? Prejudice is sick, selfish and stupid. I think Starbucks has already succeeded because they have started a conversation online, although what is the conversation? How can you have a conversation with someone who is so dumb that they admit to being a hateful racist? How do you change that mind set?
3
A GD tempest in a GD teapot. Silly and uninspired/uninformed/bumbling attempt at ....consciousness raising(?) gives an insight into fascist (paternalistic, business practices. All walk no talk. This set aside, the rabid, self righteous squealing is just as inane. Poor America whose public discourse has surrendered
At just the right moment of ones coffee buzz, just about any thought seems like a truly wonderful idea.
2
Well they're talking.
Mission accomplished.
Mission accomplished.
2
This raises all sorts of intriguing possibility to turn a coffee chain into a lively forum for public affairs discussion. Monday is Middle East day - bring your thoughts on how to solve the region's political, social, and economic problems. Tuesday let's focus on Climate Change. Wednesday will be...let's see...Education Day...Wow...I can see the folks lined up already to down the java and have stimulating discussions!!!
What is so annoying about this whole idea is that Starbucks lately has been LOUSY at some basic customer service issues. I complained about a few things through their web site and got the standard corporate brush-off.
What is so annoying about this whole idea is that Starbucks lately has been LOUSY at some basic customer service issues. I complained about a few things through their web site and got the standard corporate brush-off.
When Lincoln finally moved to promote the Emancipation Proclamation he was considered by many to be both naïve and over-the-top. So it is hard for me to get worked up over what appears to be a sincere effort by a corporation to be a 'good citizen' in promoting positive dialogue.
While I agree that having message pushed in one's face may feel, at times, offensive, I find it far more positive than the overwhelming amount of jingoistic patriotic claptrap of waving flags and ubiquitous 'warrior heroes'.
While I agree that having message pushed in one's face may feel, at times, offensive, I find it far more positive than the overwhelming amount of jingoistic patriotic claptrap of waving flags and ubiquitous 'warrior heroes'.
2
There may be aspects of execution to criticize here, but Howard Schultz and Starbucks are on the side of the angels and I suspect they'll get it right.
Corporate America is not all Tea Party!
Corporate America is not all Tea Party!
1
We keep being told that "America needs to have a conversation about race." I believe Eric Holder said, "We're a nation cowards," afraid to talk about race.
My question has always been: What does that "conversation" look like? How is it held? Who talks? Who listens? Is it a two-way conversation? Are they public race forums? Or are the "conversations" more like public policy initiatives? Or are they street protests? Or, are they corporate-sponsored initiatives like this that in no way helps that corporation's bottom line, morale, or customers.
I think that although I personally feel that this is a ham-fisted attempt to have a conversation on the part of Starbucks, those who are castigating it are also being ham-fisted, with easy hashtag anger and derision. For instance, where is McDonald's -- employer millions of minority employees -- on this issue?
Maybe we should view this as the start of the conversation, and not the end. A beginning, not a conclusion. And the question is not whether Starbucks is right or wrong, but where does the "conversation" go from here?
My question has always been: What does that "conversation" look like? How is it held? Who talks? Who listens? Is it a two-way conversation? Are they public race forums? Or are the "conversations" more like public policy initiatives? Or are they street protests? Or, are they corporate-sponsored initiatives like this that in no way helps that corporation's bottom line, morale, or customers.
I think that although I personally feel that this is a ham-fisted attempt to have a conversation on the part of Starbucks, those who are castigating it are also being ham-fisted, with easy hashtag anger and derision. For instance, where is McDonald's -- employer millions of minority employees -- on this issue?
Maybe we should view this as the start of the conversation, and not the end. A beginning, not a conclusion. And the question is not whether Starbucks is right or wrong, but where does the "conversation" go from here?
1
I'm a public high school teacher. It takes six to eight months of building trust and listening skills before we tackle this very delicate subject in the classroom. Even then, race is a very difficult conversation that must be managed very carefully and preceded by lots of reading, writing, and thinking. The way Starbucks approached race would be like my writing the words race together on the board on the first day of school and then letting the kids fight it out.
22
Chatting about race is number 1753 on my to do list. There are professionals, e.g. Obama and Sharpton, who get paid to do this. I've got other things to do.
3
Lol - "professionals"... yeah because they're so effective at it.
3
Actually President Obama has been busy being President. If you had paid any attention during the last several years you would see that he doesn't talk about race very much.
When I read "Race Together" I thought they were promoting physical fitness!
14
Good for you, Mr. Schultz. Yes, this is about branding, competition and revenue, but using this corporate platform to engage in social commentary and discussion is no crime. These same values are the reason that your employees have better benefits than most in the fast food industry. Thanks for calling attention to this important issue.
And while I have deep sympathy for the plight of African Americans, the snarky stuff about white privilege etc. is pretty tired and, frankly, opaque (not informative). Go ahead and educate others about what should be said/not said, done/not done etc. - but set aside the sarcasm please.
And white people didn't invent racism, btw, it's all over these comments from both/all sides.
And while I have deep sympathy for the plight of African Americans, the snarky stuff about white privilege etc. is pretty tired and, frankly, opaque (not informative). Go ahead and educate others about what should be said/not said, done/not done etc. - but set aside the sarcasm please.
And white people didn't invent racism, btw, it's all over these comments from both/all sides.
4
Schultz, of course, like AG Holder, has no real interest in promoting a dialog about race. Do you think a White barista would last for long if she/he, even if earnestly seeking to understand and with all good intentions, pointed out the _fact_ of massively disproportionate black criminality? Schultz wants to push the same old tired and tiresome blame game where blacks are victims of White "racism" and the nasty, stereotyping and utterly false myth of "White Privilege" is foisted on Whites to cow them into obiesence. I suspect the initiative will do nothing good for SBUX's bottom line, as few Americans outside of these hallowed pages are still buying the "racism" storyline.
3
don't these poor kids have better things to do than "stimulate conversations" about race. do we really have to have propaganda for whatever the trendy cause is thrown at us from all sides? are we ever convinced that corporations are people with the same convictions that real people have?
3
Ridiculous,
how can you face a serious subject as Racism is between a coffe, lazyness of the morning and the superficiality of the situation.
As european, I can say that is the typical superficial american way to face the problems and relief for theis sins
It can be a good initiative if they put on my cup a data of a conference about
racism in Us or a name of a girl /guy to hang out (without distictions)
Another nice initiative would be for the CEO of Starbucks to resign his position to a black /asia/ easter
If he wants I can join starbusck as vece-CEO :-)
how can you face a serious subject as Racism is between a coffe, lazyness of the morning and the superficiality of the situation.
As european, I can say that is the typical superficial american way to face the problems and relief for theis sins
It can be a good initiative if they put on my cup a data of a conference about
racism in Us or a name of a girl /guy to hang out (without distictions)
Another nice initiative would be for the CEO of Starbucks to resign his position to a black /asia/ easter
If he wants I can join starbusck as vece-CEO :-)
2
Not sure where from Europe but maybe look up the horrific African sugar trade born in England.
I remain unswayed. My focus will remain on what they actually peddle: coffee, dairy, soy, sugars, plastic products, etc. I want to hear about fair trade coffee and dairy not infected with hormones & antibiotics. Dairy not fed gmo soy feed. Sources of food. Treatment and wages of employees. I don’t gauge my purchasing of coffee on sentiments that have nothing to do with coffee.
5
BigGT
Why is this so controversial? It seems to me that we don't necessarily have to engage in a conversation about this. It's simply a beautiful thought to keep in mind and even meditate on.
No need to make it a crusade, though after reading some of the dumb comments "that black people have to start acting better and less violently", perhaps we are still a long way from racing together.
Just so you are aware, I'm a white man.
Why is this so controversial? It seems to me that we don't necessarily have to engage in a conversation about this. It's simply a beautiful thought to keep in mind and even meditate on.
No need to make it a crusade, though after reading some of the dumb comments "that black people have to start acting better and less violently", perhaps we are still a long way from racing together.
Just so you are aware, I'm a white man.
5
I agree. I might not actually have a conversation there and then but it might spark a conversation later in the day with someone. It's definitely thought provoking and thoughts and ideas can be interesting and energizing.
I suppose my first response would be "why? Do i look like a racist?"
8
Funny how we blame Congress for kicking the big issues down the road and doing nothing, and then we don't even want to talk about race for five minutes over coffee.
Had it been asking baristas to encourage a national conversation about the Oscars or March Madness, everyone would be totally happy.
Had it been asking baristas to encourage a national conversation about the Oscars or March Madness, everyone would be totally happy.
4
Please. I just want my coffee. If I wanted to engage in meaningful conversation, I have plenty of friends and colleagues.
5
I give a lot of credit to Starbucks for attempting to go where our politicians won't go. At the same time, it is a difficult initiative to implement, given the "...gimmie a fast cup of ..." nature of the business. Still, if the very existence of the idea makes even ten percent of the customers think about the subject for five minutes, that is better than where we are. As to their coffee, Starbuck's is a reliable port in a storm when you need a good cup, a ubiquitous presence, a market niche. Most companies would look for safety and niche protection in those circumstances, not come out on an issue like this.
1
“Where others see costs, risks, excuses and hopelessness, we see and create pathways of opportunity — that is the role and responsibility of a for-profit, public company.”
So says Howard Schultz. If he was as committed to this credo as he sanctimoniously claims, he would see to it that more blacks were put into upper management, including perhaps his own post. How is it I know that isn't going to be part of Schutlz's "conversation"?
So says Howard Schultz. If he was as committed to this credo as he sanctimoniously claims, he would see to it that more blacks were put into upper management, including perhaps his own post. How is it I know that isn't going to be part of Schutlz's "conversation"?
3
Got to give Starbucks credit for trying, but I for one don't speak English before my morning Starbucks. It's more on line with caveman grunts. An in depth discussion on race should take place, just not before I'm sufficiently caffeinated.
2
Compare Starbucks to Hobby Lobby. I'll go with Starbucks.
3
...and adding quickly here: this strikes me far more as being oblivious to class distinctions - as in the divide between low wage workers and corporate shareholders - than it does to being tone deaf to racial issues.
On the race relations front, this is just lame. But on the low wage earners front, it's a pretty serious insult.
On the race relations front, this is just lame. But on the low wage earners front, it's a pretty serious insult.
5
Message to Howard Schulz: Become a B corporation and you can stand out in your industry in a truly significant way.
2
Starbucks is like Apple - when you have a very "pricey" product, you always have to look for a marketing edge; and sometimes you go over the edge - this was one of those times.
3
This is what we do: We go down to the local Starbucks and we start talking to the poor underpaid guy at the counter about race. We talk for ten or fifteen minutes. We then shove a fifty in the tip jar and leave without ordering a single thing. Race matters? Green matters.
2
Most of these angry comments seem to be from people who just need something to be outraged about. There are a LOT of them in America. Mr. Schultz did something thoughtful and noble, so of course the frothing, mad-dog haters - both black and white - would come screaming out from under their rocks.
If you are really so disturbed by a few thoughtful, well-meant words printed on your cup you should probably not be allowed out of the house without chaperons.
What a tempest in a coffee cup! Grow up, America!
If you are really so disturbed by a few thoughtful, well-meant words printed on your cup you should probably not be allowed out of the house without chaperons.
What a tempest in a coffee cup! Grow up, America!
21
Yes. Wouldn't it be nice if they got outraged about social injustice, pollution etc.?
3
What people are outraged about is a corporation getting in our faces and telling us what to think about when we have just come in for a cup of coffee to a place that's supposed to be a kind of refuge. This is about a coffee shop that has done so well financially that it thinks we need them to be our gurus. It's a coffee shop!! Let us have this one place to relax, okay?
Starbucks isn't forcing you to do anything, silly. You made that part up, okay!!
Now I can have a Starbucks' coffee with my NYT and not have to worry what people think. The NYT & Starbucks help to rid my of anxiety. Together they relax me and get me ready for my day. I feel fully approved. The NYT tells me what to think, when to think and how to think and Starbucks just reinforces this mantra. I've been approved by the Thoughtful-Police - The PC Police working 24/7 to make my life easier, simpler & whole. No one can question my approval rating with my NYT subscription and my Starbucks coffee. I've been Approved & Validated. Group think is important for us to move forward as individuals in the world and as a nation.
5
Says the guy who obviously took at least some modicum of time to read this story, think up and then type such a response...
Curious the number of commenters who take the tack of demanding Starbucks be a perfect corporate citizen on all scores before it dare address this issue or presumably any social issue. Doubtless none of us could pass such a sainthood test, including those demanding it of Starbucks. So, in truth, it amounts to a shrill, sanctimonious whine of "Shut up, you're making me uncomfortable."
The genius of this campaign is not that it is going to provoke meaningful interracial dialogue directly, but that it forces us all, particularly white people, into the uncomfortable realization that we have little but meaningless platitudes in our heads when it comes to the pervasive, casual racism to which we must try to avert our eyes most every day, whether it is directed at ourselves or at others.
I've long boycotted Starbucks for their predatory practice of outbidding independent coffee shops on lease renewal, using deep pockets to snatch up locations and customer habits developed from scratch by others. But no saint myself, I can forgive Starbucks for the moment and go buy a cup.
The genius of this campaign is not that it is going to provoke meaningful interracial dialogue directly, but that it forces us all, particularly white people, into the uncomfortable realization that we have little but meaningless platitudes in our heads when it comes to the pervasive, casual racism to which we must try to avert our eyes most every day, whether it is directed at ourselves or at others.
I've long boycotted Starbucks for their predatory practice of outbidding independent coffee shops on lease renewal, using deep pockets to snatch up locations and customer habits developed from scratch by others. But no saint myself, I can forgive Starbucks for the moment and go buy a cup.
4
Sad that these days even the thought of discussing race scares people or makes them uncomfortable. You can't have a cup of coffee and think about our society? People are that selfish, insecure, narrow minded, and closed off? I think our society is doomed.
5
Perhaps they just don't want to have a conversation with a Starbucks employee. They may be discussing this with others on a more meaningful level. Why is it that you believe that individuals who do not wish to discuss race at Starbucks are somehow afraid, selfish, insecure, narrow minded and closed off?
4
I have just seen a CNN interview with Howard Schultz.
When I first heard about Race Together, I thought dialogue. I was wrong. Mr. Schultz made crystal clear in the interview that the discussion he had in mind was from one side only; to wit, what we read in the New York Times from Nicholas Kristof, Charles Blow, the Editorial Board, assorted Op-Eds, etc.
An example. I took no pleasure in seeing the final exam delays given to Columbia Law School students (I went to the law school) who claimed they were “unnerved” because of the grand juries’ refusal to indict in the Brown and Garner cases. I too was "unnerved" by what followed Ferguson and then Staten Island: The breakdown of law and order, the mob rule, the undermining of the police by the national and local authorities, the media drumbeat in support of the lawless reaction, and the gross, indeed in effect sanctioned, interference with the lives of the law-abiding. I had no doubt that if I were still a Columbia student, the answer to any request from me to postpone my finals because of the trauma I have just recited would have been a firm no.
I know now that Race Together would not welcome the views I expressed. Nor would Race Together countenance the fact that the Ferguson “hands up, don’t shoot“ narrative, as even Eric Holder was forced to admit, was a hoax reminiscent of the balloon boy hoax.
When I first heard about Race Together, I thought dialogue. I was wrong. Mr. Schultz made crystal clear in the interview that the discussion he had in mind was from one side only; to wit, what we read in the New York Times from Nicholas Kristof, Charles Blow, the Editorial Board, assorted Op-Eds, etc.
An example. I took no pleasure in seeing the final exam delays given to Columbia Law School students (I went to the law school) who claimed they were “unnerved” because of the grand juries’ refusal to indict in the Brown and Garner cases. I too was "unnerved" by what followed Ferguson and then Staten Island: The breakdown of law and order, the mob rule, the undermining of the police by the national and local authorities, the media drumbeat in support of the lawless reaction, and the gross, indeed in effect sanctioned, interference with the lives of the law-abiding. I had no doubt that if I were still a Columbia student, the answer to any request from me to postpone my finals because of the trauma I have just recited would have been a firm no.
I know now that Race Together would not welcome the views I expressed. Nor would Race Together countenance the fact that the Ferguson “hands up, don’t shoot“ narrative, as even Eric Holder was forced to admit, was a hoax reminiscent of the balloon boy hoax.
7
"Purpose-driven brand"? You must be kidding me. Corporate America does not perform any philanthropy unless it helps the bottom line-period. And I'm OK with that, as long as they don't try to hard to lie about it.
For a luxury brand like Starbucks to pretend to care about African Americans is hard to believe considering you'll be hard-pressed to find any of their stores in predominately black neighborhoods.
For a luxury brand like Starbucks to pretend to care about African Americans is hard to believe considering you'll be hard-pressed to find any of their stores in predominately black neighborhoods.
5
Any one who speaks out in opposition of this cannot genuinely claim to be in favor of mending the racial divide in this country.
7
Seriously? Perhaps they just think it's a dumb idea.
4
The problem is your statement presupposes the intention of the Starbucks initiative IS to mend the racial divide in this country, when in fact it could merely be yet another offensive (to me as a Black man) exploitation of my skin color by profiteers.
2
The barrister doth protest too much, methinks.
First, anyone who wonders why white people don't want to talk about race and then takes their heads off the moment they try to, please leave the room.
Second, if Starbucks really wants to start a conversation about race, leading by example would be a good start. Addressing the upstairs/downstairs color distribution would create its own buzz. Words would be substantiated by action, not just flat ink on an empty cup. Green Giant is known for their fair treatment of their farm workers. Equal Exchange is known for supporting fair trade coffee. Target is known also for its above average treatment of its employees. Practice, not preaching, sells the brand.
Second, if Starbucks really wants to start a conversation about race, leading by example would be a good start. Addressing the upstairs/downstairs color distribution would create its own buzz. Words would be substantiated by action, not just flat ink on an empty cup. Green Giant is known for their fair treatment of their farm workers. Equal Exchange is known for supporting fair trade coffee. Target is known also for its above average treatment of its employees. Practice, not preaching, sells the brand.
4
One wonders whether Mr. Schultz realized he wasn't "initiating" dialogues but rather entering into a rather robust national dialogue already underway when he initiated this campaign.
3
You cannot repair things until you acknowledge they exist. Bringing up racism doesn't perpetuate it--ignoring it does. People who are angered or offended by these gestures are either unwilling to address racism or deny that it exists do not seem all too interested in changing the status quo.
4
And we who dared wait for completion of the Michael Brown shooting investigation before convicting officer Darren Wilson, sit on the sidelines and watch liberal gangs engaged in atomic age political correction. Unbelievably amusing to watch Starbucks stick its neck out so unnecessarily while I sit here sipping in racially neutral contentment on a Keurig middle button solution, after market K Cup of Folgers coffee.
2
The reaction to this seems to fall into two broad categories. From some, the criticism is about the methods – the wisdom of asking employees to engage the public on the topic of race.
For those in the second category, who question Starbuck’s legitimacy in addressing race, in some cases based on the race of the CEO or the presumption that most employees are white, I have nothing but disgust.
Racial harmony is the legitimate concern of every single person in this country and those who flaunt their minority status as if it affords them a greater right to engage the topic are only perpetuating the problems. People who truly want change will welcome all the help they can get.
For those in the second category, who question Starbuck’s legitimacy in addressing race, in some cases based on the race of the CEO or the presumption that most employees are white, I have nothing but disgust.
Racial harmony is the legitimate concern of every single person in this country and those who flaunt their minority status as if it affords them a greater right to engage the topic are only perpetuating the problems. People who truly want change will welcome all the help they can get.
Service is already slow enough at Starbucks, with people trying to trendily pay for trendy-named drinks with various, half functioning electronic devices. And to put the shoe on another foot, what would the response be if, say, Hobby Lobby customers had to endure Christian homilies at the checkout stand? Businesses should mind their own business if they want to stay in business.
3
Kudo's to Starbucks-- now offer more hours to your legions of involuntarily part-time workers (shades of Peets, Pottery Barn and all those Goldman Sachs over leveraged retail sweat shops) to apply the human capital to carry out your good intentions.
Still, this move just emboldens the Hobby Shop, Chick-Fil-A, et. al..
Good Intentions met with Newtonian reaction.
Still, this move just emboldens the Hobby Shop, Chick-Fil-A, et. al..
Good Intentions met with Newtonian reaction.
1
So called mistakes of this kind are underrated. And this outsized reaction is one step along the path forward. Impetus to open up big social issues usually has to come repeatedly and from many directions over time in order to provoke personal reflection and change. Who cares what Starbucks was thinking about race. What are you thinking about race?
2
So many other ways Starbucks could have approached this... passing on to the front line workers (most of whom are minority) to engage customers in race discussions, is absurd. I really hope it was not going to be evaluated as part of their performance review! The company would have been better off funding or hosting a conference on race in corporate America or some other endeavor (like looking in the mirror at the races of their top execs and board...).
All races suffer in this country from the scourge of too many people hepped up on cafine.
From Red Bulls to Starbucks, people are sacrificing their health because they are addicted or it's what they do to fit in.
Just add the distraction of cell phones, the easy gun access, the financial decline of tens of millions and…well…you've got America 2015. A very itchy place.
Wanna solve some core problems Mr. Schultz?
Help organize Americans to:
- fight big money politics (you have lots of sway and can get on TV, use that influence! Enlist media people to help in the cause - our number 1 problem in the US.
- encourage people to eat better. I know coffee and sugary edibles is your game but, really, try harder.
- start the conversation about how wealth concentration is destroying our middle class (the nation's backbone), our democracy (money buys our political system).
You have lots of power.
Race relations would improve if people weren't so edgy from poor health habits and their government was more responsive to their financial plight - that just messes people up and they blame others.
From Red Bulls to Starbucks, people are sacrificing their health because they are addicted or it's what they do to fit in.
Just add the distraction of cell phones, the easy gun access, the financial decline of tens of millions and…well…you've got America 2015. A very itchy place.
Wanna solve some core problems Mr. Schultz?
Help organize Americans to:
- fight big money politics (you have lots of sway and can get on TV, use that influence! Enlist media people to help in the cause - our number 1 problem in the US.
- encourage people to eat better. I know coffee and sugary edibles is your game but, really, try harder.
- start the conversation about how wealth concentration is destroying our middle class (the nation's backbone), our democracy (money buys our political system).
You have lots of power.
Race relations would improve if people weren't so edgy from poor health habits and their government was more responsive to their financial plight - that just messes people up and they blame others.
1
I am an African-American woman and I support Starbucks' and Howard Schultz bold initiative. Hats off to him for having the courage to spark dialogue about a very important issue.
9
Unbeleivable.
No - scratch that - so pathetic, it IS beleivable.
The corporate staff is predominantly white for the ame reason the makeup of prisons is primarily black and other minorities;
Because the majority of young blacks don't want to go to high school, much less college (check the statistics).
I'm POSITIVE there are black members of this company's corporate offices who ARE black - but, they are the 'silent minority.'
And why is it there's no yelling about the number of Asians?
Enough!
If you don't want to to the W-O-R-K - i.e., go to school, and STUDY, and graduate, and do something productive with your lives other than doing nothing, then that IS what you get.
NOTHING is handed out for free.
The ONLY ones making a stink are NOT the ones who came to this country not knowing English, not having a cent, but, the ones who were born here, and CHOOSE to do nothing.
No - scratch that - so pathetic, it IS beleivable.
The corporate staff is predominantly white for the ame reason the makeup of prisons is primarily black and other minorities;
Because the majority of young blacks don't want to go to high school, much less college (check the statistics).
I'm POSITIVE there are black members of this company's corporate offices who ARE black - but, they are the 'silent minority.'
And why is it there's no yelling about the number of Asians?
Enough!
If you don't want to to the W-O-R-K - i.e., go to school, and STUDY, and graduate, and do something productive with your lives other than doing nothing, then that IS what you get.
NOTHING is handed out for free.
The ONLY ones making a stink are NOT the ones who came to this country not knowing English, not having a cent, but, the ones who were born here, and CHOOSE to do nothing.
1
There's really a prohibition on talking about this. I'm sure that has something to do with what recently happened on that college campus. Americans seem not to understand how bigotry happens...just as we're always surprised when the quiet person shoots, etc. We need to wake up to our human nature.
2
I genuinely admire Mr. Schultz, and applaud his desire to take on a crippling social issue in this country, but this is simply a terrible way to go about it. How about giving a portion of Starbucks' profits to create a foundation that can hold forums around the country for people who want to discuss issues relating to race and come up for ways to address it.
1
I would go into Starbucks for their overpriced coffee. I do not want Schultz or anyone else educating me on anything. Here in Nevada we are independent and make our own decisions. Schultz should concentrate on running his business and not get involved in anything else on a corporate level.
3
Negative commenters and Tweeters seem to be largely missing the point of this initiative, at least from my understanding.
I am a white male with two biracial daughters, and race has been a dinner table topic since they could talk. Few things have been more healthy for our family.
I applaud Starbucks for trying to ignite a larger discussion. What I do not understand is why so many commenters interpret Talk Race as an invitation to have a discussion with the barista. Why on earth would that be helpful to anyone (least of all the busy barista)?
The sticker should be a stimulus for customers and others in their social network to discuss race among themselves, at any time. It puts the topic out there. A irritating three minute "...well, what do YOU think about race..." with a barista is silly; it seems as though people are seizing on this meme just to have something negative to post.
We all gripe about corporate irresponsibility, and there is plenty of it to gripe about. Why, then, when a large corporation with a very public product makes a move toward social responsibility, commenters and tweeters jump to the negative - ..."well, it may be a little insensitive here, or take a little time there..." - rather than viewing this as a first foray into a socially positive but evolutionary process.
We all want the world to change, so long as we do not have to personally change anything.
I am a white male with two biracial daughters, and race has been a dinner table topic since they could talk. Few things have been more healthy for our family.
I applaud Starbucks for trying to ignite a larger discussion. What I do not understand is why so many commenters interpret Talk Race as an invitation to have a discussion with the barista. Why on earth would that be helpful to anyone (least of all the busy barista)?
The sticker should be a stimulus for customers and others in their social network to discuss race among themselves, at any time. It puts the topic out there. A irritating three minute "...well, what do YOU think about race..." with a barista is silly; it seems as though people are seizing on this meme just to have something negative to post.
We all gripe about corporate irresponsibility, and there is plenty of it to gripe about. Why, then, when a large corporation with a very public product makes a move toward social responsibility, commenters and tweeters jump to the negative - ..."well, it may be a little insensitive here, or take a little time there..." - rather than viewing this as a first foray into a socially positive but evolutionary process.
We all want the world to change, so long as we do not have to personally change anything.
47
@David McKirnan, I have been trying to verbalize my thoughts and yours is spot on. I did not think that the conversation was to be had with the barista. I imagined it to be something that I internalize and take into my day - jus like the coffee.
Thank you for verbalizing so evocatively!
Anu
Thank you for verbalizing so evocatively!
Anu
2
I agree. if we want love and peace for ourselves and the world, we have to start with ourselves. We have to initiate the process, plant the seed and watch it grow step by step from our family, to our friends, to their friends, and on and on.
1
In my experience, 72 years, Baristia are at least as intelligent as the people they serve. Far better mannered.
6
Why can't people look at the intention? Instead of attacking, try clarifying and finding meaning. There is enough violence in the world already. Let's practice a little compassion.
5
Widespread vitriol and derision are what's for dinner on today's internet, so surprise doesn't wash over me. I can't say I quite understand this campaign, but I do understand that the issue of race relations is a critical one, and if corporations are willing to show initiative and participate in the discussion, how can we not celebrate that?
3
I think Howard Schultz is right to assert his views and I also have to agree with some commenters that he probably would have done better to instigate group discussions with his mangers and line people. He's right and the naysayers are wrong. He wants to DO something rather than just watch from the sidelines. I'm disgusted by the daily and stark examples of police brutality directed almost exclusively against blacks. It sickens me. To know that there are so many animals wearing badges is very troubling and scary.
4
I'm not sure how this is worse than Budweiser's puppy commercial during the Superbowl. Or when retailers claim to donate 5 cents to a school if you buy their stuff. Or Chick-fil-A branding itself as the Christians' choice for chicken sandwich. For people claiming to need their coffee before they can discuss race, unless you walk or take mass transit, I don't think you should be driving to Starbucks for your first cup of coffee.
1
HOWARD SCHULTZ IS PLAYING THE RACE CARD FOR PROFIT. What's new from corporate America?
Encouraging strangers and Starbucks' employees how to spend their time in a coffee shop is so white of him. God help anyone who confronts me with a race discussion before I've had my first cup of coffee!
I'm a white American male and experienced my share of comments and behavior from black people who meant well but didn't realize their own ignorance in regards to race relations! I'd much rather spend a few minutes in conversation with a tribal American, those who've suffered a continuing ethnocide and generational genocide and the murderous theft of their land and human values by whites and blacks, alike. We're all slaves, past and present, of government and the industrial plutocrats who own and run America.
Encouraging strangers and Starbucks' employees how to spend their time in a coffee shop is so white of him. God help anyone who confronts me with a race discussion before I've had my first cup of coffee!
I'm a white American male and experienced my share of comments and behavior from black people who meant well but didn't realize their own ignorance in regards to race relations! I'd much rather spend a few minutes in conversation with a tribal American, those who've suffered a continuing ethnocide and generational genocide and the murderous theft of their land and human values by whites and blacks, alike. We're all slaves, past and present, of government and the industrial plutocrats who own and run America.
1
Someone had a good response the other day to a post similar to yours. They asked if the person went into cancer wards and told the patients that cardiac patients suffered as well.
Feel free to talk to anyone you want and if the plight of Native Americans bothers you then by all means do what you can to make it better but that doesn't give you the right to sneer at what other people of color are going through.
Feel free to talk to anyone you want and if the plight of Native Americans bothers you then by all means do what you can to make it better but that doesn't give you the right to sneer at what other people of color are going through.
2
There may be some knots in the way that this is being executed, but it's about time we got this out into the open where privileged white people (like me) cant't squirm away from it. It's too awkward to expect baristas to start the conversation, but if it gets the rest of us talking, hooray. And there's plenty to talk about. Even squishy, touchy-feely cities like Seattle and Portland have police departments riddled with vicious racism, and it wasn't until the Justice Department came along that we even noticed it. So, good for you Howard.
5
I'm totally lost on this. There is nothing wrong with what this CEO is trying to do and the people who are whining and complaining about it need never buy another Starbucks product again, if they wish. What a nation of whiners we have become - about anything and everything - people of all colors and stripes and political persuasions as the poster children for the walking wounded of the entire universe. Americans have more opportunities - and more "stuff" - than most in the world. Our race relations are far from perfect, but many, many things are better than they have ever been and the push and support for more change continues, thanks to the explosion of social media.
We ALL have the freedom to speak - it's really the only freedom we have. There are plenty of things I hear from people of all colors that I don't like or find offensive. Too bad. That's the price we all pay to live in our democracy. Don't like it? Call a waaaaaaambulance (thank you Modern Family).
If everyone would take 5 minutes to honestly assess their own flaws, re-locate and re-activate long-lost manners, and show some genuine humility, a quality that has vanished in today's vulgar and hyper-aggressive culture, then maybe we could actually focus more on treating each other better, and not have a hissy fit every time someone says something they don't like.
This issue is a hangnail when you look at all the blood being shed and lives being destroyed by the powerful war mongers around the world.
We ALL have the freedom to speak - it's really the only freedom we have. There are plenty of things I hear from people of all colors that I don't like or find offensive. Too bad. That's the price we all pay to live in our democracy. Don't like it? Call a waaaaaaambulance (thank you Modern Family).
If everyone would take 5 minutes to honestly assess their own flaws, re-locate and re-activate long-lost manners, and show some genuine humility, a quality that has vanished in today's vulgar and hyper-aggressive culture, then maybe we could actually focus more on treating each other better, and not have a hissy fit every time someone says something they don't like.
This issue is a hangnail when you look at all the blood being shed and lives being destroyed by the powerful war mongers around the world.
4
I think the Race Together is a great initiative assuming it is a sincere effort to stimulate conversation about race, and assuming it results in Starbucks promoting specific actions to reduce/eliminate it beyond PR moves. Consensus building counts. At least Starbucks is getting the fact of the ugliness of racism on the front pages which is more than I can say for most companies. What has Walmart for example done to address this issue, or really any social issue? Right: that's what I thought you would say. OK what about darling Apple then? Uh huh.
1
The real race problem in the US involves people who can't afford to pay $4 for their morning coffee.
5
Funny - every Starbucks I've been into has customers who look like everybody else on the street, of different races, age, etc. The idea that only white people patronize these stores is laughable.
3
You made a racist assumption -- that only whites can afford $4 coffee. My point was that poor people -- black and white, are the ones who deal with racism most often.
While I think this is well intentioned, I deplore the vulgar online hostility and I think this country does need to confront racism and many other issues, the very last thing I want to hear from a clerk in any retail environment is a request to have a conversation about race or anything else for that matter. I don't even want a clerk to comment on my clothes or my haircut. I also think it trivializes the importance of dealing with racism. And what exactly is it that the clerk is going to say to me while I'm waiting for coffee and while the clerk is supposed to be serving other customers? I can't even imagine how that conversation would begin.
If Starbucks wants to have a marketing campaign that makes it "un-hip" to be a racist, I think that's great. If they want to put up posters that say, "You're a racist if.....", that's fine. I think one thing that was accomplished during the hippie "peace and love" movements of the 1960s and 70s is that it made it socially hip to be about peace. I think we're lacking that today.
But having a clerk discuss it with me is completely another matter. Furthermore, as other posters have mentioned, maybe Starbucks has to look within and realize that while they may pay better than similar retail establishments, their pay still doesn't enable anyone to lead a middle-class life in most American cities and as such, most of their counter staff is comprised of minorities and this is most definitely a (subtle) form of racism.
If Starbucks wants to have a marketing campaign that makes it "un-hip" to be a racist, I think that's great. If they want to put up posters that say, "You're a racist if.....", that's fine. I think one thing that was accomplished during the hippie "peace and love" movements of the 1960s and 70s is that it made it socially hip to be about peace. I think we're lacking that today.
But having a clerk discuss it with me is completely another matter. Furthermore, as other posters have mentioned, maybe Starbucks has to look within and realize that while they may pay better than similar retail establishments, their pay still doesn't enable anyone to lead a middle-class life in most American cities and as such, most of their counter staff is comprised of minorities and this is most definitely a (subtle) form of racism.
1
If a grande cuppa joe from a race-conscious barista doesn't solve the problem, it's hard to imagine what would.
5
I’m glad that Starbuck’s isn’t letting on-line criticism change their mind about promoting discussions on race. Everything gets on-line criticism including just saying that the sky is blue, so much of it just needs to be discounted and ignored. I just hope that the company doesn’t stop at encouraging their baristas to have these conversations. I hope the next step is involvement by the executives and board members.
8
This might have been more fitting except for two things:
1) Almost all of the promotional images for this feature only white Baristas, probably because:
2) Starbucks is heavily represented in upscale, white neighborhoods, but not in lower class.
I guess Starbucks decided long ago, ignore minorities and minority neighborhoods as beneath their standards for customers.
Shultz is such an eliteist.
As others have said, Dunkin Doughnuts coffee has vastly improved. And you don't get attitude included. They're getting my business, can I cause find them all over DC, even in the areas Starbucks red-lines.
1) Almost all of the promotional images for this feature only white Baristas, probably because:
2) Starbucks is heavily represented in upscale, white neighborhoods, but not in lower class.
I guess Starbucks decided long ago, ignore minorities and minority neighborhoods as beneath their standards for customers.
Shultz is such an eliteist.
As others have said, Dunkin Doughnuts coffee has vastly improved. And you don't get attitude included. They're getting my business, can I cause find them all over DC, even in the areas Starbucks red-lines.
4
Dunkin' doesn't need a conversation about race to sell coffee. DD is a melting pot of every race and economic class. The coffee is good. It's affordable and the stores are in all sorts of neighborhoods. When I'm on business in Boston, I go to the DD across from the Boston TD Garden. Great people.
1
Sheesh! Just sell over-rated coffee, treat your employees and customers well, and shut up.
12
I am not sure how buying a five buck coffee drink could ever improve race relations. If person were to go into Starbucks just four times a month, they are going to be out more than $20.
For those who go as much as five times a week, you're dropping more than $100 a month.
Somehow it strikes me that the people who are jailed in Ferguson, MO. for failure to pay fines and mounting penalties for things like weeds on a front lawn aren't going to Starbucks for a five buck coffee drink on a regular basis.
Corporate America knows one color - green. Starbucks is a publicly traded company and pardon those of us who might find this publicity stunt well, a publicity stunt.
If I were inclined to go into Starbucks for a coffee drink, I'm not going now. The last thing I need is someone who is making the drink trying to engage me in a chat about race relations. If you read the paper or go online, you can see that the state of race relations in America is a loftier issue than something to chit chat about while having your drink handed to you during some lame attempt to promote social awareness.
Maybe the Race Together slogan will get confused customers to take up jogging. That would be good, because all those fatty drinks with sugar are bad for you.
For those who go as much as five times a week, you're dropping more than $100 a month.
Somehow it strikes me that the people who are jailed in Ferguson, MO. for failure to pay fines and mounting penalties for things like weeds on a front lawn aren't going to Starbucks for a five buck coffee drink on a regular basis.
Corporate America knows one color - green. Starbucks is a publicly traded company and pardon those of us who might find this publicity stunt well, a publicity stunt.
If I were inclined to go into Starbucks for a coffee drink, I'm not going now. The last thing I need is someone who is making the drink trying to engage me in a chat about race relations. If you read the paper or go online, you can see that the state of race relations in America is a loftier issue than something to chit chat about while having your drink handed to you during some lame attempt to promote social awareness.
Maybe the Race Together slogan will get confused customers to take up jogging. That would be good, because all those fatty drinks with sugar are bad for you.
7
I've never been to a Starbucks and have no intention on ever going, this whole campaign is ridiculous. How many minorities are in management postions within the Starbucks Corporate area? Very few to be sure.
7
I'll have a venti mocha latte with two extra pumps of socially relevant discussion, please.
19
One word: Peet's.
4
Dear Starbucks - please tweet us when this silly charade is over, so I can go back to buying your coffee...
5
Thank you Starbucks. Setting a new tone for corporate America!
1
Or creating a new marketing scheme.
1
This just confirms what I have long believed; Starbucks is pretentious. Baristas not servers; tall, grande and venti instead of small, medium and large and now race relation discussions.
5
Oof.
Yes, as a poster states below: "Why not have that conversation over a cup of coffee?" Absolutely - and people should be encouraged to do so.
But Starbucks is essentially saying to its employees: "Please have this conversation for our shareholders... uh, that is.... country. And you might want to make it snappy, because there's a long line of people waiting. Oh, and most of them won't leave a tip to make up for your sub-living wage paycheck."
I know Starbucks might be getting piled on here - but it's tough to see this any other way.
Yes, as a poster states below: "Why not have that conversation over a cup of coffee?" Absolutely - and people should be encouraged to do so.
But Starbucks is essentially saying to its employees: "Please have this conversation for our shareholders... uh, that is.... country. And you might want to make it snappy, because there's a long line of people waiting. Oh, and most of them won't leave a tip to make up for your sub-living wage paycheck."
I know Starbucks might be getting piled on here - but it's tough to see this any other way.
2
A Black president can't bring this country together. But a white coffee merchant thinks he can. What chutzpah! Schulz is a legend in his own mind.
1
No one person can do it but lots of individuals doing what they can might help. I applaud anyone who tries to make a positive difference.
2
Not to be too rude, but since when is Gwen Ifill the "arbiter elegantiarum" of anything? Moreover, I am sure we can all recall the aspirational and wonderful Benetton ads of yesteryear where there was an implicit message about "racial harmony." I am not sure any conversations about "race" in America can ever be "not awkward." Just like discussions about other issues that relate to other large scale problems in our country. The question that people should ask is not whether Starbucks has taken a bold first step, but what alternatives do they have in mind? Please add them to the suggestion box. I for one will smile and say thank you if someone adds a "Race Together" message on my coffee. What will others do?
We (white folk) will never ever be able to make up for the Slave Labor Camps (plantations) our forefathers ran for 400 years! that allows 'us' to have such a huge leg up on the road to health wealth and happiness. To advance the Race Together discussion how about starting with Reparations!! Japanese Americans got it, American Indians got them... Well... mirror mirror on the wall.
3
I feel that the 'Race Together' initiative falls in the context of a marketing campaign more so than a genuine care for being sensitive about race. I would have preferred to see that Starbucks first implemented this initiative within the company first and set the example. For example, be a leader in hiring minority to show the diversity is part of the Starbucks culture, not just by making statements and then go no where after that.
2
I get the feeling from reading these comments that many people have had enough with the race relations stuff and would like to move on at this point. To them I say 'too bad, but we are just getting started'. Most of us have our heads buried in the sand (or worse) and it was a long time ago that these discussions should have taken place. Even though Mr duBrowa's execution of his idea was flawed and impractical from an hourly worker's standpoint, it certainly is a concept that is overdue and necessary if we are to resolve any of the myriad problems generated by our society's racist attitude and history. As usual, I don't see any of the negative opinionators coming up with a serious fix for the bigger problem.
2
I have to give Starbucks credit for their " out of the box " thinking, however I can't believe how this idea made it passed their HR department. Imagine a baristia making a well meaning comment that is misunderstood or taken out of context. Talk about opening yourself up to potential litigation.
2
I do commend Starbucks for at least attempting to start a conversation--and clearly, by the comments here, we are at least talking! That's great. Like others, I think more highly of the "walking" and a little less of the "talking." Make sure that all staff have equal pay, roles, vacation, job responsibilities, etc. regardless of race/sex/class. And make that true especially in the boardroom. That's how you say things out loud. Walk like you talk.
2
As a person who buys their coffee in a bag from Aldi, I don't feel I have the money to waste on an expensive cup of Starbucks coffee.
I am a middle class white female who was not raised to be racist. Are there others like me who also don't frequent Starbucks? Why not put your money where your mouth is and train and promote from within? Now that would be more than just public relations, Corporate America.
I am a middle class white female who was not raised to be racist. Are there others like me who also don't frequent Starbucks? Why not put your money where your mouth is and train and promote from within? Now that would be more than just public relations, Corporate America.
2
I'm wondering if my comment's not showing up because I facetiously claimed "barista" was the female form of "bannister", or that a large (won't say Vente) Starbucks coffee costs $9, or just my invented conversation on race relations with the person who's supposed to be busy getting me my fracking coffee.
Well whatever it was, I thought it was a pretty funny comment, and I'm still going to say, if allowed, that this is a lousy idea. A quick conversation with a total stranger who's supposed to be getting you your fracking coffee is not going to change anyone's mind about race relations. It's an important topic to discuss, calmly and intelligently, and at great length. But only with people who are willing to discuss it, and have time to absorb different perspectives and so on. This is an initiative that belongs in schools, and maybe offices, but not in coffee shops or with hotdog vendors.
Also this looks primarily like an advertising campaign by Starbucks, just considering how much they've inserted their brand name into the news and all of our commentary right here. Fie on them, for me Starbucks will always mean something belonging to Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica. (See there was a reason for the term 'fracking', hohoho.)
Well whatever it was, I thought it was a pretty funny comment, and I'm still going to say, if allowed, that this is a lousy idea. A quick conversation with a total stranger who's supposed to be getting you your fracking coffee is not going to change anyone's mind about race relations. It's an important topic to discuss, calmly and intelligently, and at great length. But only with people who are willing to discuss it, and have time to absorb different perspectives and so on. This is an initiative that belongs in schools, and maybe offices, but not in coffee shops or with hotdog vendors.
Also this looks primarily like an advertising campaign by Starbucks, just considering how much they've inserted their brand name into the news and all of our commentary right here. Fie on them, for me Starbucks will always mean something belonging to Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica. (See there was a reason for the term 'fracking', hohoho.)
2
There's an implied racism here since many of the baristas and counter workers are people of color and the customers are Anglos. Personally, I would be very embarrassed to start a conversation with a black stranger behind a counter who was serving me about such a touchy issue.
5
To be fair some people claimed that they're all teenagers with low IQs and strange ways of dressing.
1
"A" for effort.
"C" for implementation.
One of the most destructive human traits is indifference. Starbucks is making an effort. Everyone else needs to step up, reach out, and jettison the automatic negativity that keeps us from making progress.
"C" for implementation.
One of the most destructive human traits is indifference. Starbucks is making an effort. Everyone else needs to step up, reach out, and jettison the automatic negativity that keeps us from making progress.
6
I see the intentions of Starbucks as commendable, but I would have preferred
the CEO encourage us to start the conversation by encouraging our Congress
to pass H.R. 40. U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D.,MH) has been trying to start
such a "conversation" for the past 26 years, and our Congress continues to
support this nation's denial of the profound effects of slavery. Meaningful
conversation produces action. Put on each coffee cup--"H.R. 40". Customers
would be curious, what is H.R. 40? It is "The Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act." Unless Americans are willing to accept and consider making amends for their crimes against humanity-- of slavery and legalized segregation laws--then there is no need
to waste time on trivial, unproductive PR campaigns.
the CEO encourage us to start the conversation by encouraging our Congress
to pass H.R. 40. U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D.,MH) has been trying to start
such a "conversation" for the past 26 years, and our Congress continues to
support this nation's denial of the profound effects of slavery. Meaningful
conversation produces action. Put on each coffee cup--"H.R. 40". Customers
would be curious, what is H.R. 40? It is "The Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act." Unless Americans are willing to accept and consider making amends for their crimes against humanity-- of slavery and legalized segregation laws--then there is no need
to waste time on trivial, unproductive PR campaigns.
3
H.R. 40 could study and study and maybe find that the vast majority of residents trace family heritage to immigrants who came after the Civil War or who risked dying for the Union and the Emancipation.
The Irish? Union cannon fodder.
The Asians? Miscegenation was a crime for the longest time in California.
Eastern Europeans, Southern Med., Latinos, Scandinavians and Germans? Aside from slaving in industrial rot and slums, the lucky ones homesteaded in the drought stricken West after the Civil War, or fought for the Union from places like Ohio.
Really, once Sherman marched on Atlanta to make the south scream and Grant decimated Richmond, who is left with a penny from slavery to pay?
Maybe the British who profited handsomely from cotton?
A few New York cotton brokers or poor Scot-Irish types who fought for the Plantations despite not owning slaves?
Why not hire a land attorney and go after the Plantation Heirs?
The US confiscated the land that is now Arlington Cemetery, maybe your lawyers could do just as well.
Sadly, a few acres and a mule just didn't happen.
The Irish? Union cannon fodder.
The Asians? Miscegenation was a crime for the longest time in California.
Eastern Europeans, Southern Med., Latinos, Scandinavians and Germans? Aside from slaving in industrial rot and slums, the lucky ones homesteaded in the drought stricken West after the Civil War, or fought for the Union from places like Ohio.
Really, once Sherman marched on Atlanta to make the south scream and Grant decimated Richmond, who is left with a penny from slavery to pay?
Maybe the British who profited handsomely from cotton?
A few New York cotton brokers or poor Scot-Irish types who fought for the Plantations despite not owning slaves?
Why not hire a land attorney and go after the Plantation Heirs?
The US confiscated the land that is now Arlington Cemetery, maybe your lawyers could do just as well.
Sadly, a few acres and a mule just didn't happen.
The Starbucks CEO’s views on reparation for 300 years of uncompensated labor versus a trivial gimmick will illuminate his seriousness on the issue of race. But since his company doesn’t pay its employees union wages, I am almost certain that he would not be favor of reparations, and I am not referring to issuing checks to individuals.
Any serious conversation on race involves more than “can we all just get along."
Economics is at the heart of the race issue.
Any serious conversation on race involves more than “can we all just get along."
Economics is at the heart of the race issue.
6
While I pretty much want to be left alone when I am shopping, I do appreciate that Starbucks is thinking about this. I know my baristas pretty well. I have at times become friends with baristas in the past, and have socialized with them outside of the Starbucks context. I believe that my experience is a common one. I believe that the Starbucks board must have asked "what can we do with this unique relationship that our cafes have engendered throughout the country." While striking up a conversation about race is probably a bit intrusive for most people, I hope that Starbucks will continue to think outside the box.
2
I have read this article twice. I grew up in a segregated southern city in the sixties and have not a clue what was attempted why it was thought necessary and why the back lash. The important thing is that new "flat" australian drink is just yummy as all get back.
I really fail to see how Howard Schultz’s “Race Together” idea generated such outrage. It was amusing to see Gwen Ifill’s comment considering she has turned the NewsHour into, what feels like, a non-stop discussion about the mistreatment of African Americans.
1
Thank you President Obama and AG Holder for so capably using your political platform to drive a wedge between the races at every opportunity. Race relations have not been this bad in decades.
5
How was Obama and Holder responsible for getting Starbucks to start this campaign? I do not understand (though, like you, I am sick of being required to apologize for being white).
1
The state of race relations might have something to do with the recent incidents of black men being killed by white Police officers under circumstances that wouldn't have had the same outcome if the person was white. Or maybe it's the the fact that Republicans have no hesitation in publicly saying President Obama is not an American or that he doesn't love his country with no reason given. Leaving the public to surmise it's President Obama's skin color that Republicans object to. They don't hesitate to call the President a liar, turn their backs on him or state that their policy position is block every move made by the President. That my friend is the definition racism and maybe that has something to do with the state of race relations in this country today.
2
Yes, how dare those two men be successful and enter public life? Things were so much better when men like them were powerless.
That's what you meant right?
That's what you meant right?
1
Well, if you have the courage to kick over one of the rocks under which some of the most vile, nasty creatures of the internet hide, these things happen. I'm sure Starbucks knew this going in. They should be applauded for their courage.
Frankly, why the heck should people expect white people to keep ignoring this issue, that's it's somehow only an "African-American issue"? That expectation, that racism somehow doesn't affect white people, is racist in itself.
I'm a little disappointed Ms. Ifill doesn't want to hear about anything too controversial before she's had her first cup of joe. But I suspect the baristas can wait to hear her opinion later. I don't think the point was so much an immediate conversation, although it's good to know it's welcome, as much as it's about putting the issues on one's thought radar. I'm sure Ms. Ifill can appreciate that, she probably thinks of these things often. However, many other Starbucks customers may need some extra encouragement. And Starbucks is not really just for breakfast anymore anyway.
Starbucks' effort comes at a time when our society has been rubbed pretty raw over a number of incidents that bear on race. We need more talk about race, rather than less. In the morning, at lunch, over cocktails or a beer, when we meet with friends, whatever their race. It's a courageous move. It may seem off-topic, but it's not. Like many times when race comes up, uncomfortable criticism says as much about the critic as about the subject.
Frankly, why the heck should people expect white people to keep ignoring this issue, that's it's somehow only an "African-American issue"? That expectation, that racism somehow doesn't affect white people, is racist in itself.
I'm a little disappointed Ms. Ifill doesn't want to hear about anything too controversial before she's had her first cup of joe. But I suspect the baristas can wait to hear her opinion later. I don't think the point was so much an immediate conversation, although it's good to know it's welcome, as much as it's about putting the issues on one's thought radar. I'm sure Ms. Ifill can appreciate that, she probably thinks of these things often. However, many other Starbucks customers may need some extra encouragement. And Starbucks is not really just for breakfast anymore anyway.
Starbucks' effort comes at a time when our society has been rubbed pretty raw over a number of incidents that bear on race. We need more talk about race, rather than less. In the morning, at lunch, over cocktails or a beer, when we meet with friends, whatever their race. It's a courageous move. It may seem off-topic, but it's not. Like many times when race comes up, uncomfortable criticism says as much about the critic as about the subject.
3
I have great admiration for the manner in which Starbucks has created and expressed a corporate philosophy that extends beyond profits. As many people have pointed out, this initiative was not practical or well thought out. I am sure Starbucks can introduce initiatives to improve opportunities for minorities, even use commercials to directly introduce commercials that address racism if it wishes. Time to walk away from this one. As for the Coca-Cola "I'd like to teach the world to sing" commercials, they were less about promoting harmony and more about capitalizing on the youth culture at the time to promote sales.
2
You can't win, it seems. If you don't address important social issues when you are a corporate leader, then you are considered just interested in the almighty dollar. But then if you try to do something 'outside the box', -- engage people in discourse, you are excoriated. This may not have been a perfect plan, but at least it's something more than others are doing.
2
What's really interesting is the number of corporate polluters out there trashing neighborhoods all over the country and none of these people make a peep.
Although having a discussion about "race" with the intent on trying to make a bad situation better is admirable, there are also better ways of conducting the conversation. Continuing the ongoing conversation, as it is today, is no different than beating a dead horse because there has been little new information to change the trajectory from moral reasons to objective reasons. Yet, now we have scientific information to change the hatred and bigotry that has been instilled in hearts and minds for hundreds of years.
The Human Genome Project revealed (from their website) that:
"DNA studies do not indicate that separate classifiable subspecies (races) exist within modern humans. While different genes for physical traits such as skin and hair color can be identified between individuals, no consistent patterns of genes across the human genome exist to distinguish one race from another."
This means that all humans, all people, come in an assortment of skin colors, genders, innate behaviors; all falling within an acceptable deviation of modern humans. Yet no one can be classified as a different species (race), except by those still wanting to perpetuate archaic discriminating social constructs.
So, the way out of our current morass is to change the conversation with this new knowledge. It may not happen as fast as a light switch, but along with some other supportive science attesting to our equality, it'll be a matter of time before the old bigoted dinosaurs are long passed.
The Human Genome Project revealed (from their website) that:
"DNA studies do not indicate that separate classifiable subspecies (races) exist within modern humans. While different genes for physical traits such as skin and hair color can be identified between individuals, no consistent patterns of genes across the human genome exist to distinguish one race from another."
This means that all humans, all people, come in an assortment of skin colors, genders, innate behaviors; all falling within an acceptable deviation of modern humans. Yet no one can be classified as a different species (race), except by those still wanting to perpetuate archaic discriminating social constructs.
So, the way out of our current morass is to change the conversation with this new knowledge. It may not happen as fast as a light switch, but along with some other supportive science attesting to our equality, it'll be a matter of time before the old bigoted dinosaurs are long passed.
The first thing I need to hear about in the morning, as I am gettting coffee in a desperate attempt to wake up, is about racial conflict (and implicitely how much I "owe" to those who are not my race). I will simply solve this problem by either buying my coffee elsewhere or mentioning the fact that illegitimacy, high crime rates and too high drug consumption rates (working for a civil engineering firm in New Orleans after Katrina I saw first hand how 90% of "minorities" tested positive for illegal drugs) are the real problems for minorities.
8
This is just marketing.
If he were serious, he'd hire a consulting firm on how best to create and invest in a project for the public good, not pull an uncomfortable stunt ... not uncomfortable because race is uncomfortable because this is just dumb ... how about taking on the voter suppression initiatives of the Republican right??
If he were serious, he'd hire a consulting firm on how best to create and invest in a project for the public good, not pull an uncomfortable stunt ... not uncomfortable because race is uncomfortable because this is just dumb ... how about taking on the voter suppression initiatives of the Republican right??
18
Next up, Hobby Lobby writes 'Choose Life' on our bags and 'encourages' its employees to talk about their feelings about life.
It cuts both ways and corporations and workplaces are no place for these discussions.
It cuts both ways and corporations and workplaces are no place for these discussions.
67
To CNNNC, since corporations now can basically buy our government (thanks to Citizens United) they should certainly be letting us know what discussions they find relevant.
Just saying.
Just saying.
2
What's wrong with that? Should these discussions take place on the street between police and demonstrators? Or, left hidden in the back room where ideologues talk only to themselves?
@CNNNNC I must agree with you - but many will not. I'm sure you will get some comments that sharing Starbucks' perspective is 'education' while sharing Hobby Lobby's is 'indoctrination' or, worse, hate speech. Again, profit-making businesses are no place for a political speech. If their owners want to take their profits and use it for political purposes, that's their own choice, whether their names are George Soros, Sheldon Adelson, Michael Bloomberg, or the Koch Brothers.
I cannot, offhand, think of any parallel to this... to FORCE people to have a substantive conversation... not to keep quiet, not to pay up, not to show up, not to tout doctrine, etc... but simply to talk to a random Other about a sensitive topic. It's so aesthetically...weird. I get anxious just thinking about the next time I go there, but that is of course the point... even with all the awkward and potentially offensive missteps it could produce as people stumble around it (joke about it, roll their eyes, get cynical, etc.), at least it opens the door on quiet desperation.
2
I've observed that the #1 criticism of this has been something like "baristas are too busy for this, patrons are in too big of a hurry, and nobody wants to discuss big things in the morning." But those naysayers are missing the point: Starbucks was originally created in the '70s to slow-down the rushed coffee-shop venue, so people could linger and talk while sipping. Now, people do that. This campaign is actually a perfect extension of its original vision, only now it is suggesting a topic for people to discuss. Honestly, where else is a large segment of the (white middle-class) population going to discuss this? While drunk at a bar?
1
If Starbucks wants to make nice on race, pony up some money and let's have a National Truth and Reconciliation Commission modeled on what they did in South Africa. Our government won't and can't do it, so let's do it and tell the govt. what we need them to do. Out of such an effort could come concrete plans for citizen action and involvement.
I believe Mr. Schultz is well intended and motivated, but, based on his past maladroit actions in social and political maters he has a tin ear. He needs good, strong advice from someone close to him whom he trusts. He needs to do some following as well as try to project himself as a leader.
Talking about race in casual conversations is intrusive and would largely be unproductive. Black Americans, in the main, don't want to spend their time telling white Americans that things are going to be alright, nor, especially, do they want to be put in the position of forgiving whites for racism. That is most likely what most white people want: a hug. Don't expect the person at the next coffee table to give you resolution.
The only way to create a life and a society of inclusion and acceptance is to live a life based on those principles. It can't be conjured up. There are people who will never forgive or forget what whites have done, even in a thousand years. While many blacks might secretly blame all whites, nothing but decency and justice is going to move those notions. Progress comes from all of us, all the time.
http://terryreport.com
I believe Mr. Schultz is well intended and motivated, but, based on his past maladroit actions in social and political maters he has a tin ear. He needs good, strong advice from someone close to him whom he trusts. He needs to do some following as well as try to project himself as a leader.
Talking about race in casual conversations is intrusive and would largely be unproductive. Black Americans, in the main, don't want to spend their time telling white Americans that things are going to be alright, nor, especially, do they want to be put in the position of forgiving whites for racism. That is most likely what most white people want: a hug. Don't expect the person at the next coffee table to give you resolution.
The only way to create a life and a society of inclusion and acceptance is to live a life based on those principles. It can't be conjured up. There are people who will never forgive or forget what whites have done, even in a thousand years. While many blacks might secretly blame all whites, nothing but decency and justice is going to move those notions. Progress comes from all of us, all the time.
http://terryreport.com
3
Here's a good example of how race relations work in the daily lives of most Starbuck's customers -
As you leave for work in the morning, you pass by your doorman. - You smile and say, "Good morning Willie" -- He replies with a smile, "Good morning Mr. Armstead."
You stop to buy your coffee at the usual place, from the nice young lady behind the counter. - As she hands you the coffee, you say - "Good morning Rosa, and how are you today?" - She smiles and replies, "I'm just great Mrs. Eddlestein. And how are you?"
Feeling great about yourself, you now walk into the lobby of your office building, where you must pass the security guard. As you swipe your security card, you smile and say, "Hey George - what about those Knicks?'" - And he replies, "Gee, I don't know Mr. Richards, they need help."
You exit the elevator, and run into one of the maintenance men - dressed in his blue uniform and carrying some tools. - "Hi Roberto", you say - "Can you stop by my office later, one of the vents is clogged" -- He smiles and replies, "No problem Ms. Davis, I'll stop by later this morning".
On the way to your office, you pass by Accounting, saying hi to Denise, Shawniqua and Carlos. They all return your greeting with, "Hi Mr Lieberman".
Later, you stop by the mail room to ask Jimmy for a Fed Ex box - and he replies, "Sure Mrs Cantor".
Now - you head for your executive committee meeting - but somehow there's nobody named Willie, Rosa, Jimmy or Shawniqua at sitting at the table-
As you leave for work in the morning, you pass by your doorman. - You smile and say, "Good morning Willie" -- He replies with a smile, "Good morning Mr. Armstead."
You stop to buy your coffee at the usual place, from the nice young lady behind the counter. - As she hands you the coffee, you say - "Good morning Rosa, and how are you today?" - She smiles and replies, "I'm just great Mrs. Eddlestein. And how are you?"
Feeling great about yourself, you now walk into the lobby of your office building, where you must pass the security guard. As you swipe your security card, you smile and say, "Hey George - what about those Knicks?'" - And he replies, "Gee, I don't know Mr. Richards, they need help."
You exit the elevator, and run into one of the maintenance men - dressed in his blue uniform and carrying some tools. - "Hi Roberto", you say - "Can you stop by my office later, one of the vents is clogged" -- He smiles and replies, "No problem Ms. Davis, I'll stop by later this morning".
On the way to your office, you pass by Accounting, saying hi to Denise, Shawniqua and Carlos. They all return your greeting with, "Hi Mr Lieberman".
Later, you stop by the mail room to ask Jimmy for a Fed Ex box - and he replies, "Sure Mrs Cantor".
Now - you head for your executive committee meeting - but somehow there's nobody named Willie, Rosa, Jimmy or Shawniqua at sitting at the table-
5
I'm not even clear how this program is supposed to work. I generally avoid Starbucks because the coffee isn't good, and whenever I walk by a store, the line is very long. I'm supposed to add to that delay by engaging the cashier in a deep discussion regarding race relations? And, the cashier is going to feel comfortable offering opinions? Huh?
Starbucks would have been better off to use their stores as locations for forum or panel discussions about race relations.
Starbucks would have been better off to use their stores as locations for forum or panel discussions about race relations.
4
[Full disclosure: Life-long Seattleite and coffee drinker.]
What if, instead of the barista interrupting your morning zone of happiness, this policy simply signals to consumers that if they have a comment on race relations to make, it is appropriate to do so to or around a barista? Is that a terrible thing?
Or, alternatively, what if it makes the movement feel like it has a corporate player on its side?
What if, instead of the barista interrupting your morning zone of happiness, this policy simply signals to consumers that if they have a comment on race relations to make, it is appropriate to do so to or around a barista? Is that a terrible thing?
Or, alternatively, what if it makes the movement feel like it has a corporate player on its side?
1
I applaud Starbucks for trying to take a stand on issues that matter. With their prominence in the everyday lives of so many customers, they have the perfect platform for raising awareness of issues and taking a stand for change.
Now of course people will over react, either to avoid the issue or suggest that Starbucks should stick to its business, but that's to be expected. Hang in there, Mr. Schultz. Social change in a democracy is always controversial, but we have to start somewhere.
Now of course people will over react, either to avoid the issue or suggest that Starbucks should stick to its business, but that's to be expected. Hang in there, Mr. Schultz. Social change in a democracy is always controversial, but we have to start somewhere.
1
As a common stock Starbucks does exceedingly well and the coffee ain't bad. The prices, however, are a bit on the dreamy side. Over the years Howard Schultz has always been ready to stir the pot. He's an excellent CEO, no doubt about it. But his chief goal needs to be how to seriously lower the cost of being a Starbucks customer and keep his Wall Street controllers happy. Encouraging customers --you have notice there are few blacks or tribal Americans who work or patronize his expensive coffee shops, right -- to engage strangers about "race" is, to put it mildly, suspicious sociology coming from a corporate mensch.
Perhaps Mr. Schultz should take his suggestion that his customers engage strangers on the topic of race to China, where Starbucks is going great guns these days.
May I suggest to Mr. Schultz that he initiates a program to seriously lower the cost of being a Starbucks customer.
Perhaps Mr. Schultz should take his suggestion that his customers engage strangers on the topic of race to China, where Starbucks is going great guns these days.
May I suggest to Mr. Schultz that he initiates a program to seriously lower the cost of being a Starbucks customer.
I have the utmost respect for Howard Shultz. I truly appreciate his efforts to be a corporate CEO who isn't afraid to care about the society he serves. I find it refreshing, but I am not surprised by the backlash. We just don't live in a culture that values honest conversation. I don't like to admit it, but this is a huge issue! My college aged son just was walking thru our affluent Chicago suburb with some college friends of other races who were visiting and they came home to report being stared at, even in the local Starbucks. So sad, so true, and high time we had the conversation! Thank you Howard for standing up for your values and the quality of life for everyone in our country.
5
Aren't Starbucks in affluent parts of the country? I can have a sterile conversation about race in my upper class neighborhoods and feel good about myself as I drink mediocre coffee. Sometimes talk is cheaper than the coffee we drink. Meaning well, but GROSSLY out of touch...Maybe we should have a talk about race relations over a cup of coffee Mr. Schutz...I'll meet you at my local Starbucks, my treat...
4
Rather than putting their employees in an uncomfortable position with customers. the best thing Starbucks could do to be a good corporate citizen would be to increase the wages it pays its workers. A recent report from Payscale.org showed baristas' hourly wage as being between $7.63 - 10.93 per hour: http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Employer=Starbucks_Corporation/Hourl... . Meanwhile, CEO Howard Schulz got a 24 per cent increase in his comp for 2014, so even without his $6,000,000 in stock, his annual comp (base and bonus) was $4.4 million, plus perks of more than $500,000: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/starbucks-ceo-gets-24-percent-010717584.html . The Times reported this summer on the bizarre and exhausting schedules many Starbucks low level employees are subjected to, with provide for a just a few hours between closing a store and opening it: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/15/us/starbucks-to-revise-work-scheduling... . (After this came out, Starbucks resolved to do better.) The other fine thing Starbucks could do for its employees would be to stop calling them "partners," and admit that they're just plain old hourly employees.
10
sorry, but this so typical of the trivial , feelgood, approach taken by entitled white liberals to real problems. its pathetic to think a huge number of well off, college educated people spent weeks if not months dreaming this insulting thing up.
5
Isn't it better to talk about something than have it shoot us in the back? Wow, is this where were are at?
I'm not a regular Starbucks customer (maybe once a month, if that), so the actual personal effect on me will be null.
But if I went into any retail establishment - Macy's, McDonald's, Best Buy, even a fine restaurant) about the last thing I want to do is get into some sort of a race-based conversation. That's not their role - they're not qualified to have that conversation - and why would I want to talk to them in the first place?
To me a conversation is about sharing ideas with the goal of a meeting of minds. I'm not interested in sharing philosophical discussions about race or politics with an 21-year old college dropout.
I suppose Schultz figures this is getting publicity for this, but in my opinion, it's idiotic. Inappropriate. almost insulting.
But if I went into any retail establishment - Macy's, McDonald's, Best Buy, even a fine restaurant) about the last thing I want to do is get into some sort of a race-based conversation. That's not their role - they're not qualified to have that conversation - and why would I want to talk to them in the first place?
To me a conversation is about sharing ideas with the goal of a meeting of minds. I'm not interested in sharing philosophical discussions about race or politics with an 21-year old college dropout.
I suppose Schultz figures this is getting publicity for this, but in my opinion, it's idiotic. Inappropriate. almost insulting.
5
All this does it reiterate how tone-deaf corporations are in their own marketing and PR efforts.
3
As a Black man, I have four problems with Mr. Schultz's decision to impose a dialogue on race upon my mere attempts to get coffee on my way to work.
1. It reeks of paternalism. I am a lawyer, with a degree in American history and completely capable of speaking about an array of issues, often without the use of a whip or cattle prod. As WSJ's Jason Riley would say, liberals "please stop helping us."
2. One-way dialogue never accomplishes goals in both directions. Mr. Schultz is a liberal, an Obama sycophant. Race has been exploited in the Obama era, used as a blunt object to bludgeon Conservatives out of existence. Any questions for Obama on any issue at any time by a Conservative is instantly attributed to the 7 eyed, fire breathing White GOP Tea Party boogeyman. Credible dialogue never comes from incredible demagogues.
3. The Black History Month embarrassment. Walking into a Starbucks right now feels as awkward, forced and misguided as the workplace "Black History Month" where co-workers stare and walk on eggshells around you for 28 days because apparently we didn't do much as a race the other 11 months.
4. If you are going to waste my time with an insincere, marketing gimmick that exploits my race without my consent, why won't you give me the Venti depth charge for free?
1. It reeks of paternalism. I am a lawyer, with a degree in American history and completely capable of speaking about an array of issues, often without the use of a whip or cattle prod. As WSJ's Jason Riley would say, liberals "please stop helping us."
2. One-way dialogue never accomplishes goals in both directions. Mr. Schultz is a liberal, an Obama sycophant. Race has been exploited in the Obama era, used as a blunt object to bludgeon Conservatives out of existence. Any questions for Obama on any issue at any time by a Conservative is instantly attributed to the 7 eyed, fire breathing White GOP Tea Party boogeyman. Credible dialogue never comes from incredible demagogues.
3. The Black History Month embarrassment. Walking into a Starbucks right now feels as awkward, forced and misguided as the workplace "Black History Month" where co-workers stare and walk on eggshells around you for 28 days because apparently we didn't do much as a race the other 11 months.
4. If you are going to waste my time with an insincere, marketing gimmick that exploits my race without my consent, why won't you give me the Venti depth charge for free?
60
DCBarrister Washington, DC:
As WSJ's Jason Riley would say, liberals "please stop helping us."
*****
One has to believe they don't realize just how condescending they are. If only a simple "No thank you" would do it.
Always enjoy reading your comments.
As WSJ's Jason Riley would say, liberals "please stop helping us."
*****
One has to believe they don't realize just how condescending they are. If only a simple "No thank you" would do it.
Always enjoy reading your comments.
How nice that you're well educated. How did you miss the fact that many people in the U.S. aren't and that schools with a large percentage of people of color are often underfunded.
Please provide three verifiable examples of how the Obama administration has used race to bludgeon conservatives.
I'll happily provide you with a dozen verifiable examples of racist comments made by conservatives.
Please provide three verifiable examples of how the Obama administration has used race to bludgeon conservatives.
I'll happily provide you with a dozen verifiable examples of racist comments made by conservatives.
3
Nailed it.
Promoting "conversations" about race relations is fine, but in fact we have these "conversations" all the time and very little ever gets changed, except possibly in hearts and minds (and that very slowly), and we'll keep having to have these "conversations" as long as we're a nation that pays only lip-service to the principles of economic and social equality.
My objection to this is the awkward position in which it puts the baristas, who are being pressured to solve social problems while being paid barista wages. Typical high-handed corporate behavior.
My objection to this is the awkward position in which it puts the baristas, who are being pressured to solve social problems while being paid barista wages. Typical high-handed corporate behavior.
9
As a barista, I was excited to sit down to a video which would instruct me on a new initiative to improve race relations. By the end of the video, I was filled only with concern. The only concrete element of this plan is the writing of "Race Together" on the customers' cup, which already creates a difficult situation in a highly-trafficked store when, as many people have mentioned, most customers would really rather just receive their purchase and get to work. But these are race relations, I conceded to myself-- surely anyone can agree that inconvenience must be met with an open heart and consideration for all.
Next I thought, "Okay, so what do I say to these customers who want to know why we have delivered an uninvited message via their white paper cup?" And I was stymied. There was no direction from Schultz on this in the six-minute video. The idea was indeed so nebulous that the option to withdraw oneself entirely seemed fairly inviting. How do I rattle off a concise (again, very busy location), educated, and relevant response about something so huge and encompassing as race relations without sounding like a young, white, and blonde messenger of Starbucks Corporate?
I think this was a great idea with which to begin. I love that Starbucks is always striving to be more ethical when it comes to people, product, and environment. I just wish this particular initiative had been more developed before the responsibility of its success fell directly into my hands, as it were.
Next I thought, "Okay, so what do I say to these customers who want to know why we have delivered an uninvited message via their white paper cup?" And I was stymied. There was no direction from Schultz on this in the six-minute video. The idea was indeed so nebulous that the option to withdraw oneself entirely seemed fairly inviting. How do I rattle off a concise (again, very busy location), educated, and relevant response about something so huge and encompassing as race relations without sounding like a young, white, and blonde messenger of Starbucks Corporate?
I think this was a great idea with which to begin. I love that Starbucks is always striving to be more ethical when it comes to people, product, and environment. I just wish this particular initiative had been more developed before the responsibility of its success fell directly into my hands, as it were.
164
I think the simplest thing to say is that Race Together is a corporate campaign encouraging people to discuss race relations in America. Nothing too puzzling about that and it only takes a few seconds. And the barista has the option to say nothing at all about it unless asked what the new phrase on the cup is about.
3
At least Starbucks is up front about it. In-n-Out Burgers prints their religious message on the not visible inside of the base of there cups.
3
Wow. This is why I do not partake of social media. If 'talking about' talking about race and racism creates this depth of anger and cynicism no wonder people are being shot for being black in public. I have heard every kind of conversation possible at Starbucks: divorce pronouncements, sexual encounter details, misogyny hate talk, medical diagnosis , therapy sessions, religious diatribe, political harangues and some of this peppered with the kind of language my mother would wash my mouth with soap for.
Why shouldn't Starbucks suggest some thoughtful discussion of race? Of course thoughtful is the operative and elusive word.
Why shouldn't Starbucks suggest some thoughtful discussion of race? Of course thoughtful is the operative and elusive word.
12
perhaps our supermarkets should hand out bags with "pro-life" on them with the cashier required to discuss the negatives of abortion with you. This cuts both ways. And this is not a direction that anyone with half a brain would want society to go down.
1
"Race Together."
If every ad has a call to action (Advertising: 101), my call is to become aware of how I look at **other** humans and how we have become separated from one another. What walls have I put up between us, what walls has society built? Becoming more mindful and recognizing the problem becomes the first step. I don't need a barista to begin this journey only the desire to open my mind.
Funny how we criticize corporations for not having a heart and not doing more. And when they do, we criticize because we think they've gone too far. I say kudos to Starbucks!
If every ad has a call to action (Advertising: 101), my call is to become aware of how I look at **other** humans and how we have become separated from one another. What walls have I put up between us, what walls has society built? Becoming more mindful and recognizing the problem becomes the first step. I don't need a barista to begin this journey only the desire to open my mind.
Funny how we criticize corporations for not having a heart and not doing more. And when they do, we criticize because we think they've gone too far. I say kudos to Starbucks!
14
Too bad their coffee still sucks.
8
Why would I have a conversation on race with someone making my coffee? For that matter, why would I have ANY conversation with someone making my coffee? I would just like my coffee and be able to leave the store. This is a good example of why I never go to Starbucks, because their coffee makers are always trying to engage me. Sorry -- don't want to engage, just want good and fast service.
21
It appears you consider yourself TOO GOOD to talk to a barista.
2
I think this is the point also. Race and class do not make the person providing your coffee not worth talking to.
2
Bravo, Mr. Schultz. Progress comes only with open discussion, even if that includes racist remarks from those who are isolationist or ignorant.
12
This campaign is a truly appalling example of an immense company overreaching its mission. How is it possible for a business with stores spread out across the globe to go off on such a tone deaf tangent...handing it's customers who are trying to start their day right or find a moment of peace and reflection later on, a cup of coffee with the word 'Race' on it? Is this some bizarre manifestation of corporate greed...we've given them so much reinforcement as a company that they now believe we want them to tell us what we should be thinking about?
19
i'm with Gwen Ifill, I'm pretty much done with fatheads who build a big business and get the notion that they're mental wizars, and most of all, it's medium despicable to use this stuff to gain market share.
But maybe whenever we get one of these little missives, we can immediately ask just why the heck Starbuck's won't fix its coffee-growing methods in the Third World.
But maybe whenever we get one of these little missives, we can immediately ask just why the heck Starbuck's won't fix its coffee-growing methods in the Third World.
12
Howard - Just stick to selling coffee. Thanks.
13
This is fantastic! The only people made uncomfortable by conversations around race are white people, since race, for them, is a subject they are not accustomed to thinking about or discussing in their day-to-day lives. Starbucks is an excellent vehicle to bring this conversation to mainstream, white America and will help them to feel comfortable talking about race and understanding its implications. We shouldn't strive to be color-blind; we should rather strive to be color-neutral.
10
... not only a subject that we are not accustomed to thinking about or discussing, but something we have no interest in.
We have better things to think about ... like making a living, feeding our families, having a life.
If blacks (and other people of color) would also focus on these things, and stop blaming "race" and "whites" on their failures, they would probably be much better off.
:))
We have better things to think about ... like making a living, feeding our families, having a life.
If blacks (and other people of color) would also focus on these things, and stop blaming "race" and "whites" on their failures, they would probably be much better off.
:))
Starbucks can start discussing racism only if their baristas can spell ethnically challenging names correctly on customer's cups.
8
My white niece has one of those names that was trendy some years ago. She went to school with three other kids with the same name. Every one of them spelled it differently. Not all challenging names are ethnic.
2
you mean like "Carl"? They always spell mine with a K :-/
2
I don't think its a fair criticism that people can't spell unusual or challenging names correctly. Can you spell every single name someone says to you, even one you have never heard of in your life, in a busy, noisy environment? The sadder and far more illustrative point is that you see racism in such misspelling.
2
"…while many of its baristas are members of minorities."
They're not clubs, Sydney. Try "…are minorities."
They're not clubs, Sydney. Try "…are minorities."
6
This seems strange for me to say, as I was raised near Ferguson and am willing to engage almost anybody in discussions about race because I'm very passionate about it and feel it should be addressed openly. But I just don't get where Starbucks thinks it is their place to engage customers on this issue in the actual retail establishment. If Howard Schultz wants to speak out about it or take a stance, especially as it relates to Starbucks employees, then fine. Those things make sense, as did his positions on gay marriage and veteran's issues. But I don't go to Starbucks for social issues conversations-- I go there for coffee. It seems completely out of place to presume that people want that when their guard is down and they're just trying to make a purchase, and ultimately Starbucks is a for-profit entity that is focused on what customers want.
9
I doubt Starbucks corporate knows where its employees stand on race. They certainly don't know where their customers stand. Race is not a subject you can broach in a fraction of a second while you're waiting on your coffee, nor can you encapsulate it in a snazzy catch phrase like "RACE TOGETHER." The last thing I want to hear from my white barista is:"Sir, Iknow you like your coffee black and I understand why. I made this espresso especially for you as indemnification for all the lynchings your race endured. Thank God there are no more lynchings today. Enjoy!"
9
Are you kidding? In America a company states an innocuous good wish and is attacked? That is the shame of the people making the attacks.
We haven't fought for all these years to have Yahus be taken seriously.
We haven't fought for all these years to have Yahus be taken seriously.
2
Kudos to Howard Schultz and his "Race Together" campaign. I grew up in the same housing project as Schultz in Canarsie, Brooklyn. Our neighborhood was a true melting pot of races and religions. The many groups of friends who inhabited this group of 26 high rise buildings were true examples of diversity and unification. We were White, Black, Hispanic, Jew, Catholic, Baptist, etc. We went to the same schools, played in the same park, ate in each others' homes and most importantly we never mentioned race or religion in any of our conversations. It was a given that we were friends and brothers sharing a sense of commonality and community. Perhaps it is the Howie Schultz who grew up in this positive environment, who is trying to send this message to America that if we race together, we can live together. We did it in Canarsie, why not in the rest of America?
88
So different than Bushwick where we lived in ethnic enclaves and didn't venture into the others where we could be beat up for being different. I'm part Sicilian but could pass through German Ridgewood because I had blonde hair and blue eyes. (I'm Dutch, German, Danish and Welsh too.)
The entrenched teachers unions supported by Howard Schultz and others are denying urban children a quality education. Unfortunately, that conversation is off limits to those who talk big but produce little.
5
Teachers are denying kids a quality education? Did you really think about that before you wrote it?
If Howard Schultz was a black man, running his company, doing the very same "#race together" suggestion-would he be receiving this very same back lash?
No one is "making" anyone engage in any dialogue with any one at Starbucks. A simple hand written statement and/or sticker is ment to be thought and action provoking. In which it has been, only to be dragged through the gutter of contempt.
Why can't this message be percieved as good intent?
Or is that just too difficult to percieved since he's white; the privileged devil incarnate himself.
Get over yourselves and your own self righteousness.
No one is "making" anyone engage in any dialogue with any one at Starbucks. A simple hand written statement and/or sticker is ment to be thought and action provoking. In which it has been, only to be dragged through the gutter of contempt.
Why can't this message be percieved as good intent?
Or is that just too difficult to percieved since he's white; the privileged devil incarnate himself.
Get over yourselves and your own self righteousness.
5
It might be primarily a clever marketing ploy, but at least it is based on something with a potentially positive impact - opening up dialogue on race in our supposedly "post-racial society." As for mixing politics and sales - Hobby Lobby? Chick-fil-a? Which would you get behind?
1
thanks for agreeing that it's a marketing ploy and we should both see in 30 days what the positive impact would be. I speculate that there will be no impact. the money Starbucks spent on this campaign could be a great donation or scholarship fund for minorities. Being one myself, I don't see this as a dialogue except for our exchange (which is not about race by the way). I do agree with you that we are not in a post racial society. Have a nice day at Starbucks.
I'm 67. When I went into the AF, I served part of my time in NC. The KKK in '68 was still a factor in NC and the signs, house burnings, etc. were still prevalent.
With the election of President Obama, it's as if the racists feel that they no longer need to hide their racism. They think they're being cute by trying to hide it as criticism of President Obama.
Too bad everyone isn't as stupid as the racists.
With the election of President Obama, it's as if the racists feel that they no longer need to hide their racism. They think they're being cute by trying to hide it as criticism of President Obama.
Too bad everyone isn't as stupid as the racists.
5
Too bad you can't tolerate any difference of opinion or disagreement with an elected official without immediately inferring that the other person (how dare they think differently??) is a racist. THAT is one reason we have a "race problem", where you see a clansmen under every remark!
1
Starbucks has set the modern standard for creating one of the most antisocial commercial environments imaginable. It epitomizes the disconnection that so many of us experience in the modern world. Now Starbucks want to start a conversation around perhaps the most intimate and provocative topic of all? When is the last time anyone reading this got into a spontaneous, intimate conversation in a Starbucks?
3
"“This is not about starting a conversation. This is about coffee wars,” he said. “The sole objective here is to try to increase the brand’s cultural relevance.”
So Professor Sehdev KNOWS what this initiative is all about? How come I know it's ALL about trying to help improve the central issue of our time?
So Professor Sehdev KNOWS what this initiative is all about? How come I know it's ALL about trying to help improve the central issue of our time?
Maybe diversity training should start at the top, with the executives at Starbucks.The tweets I saw sent to the Senior VP of Communications were hardly "personal attacks" -- they were legitimate questions and skepticism expressed about a dubious marketing campaign. If the top communications guy in your company is incapable of addressing questions about race raised by your own dumb idea, shouldn't that tell you something?
7
It's hollow, unless they want to enrich it/ back it up with something. For example, they could host discussion nights at their cafes. There could be a diversity consultant who would lead the discussion.
3
It is admirable that Starbucks wants to advance race relations, but do I or does anyone else want to engage in such a heavy topic with a stranger in a coffee shop. I just want to get my coffee and not holdup the line. If Howard Schultz wants to do something really constructive for his company he should set cleanliness standards for the baristas. I have been in many Starbucks' locations where the baristas are sloppily dressed, playing with their hair or someone else's hair or running their hands all over the edges of clean coffee cups. In those instances I just walked away. I know Starbucks is a very successful company and Howard Schultz is a very socially minded CEO and he should be commended for his efforts, but how about making the Starbucks experience better with clean professional looking baristas.
5
When Starbucks "jumped the shark."
7
Yeah, because as a 50-year-old man with a family and a full-time job with heavy responsibilities (serving a very diverse community, by the way), I really want a 19-year-old girl with pink hair who works part-time at a coffee counter and makes just over minimum wage to tell me about "race."
Just give me my coffee, please.
Just give me my coffee, please.
13
Maybe it's something to do with being based in Seattle that makes Starbucks come up with such a silly, starry-eyed idea.
Perhaps their customers should start a national conversation with Starbucks baristas:
"Apart from the fancy Italian names - why does it cost four bucks for a cup of milk coffee???"
Perhaps their customers should start a national conversation with Starbucks baristas:
"Apart from the fancy Italian names - why does it cost four bucks for a cup of milk coffee???"
11
Yep. I'll include it in the ever-growing list of reasons why I'm so pleased to be back in Seatown, after a couple of years in California.
I'm sick to death of everything in this country being attached to race relations. When it's appropriate fine, but not on a stupid cup of coffee.
14
Starbucks wants to brand your mind with its logo and wants you to talk about it whenever the subject of race is brought up and if you talk long enough, your throat will get dry and you will need a cup of overpriced sugar-laden coffee to get you going again. What could be wrong with that?
We don't need Hollywood celebrities and CEO's of corporations
foisting their agendas on us, thank you very much. Starbucks
need only apply ideas about equality of race/gender etc.
to its own employees and make sure that everyone has
equal opportunity. Leave the customers out of it--we just
want to get our coffee and split.
foisting their agendas on us, thank you very much. Starbucks
need only apply ideas about equality of race/gender etc.
to its own employees and make sure that everyone has
equal opportunity. Leave the customers out of it--we just
want to get our coffee and split.
18
The baristas are choosing which customers receive the cups. Probably by trying to judge superficial external attributes as a hint to how the individual will respond. In other words, by profiling. #Fail
8
As a proven amateur marketing expert (ads don't work on me) I can offer a hindsight solution that would have belayed all the hubbub: Starbucks should have at the same time announced road races, everybody invited.
Announce road races, throw out the slogan, and sit quietly and allow the Outrage Hobbyists to mull whether they should become outraged. If absolutely necessary, include a shoe company as added material goods distraction.
The kids and other phone addicts who own the Outrage Hobbyist niche on race relations defend their turf like pregnant mink. If for instance they owned the Democrat Party you'd have to be a multiracial trans vegan to register to vote on that side, just because that would be fair compensation for white crime against humanity. All things positive on race must either be anti-white guy, or some sort of young Me Generation entertainment associated distraction, if they are to be peaceably tolerated.
Announce road races, throw out the slogan, and sit quietly and allow the Outrage Hobbyists to mull whether they should become outraged. If absolutely necessary, include a shoe company as added material goods distraction.
The kids and other phone addicts who own the Outrage Hobbyist niche on race relations defend their turf like pregnant mink. If for instance they owned the Democrat Party you'd have to be a multiracial trans vegan to register to vote on that side, just because that would be fair compensation for white crime against humanity. All things positive on race must either be anti-white guy, or some sort of young Me Generation entertainment associated distraction, if they are to be peaceably tolerated.
3
It's pretty sad that we have so little sense of community that a commercial entity has to try to fill in the gaps in our lives, with workspaces for contract employees, and meeting places for safe social interaction, and now conversation starters. If it weren't so pathetic, it might be helpful. Thank you at least for opening a dialog about opening a dialog about community.
5
Sheesh! Give them credit for good intentions. But it is a tough subject to simply bring up.
Personally, as a traditional "Caucasian" on a census form, I prefer jazz music and my heroes are Miles, Duke, Coltrane, Billie & the huge Blue Note catalog I missed growing up. And I also root for LeBron to win against the haters because he's a great ambassador for the game. You can add Beyonce to that list too.
I'm sure the list could grow if you let me.
Personally, as a traditional "Caucasian" on a census form, I prefer jazz music and my heroes are Miles, Duke, Coltrane, Billie & the huge Blue Note catalog I missed growing up. And I also root for LeBron to win against the haters because he's a great ambassador for the game. You can add Beyonce to that list too.
I'm sure the list could grow if you let me.
4
Ever since Schultz sold the Supersonics with the express purpose of them "racing" out of Seattle to Oklahoma City, I haven't been "racing" in to Starbucks.
4
Lots of us in Seattle feel that way too about the loss of our team.
I go to Starbucks to buy coffee not discuss race relations in America. I wonder what diversity consultant thought this idea up.
12
Ah, for an actual debate on race in the U.S. Some of the topics might include, but are not limited to: Income inequality, education, imprisonment, healthcare, housing, graduation rates, and voter suppression. These are not slogans on a coffee cup...
1
The problem is institutional racism and the blindness that goes along with it. Starbucks is not only blind but tone deaf. How many black executives and middle managers work there? The communications director at Starbucks can't even withstand the criticism. How do they expect their poorly paid baristas to shoulder the work of race relations?
50
I'm not sure what the big deal is here - many comments seem to think this is some sort of huge intrusion or arrogant posturing.
At best, I think some people might talk about the statements and maybe talk about race (I doubt it, but maybe). Probably more likely it will just be one more bit of meaningless noise on the side of the coffee cup.
The cynic in me feels that ultimately there is some plan to make more money behind all of this.
At best, I think some people might talk about the statements and maybe talk about race (I doubt it, but maybe). Probably more likely it will just be one more bit of meaningless noise on the side of the coffee cup.
The cynic in me feels that ultimately there is some plan to make more money behind all of this.
1
Recently spent some time in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Many coffee places there including Starbucks. Main problem, from a western perspective, is women cannot just walk in by themselves and have coffee. I would like to see Starbucks speak their minds at such places. Try "Women and Men Together" or "Women First Please."
8
This is an interesting, somewhat unique, marketing ploy, but I don't see it as having any real effect on race relations in America. Say I go into a Starbucks, which I nearly never do, seeking coffee, naturally. The server (I won't use 'barista' since it really means a female bannister) opens with this gambit, "hey, I see you're white, do you think black people have it rougher in society today than whites?". "Ah sure, I'd have to say yes."
"I see, and sir, do you feel that you're partially to blame for that, as you are white?"
"No, not in the slightest, I treat everyone equally."
"Well sir, can you really be believed, as you are part of the empowered group in the country?"
"Ah, my large coffee is ready? OK here's your nine dollars, bye."
And nothing in particular would be changed, except I'd be running a minute later and be less inclined to let the next discussion proceed for that long. I think it's great for people to talk about race, calmly and honestly. I think everyone has to be ready and willing to do that, and have time to discuss things thoroughly, and thus it's just not feasible in a two minute interaction with a total stranger.
This is the sort of initiative that should be done in grammar schools, not Starbucks, and while it might be a lofty goal, I suspect this is more a promotional gimmick. After all, look how often I used the trademarked term "Starbucks" here, and how often it's in all these comments.
"I see, and sir, do you feel that you're partially to blame for that, as you are white?"
"No, not in the slightest, I treat everyone equally."
"Well sir, can you really be believed, as you are part of the empowered group in the country?"
"Ah, my large coffee is ready? OK here's your nine dollars, bye."
And nothing in particular would be changed, except I'd be running a minute later and be less inclined to let the next discussion proceed for that long. I think it's great for people to talk about race, calmly and honestly. I think everyone has to be ready and willing to do that, and have time to discuss things thoroughly, and thus it's just not feasible in a two minute interaction with a total stranger.
This is the sort of initiative that should be done in grammar schools, not Starbucks, and while it might be a lofty goal, I suspect this is more a promotional gimmick. After all, look how often I used the trademarked term "Starbucks" here, and how often it's in all these comments.
4
Dang it there was such a delay on this post I rewrote the whole thing and just submitted it. Sorry everybody for the repetition.
Maybe they can set up tables for race discussions. Just make sure the coffee is not to hot.
1
Just reading the controversy and some/most of the comments here and around demonstrates the need of such initiatives guys.
3
The boss has good intentions. But the way he's going about it is so "in your face" that it will only backfire. It also smacks of jumping on the media bandwagon with the latest goings on with police shootings. We get it constantly from the media, and walking into the one place where you can take a break, have a cuppa, we're no longer free. That's what's so offensive. It comes off as preachy and the ones I'm embarrassed for are the people--many of whom are "of color"--who are working behind the counter.
4
Starbucks: really comfortable chairs. however these are almost always taken when i go in (not often as i am not a coffee drinker). good intentions, but similar to business class for some and everybody else crammed into coach, and if the store is short on space, the comfortable chairs go. also wifi, and an atmosphere where many are actually working, and i assume, meeting others who also have an intent to do work.
Race together: assuming this is meant as a double entendre, it misses the point a little bit. races coming together, but in a race you separate yourself from your opponents; however all racing toward a common goal. Which in this case may be the higher social consciousness of the people of Seattle. Higher minimum wage, closing the port to coal (good!), and better race relations, which in U.S. terms is simply extending the promise of equal opportunity for all, as embedded in the intent of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. What we have in other parts of the country are the lingering effects of the hostility, brutality, and extreme prejudice of slavery. More than just dialogue here, we also need strict enforcement of the guarantees set forth in the Bill of Rights. The republicans, who represent racists, may be giving Mr. Holder an opportunity to do this--a lame duck who can devote all his time to this. Like having two attorney generals with the same agenda.
I would also suggest Starbucks circulate Gate's article in yesterday's nyt.
Race together: assuming this is meant as a double entendre, it misses the point a little bit. races coming together, but in a race you separate yourself from your opponents; however all racing toward a common goal. Which in this case may be the higher social consciousness of the people of Seattle. Higher minimum wage, closing the port to coal (good!), and better race relations, which in U.S. terms is simply extending the promise of equal opportunity for all, as embedded in the intent of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. What we have in other parts of the country are the lingering effects of the hostility, brutality, and extreme prejudice of slavery. More than just dialogue here, we also need strict enforcement of the guarantees set forth in the Bill of Rights. The republicans, who represent racists, may be giving Mr. Holder an opportunity to do this--a lame duck who can devote all his time to this. Like having two attorney generals with the same agenda.
I would also suggest Starbucks circulate Gate's article in yesterday's nyt.
1
This country is ridiculous. You can't win for loosing. "Race Together". Seems simple and sweet enough to me. But if you're a complete idiot you can get ticked off, complain about how the management is white and the baristas are minorities and then #Blackcoffee or some such silliness. This is all a perfect example of why we need a king. Democracy gives voice to every clown in the world. SOOOOOOOO Stupid!!
2
I love Starbucks, but this is stupid for three reasons. First, baristas have enough to do already: remembering our orders and trying to fill them quickly and correctly; tolerating those rude customers who make their orders while chatting away on their cellphones or texting; and making sure that no one locks himself in the restroom so that other customers have to go accross the street to Chipotle to take care of their needs, which occurred recently at a downtown Cleveland Starbucks that I patronized. Second, when I go to Starbucks, I do not want to talk to the barista about race, I do not want to talk to the barista about the Cavs, I do not want to talk to the barista about anything! I just want my drink made quickly and to order! Finally, I am sick and tired of the do-gooders who are constantly saying that we need a national conversation about race. Conversations about race usually end badly; people get very defensive and retreat to their corners. People just need to treat other individuals with dignity and respect regardless of race, creed, color, class, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, affectional preference, mental or physical disability, or political ideology. Unfortunately, not everyone will always do that, but if you do not treat others with dignity and respect, then I do not have anything to talk to you about! I love and admire Howard Schultz, but if he wants to change the world, he should do it on his own time and on his own dime.
9
Burger King did a much better job of bringing attention to a social issue through its "Proud Whopper" sales (to spread awareness about gay rights and about how "we're all the same on the inside").
2
Did they do a better job? I never heard of BK's campaign.
1
Certainly Starbucks meant well. But use the 5 "Whys" technique to figure out what really happened in Staten Island and Ferguson, and you get this: Why are these 2 men (Garner and Brown) dead? Answer: Because they had interaction with the local police. Why did they have interaction with the local police? Because they were violating laws. Why were they violating laws? Because they did not have money. Why did they lack money? Because there are limited opportunities for earning money in their areas. Why are there limited opportunities for earning money? Because jobs are not a priority for society, profit is the priority. We see that race never comes into it. Where we need to focus is on jobs and the economy - having economic choices is the key, not pretending its about race, it is not. The root cause of both deaths is economics, not race.
5
You could easily answer those same why questions with answers that would have "race" in them. For example, why are there limited jobs in their neighborhoods? Because neighborhoods with majority people of color do not see the same boost in jobs that white neighborhoods do during boom times. Economics and race are linked in this country.
I couldn't be more white if I tried.
My parents were college students at OSU and became very involved in the Civil Rights Movement back in the 60's. They weren't hippies. They were educated and Catholic and responsible and willing to take on the uncomfortable. Later my Dad ran for office on the platform for equal rights for "blacks". Did not win.
Most of my childhood was dealing with the KKK. Memory of a burning cross outside my bedroom window will always be with me. Memory of an anonymous voice warning me, "Honey, tell your parents they are coming tonight." As an 8 year old, I knew without asking, who this stranger meant.
My parents have never stopped being active the Civil Rights Moment, which does not just mean just helping African American communities and individuals but also vulnerable immigrants and those communities, despite being in their 70's. The Civil Rights Movement has never ended.
When Obama won, I popped out of my bed and drove from Starbucks to Starbucks until I found a copy of the New York Times. Everywhere I went, they were sold out.
As I was standing in line to pay, I looked over at a black man. He and I just grinned at each other.
My parents were college students at OSU and became very involved in the Civil Rights Movement back in the 60's. They weren't hippies. They were educated and Catholic and responsible and willing to take on the uncomfortable. Later my Dad ran for office on the platform for equal rights for "blacks". Did not win.
Most of my childhood was dealing with the KKK. Memory of a burning cross outside my bedroom window will always be with me. Memory of an anonymous voice warning me, "Honey, tell your parents they are coming tonight." As an 8 year old, I knew without asking, who this stranger meant.
My parents have never stopped being active the Civil Rights Moment, which does not just mean just helping African American communities and individuals but also vulnerable immigrants and those communities, despite being in their 70's. The Civil Rights Movement has never ended.
When Obama won, I popped out of my bed and drove from Starbucks to Starbucks until I found a copy of the New York Times. Everywhere I went, they were sold out.
As I was standing in line to pay, I looked over at a black man. He and I just grinned at each other.
6
At least Howard Schultz is courageously thinking outside the box to start conversation on racism, there are many lamenting - but few experiments showing tangible evidence of efforts to solve the problem. "We need to focus on the problem not the blame."
5
"Starbucks Initiative on Race Relations Draws Attacks Online"
I thought this was going to be an article about "attacks online." But the "attacks" are barely mentioned.
I go to a local Starbucks every morning for a cuppa. The barista there (a Russian woman) engages everyone with conversation. Many of the regulars know all about her family, her health and her opinions on life, and she knows about theirs. The complaints about how baristas don't have time to talk, or that customers aren't ready to talk doesn't hold water. What is true, however, is that most people don't like talking about race with strangers, regardless of time or place.
I thought this was going to be an article about "attacks online." But the "attacks" are barely mentioned.
I go to a local Starbucks every morning for a cuppa. The barista there (a Russian woman) engages everyone with conversation. Many of the regulars know all about her family, her health and her opinions on life, and she knows about theirs. The complaints about how baristas don't have time to talk, or that customers aren't ready to talk doesn't hold water. What is true, however, is that most people don't like talking about race with strangers, regardless of time or place.
2
I'll find somewhere else to buy my coffee if the push this nonsense in my face.
9
Nice idea but ridiculous in reality. No one wants to talk about race while getting coffee. I'd rather hear what Starbucks is doing internally as a major employer regarding race in hiring, choice of vendors, coffee purchasing, equity, etc.
12
Those hardest hit by racism can't afford a coffee from Starbucks. The posture of this marketing campaign is disingenuous. Its about money not social enlightenment.
4
I don't understand your rationale...if someone is discriminated against and can't get a job and thus cannot afford this brand's coffee, that's not Starbucks' fault. And I've been served by a melting pot of baristas. If Starbucks' campaign does some good to raise awareness, then more will be able to enjoy its products if they care to. I think the effort is sincere and not "just" about making money.
2
It is not only shameful, ridiculous and comedy-fodder, it gave me the only laugh I've had today.
8
Such a human touch from a company that uses scheduling technology that treats people like machines. I'm referring to the excellent times piece "Working anything but 9 to 5 - Scheduling Technology Leaves Low-Income Parents With Hours of Chaos." And how about paying the baristas a living wage, wouldn't this do more to foster social equality that two words written on a cup? Co-opting an important issue like race for the purposes of advertising is not the way to make meaningful change.
5
Here's an idea...stick to making over-priced coffee...my "listening" to your gibberish just establishes a precedent that I accept your corporate company as an "individual" which I most certainly do not!!
4
How many of the people complaining here, even go to Starbucks?
It's an invitation. If you don't want to talk about it then don't. No one is forcing you to.
It's an invitation. If you don't want to talk about it then don't. No one is forcing you to.
3
Are you kidding? Is there anyone left in the world who has not been to a Starbucks?
I think Mr. Schultz has good intentions but he is missing the point like so many well-meaning white people, especially corporate executives. The conversation about race together should be taking place in corporate boardrooms and Congress, not among many of the patrons, especially the African-American customers of Starbucks.
Black people have been talking about racial problems and issues for the last 30 decades to the point that we're sick of it. White people need to do the talking, the reading of black authors' books on the topic and the serious work on becoming aware of themselves and their attitudes, behavior, practices and thought processes which created many of the racism in the country.
Black people have been talking about racial problems and issues for the last 30 decades to the point that we're sick of it. White people need to do the talking, the reading of black authors' books on the topic and the serious work on becoming aware of themselves and their attitudes, behavior, practices and thought processes which created many of the racism in the country.
79
By saying that "white people need to do the talking, the reading of black authors..." Have you been in schools recently? There is so much talk about the inequalities between race and class and sex. It seems every year there is more (and I am a mom and a teacher). Go back 50 years ago and you will see just how much the dialogue has increased, and laws changed. To assume that white people don't think about these issues is as bad as calling people racist. Clearly, the fact that the white CEO is attempting to do this, means that he has been thinking about this and has discussed it with his "corporate executives."
2
So correct. I'm 74 white, and grew up in all white community as did so many others. . But I was exposed to James Baldwin and I listened to Malcolm X when others said he was a bad guy. Those are only a few, there are many more. I learned from them.
There is progress, I remember in junior high school and later, it was just an advertisement all the time. No issues, no problems, everything was just fine.
I'm still learning every day, I'll get it right ...............
There is progress, I remember in junior high school and later, it was just an advertisement all the time. No issues, no problems, everything was just fine.
I'm still learning every day, I'll get it right ...............
1
Please examine your stereotype of 'white" people. I began roll modeling inclusive attitudes 40 years ago to my children. We have a biracial family and are the better for it. I do not stereotype "Black" people for that is the basis of racism.
Modern marketing is about inserting goodwill into a brand, so this is Starbucks' way of standing for something progressive. They are targeting the millennial demographic, above all. Initially I was on the fence about their Race Together outreach via coffee cups, but now I think this is a good way of upping the ante on raising awareness. How can it be a bad thing to challenge people to think about how horrible racism is, and that we should be thinking in terms that we are all humans together in this world? The very fact that Starbucks is experiencing such intense press on this shows it has indeed hit a nerve that needs to be hit.
1
"The fury and confusion boiled down to a simple question: What was Starbucks thinking?"
Sounds like they looking to capitalize on the racial tensions enveloping the nation.
Sounds like they looking to capitalize on the racial tensions enveloping the nation.
5
Memo to Shultz and Starbucks: Keep your social and political opinions away from me and my coffee.
The "race together" phrase being a non-sequitur also annoys me but less than the concept of telling me (a complete stranger) to start thinking about some social issue. I will tell you when I want that with my coffee.
The "race together" phrase being a non-sequitur also annoys me but less than the concept of telling me (a complete stranger) to start thinking about some social issue. I will tell you when I want that with my coffee.
8
Meaningful discussions about race are crucial if the US is to move toward an just society. Conversations around race can be difficult and can become hurtful if not handled well. The City of Seattle, Starbucks' home town, has had a race and social justice initiative since 2004. Key to the initiative is training every City employee on the history and myths of race. I have been part of it for ten years, training other employees on the basics as well as more advanced work in analyzing policies and budgets for racial impacts. While I applaud the apparent intent of Schultz's initiative, I do not see the preparation of employees that should have occurred in order for it to be successful.
1
We should remember that Starbucks is a corporation and, as such, deserves less of the credit or blame for its actions than we often give it. Sure, by all means pressure a corporation to do what you would like it to do. However, let us not confuse our ethics and values with corporate motivation, whether we approve or disapprove of its actions.
As to Schultz, I'm not into reading entrails, so I will not speculate on his personal motives.
As to Schultz, I'm not into reading entrails, so I will not speculate on his personal motives.
2
I don't need a teenager to lecture me on race relations, even if the message is true.
9
over priced coffee from all white, male corporation wearing their virtue on their coffee cups. another "do as I say not as I do" hypocrites!
7
Coffee, please, Mr. Schultz. I just want my coffee.
13
Good to consider front of the house staff and their wages and benefits vs the top 1% of Starbucks management, and shareholders. Let's also consider the multinational ramifications for workers who grow and pick the beans, if such jobs are creating opportunity for those workers, who owns the land, free trade, etc. Also check out most of Starbucks non-food products --ceramic cups, reuseable water bottles, coffee makers-- are made in China, and those labor practices.
Starbucks has cornered the market with convenient locations, quality control measures, music, and wifi. But we must admit coffee is an addiction and neighborhood cafes have been subsumed just as big box stores have killed off Mom & Pop stores.
Starbucks has cornered the market with convenient locations, quality control measures, music, and wifi. But we must admit coffee is an addiction and neighborhood cafes have been subsumed just as big box stores have killed off Mom & Pop stores.
4
I started working for an energy utility in 1973. During the first day orientation, it was stated "do not engage in religious, sexual or political conversation with customers at any time".
Good then, good now.
Good then, good now.
10
It is Absurd to expect salespeople in a coffee shops to engage in racial discussions. If Mr. Schulz really wants to help on this issue, he should set aside a percentage of his sales to create an intelligent forum devoted to tackle this question, to be headed by knowledgeable and skilled people in this field, not part-time workers trying to survive. I have far more important things to plan and do. Spoiling the early part of the day with toxic discussions on race relations is not a good start. It spoils the day and the latte.
7
Race is one of the most potentially explosive topics in the United States; I cannot imagine that having this discussion with people in a hurry to go somewhere else will end well. It's also quite entitled to ask your front-line employees to do something that almost anyone would find uncomfortable, with strangers, several times a day, all while maintaining the usual pace of service.
But since he asked, here is my question: "Mr. Schultz, what is Starbucks' policy on gentrification?"
But since he asked, here is my question: "Mr. Schultz, what is Starbucks' policy on gentrification?"
8
To the many, many naysayers: this country is great becuase of its cultural diversity. That Starbucks and Howard Schultz seeks to initiate a dialog on race and celebrate our cultural diversity is laudable. I don't see "Race Together" as condescending or simple minded, rather, as Mr. Schultz and many others have said: "If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem." And, indeed, many of the posts are quite problematic.
5
Another big corporation trying corral their customers. All they need is a cattle prod to get customers to conform.
3
If during that conversation, the server makes a comment that offends the customer, is Starbucks backing the employee? Firing the employee? Are there guidelines or training for what employees can or should say or not? I am not against the idea, but I do think it's a clumsy attempt and has not been thought out well.
9
There's not much point to race discussions if people can't voice any controversial opinions. I haven't seen this in action yet, but I also wonder whose opinion employees are going to be giving, their own ort the corporations?
The idea by Howard Schultz to have a conversation about race:
Intent - Good
Execution - Poor
Intent - Good
Execution - Poor
2
This campaign is of a piece with Howard Schultz's exhortation to "Fix the Debt" (translation: "Let's slash Social Security benefits and close more post offices so I can pay lower taxes on my $30 million-a-year salary.") In the case of "Race Together," the Starbucks CEO appears to have no qualms about putting his employees in an awkward situation for the glorification of his "brand."
7
Love it thank you Being against it is like being against world peace !!
1
"Many have pointed out that the company’s leadership is predominantly white, while many of its {actual customer facing employees} are members of minorities."
Unique to Starbucks?
Unique to Starbucks?
1
I am now heading out to my local Chinese restaurant for take-out. As I wait for my food, I shall initiate a conversation with the staff (at least with those who speak English) regarding race relations. I suspect they would prefer if I just pay in cash and leave a tip.
143
In the only Chinese takeout restaurant I will even consider entering, the staff speak no English and almost never smile! However, they do know enough English to announce the total price of the order!
I can't but notice the racial overtone of your posting. "with those who speak English"? I've been going to Chinese restaurants all my life and I can't remember a time when I couldn't communicate with my server or the manager. Initiating a intellectual discussion with a server may be a rare experience for many, but I welcome this kind of exchange and recognize it for the opportunity that it is. We're all in the same leaky boat and it won't matter a whit if you're in steerage or have finagled your way into first class. Mr. Schultz is using the tools he has to help make repairs. What are you doing?
2
How you pay???
Why is anyone surprised anymore at the kinds of nonsense that can erupt online, regardless of the underlying merits of the arguments for or against? Delete Twitter, ignore Snapchat and get a life. Starbucks did something silly albeit with the best of intentions - so bloody what?
6
The overly-busy baristas barely have time to hear and place orders properly. Mr. Schultz has done them a disservice in further expecting them to discuss the issue of race identity and politics with strangers.
11
I agree that they seem to have little time to schmooze, because they are obsessed about wait times. Is it really necessary to ask me what I want to order while I'm waiting on line to give my order to someone at the register?
Everyone complains that America has not had an indepth dialogue on race.
Starbucks wants to be part of one, yet everyone complains.
Starbucks wants to be part of one, yet everyone complains.
19
Starbucks is not "America", it is a business with a purpose of making financial profit by selling coffee. So the motivation and goal of this program is not the promotion of social change, it is increased profit through pandering to the subconcious of the public. Do you think Starbucks management sat around the meeting room table and said ". . . this is going to cut into profits, but it is the Right Thing to Do!"
It got negative reactions because people see right through it. An usually large percentage of the lowest-paid people in the company are minorities, and an unusually large percentage of people in the corporate ranks are white. Then the white folks at the top put pressure on the black folks at the bottom to write things and place stickers on cups, increasing their stress levels as they try do wait on long lines of cranky white customers. The real problem is at the top, and that's where Starbucks should be making efforts towards racial and gender equality...by promoting more minorities to higher positions in the company and recruiting more minorities to the top ranks. But why make yourself uncomfortable having to deal with other races and genders when you can just foist that responsibility on your lowest paid workers?
16
When I go to Starbucks I see a mix of black and white baristas. Do you have any statistics on the racial distribution of Starbuck's staff and customers? I think you're exaggerating the racial divide.
1
"An usually large percentage of the lowest-paid people in the company are mnorities".
In my experience the largest percentage of these employees were not minorities but young whites. Where do you go for Starbucks coffee?
In my experience the largest percentage of these employees were not minorities but young whites. Where do you go for Starbucks coffee?
1
I plan on having a conversation with a barista at one of Starbucks' many drive through windows. Of course I feel bad about all the other drivers idling uselessly behind me, spewing exhaust into the air, but maybe Howard will make that next week's topic: Climate Together?
16
Oh please. I and many others are sick to death of this issue. Get over it, don't keep bringing it up or there will be a lot of sick and tired people.
14
You are the type of person that needs to reached. If you don't get that there is a racist divide in this country and ignoring it doesn't help than perhaps some clerk and coffee shop letting you know that might not be a bad thing.
3
Starbucks CEO defended its initiative quite well on "Mad Money." I would encourage readers to view his March 18th interview with Jim Cramer before rendering judgment. Admittedly, I was skeptical and dismissive of the "Race Together" plan. But after viewing the interview, I trashed my exisiting K-cups, went to the store and purchased Starbucks K-cups. This morning, I bought a few hundred shares of Starbucks stock. More importantly, I shared the "Mad Money" interview with others and encouraged them to support Starbucks "Race Together" plan and write their favorite corporations about partnering with the Starbucks plan. With the initiative, Starbucks has exhibited one the most amazing displays of corporate integrity, patriotism, and leadership that I have witnessed in decades. Starbucks is now a company I, and every American, can take pride in serving. In fact, I plan to write USAA, Apple, McDonald's, and AT&T, and inquire as to their reasons for inaction relative to one of the most significant threats to race relations in the U.S. since the assassination of Dr. King. As a 20 plus year veteran military field grade officer, I salute Starbucks and plan to support its "Race Together" initiative. Its actions are in keeping with the highest virtues of American democracy.
15
Oh, goody. We can all look forward to more and louder political harangues while we're hung over.
1
I completely fail to see what all the outrage is about. And I'm not white.
30
For some, its because Starbucks has the temerity to make a profit. If a politician or even a celebrity - any number in either camp come to mind - were to promote the exact same idea versus some "over paid CEO" (note, somehow overpaid never allies to celebs) then some of the critics would be falling all over themselves praising them.
2
It's something that people can get easily outraged about.
1
BigGT
I agree wholeheartedly. Those who are complaining seem to me to be totally obtuse
I agree wholeheartedly. Those who are complaining seem to me to be totally obtuse
2
Why are people in general bashing this initiative? More talk is always good, especially for an issue as complicated as race relations. Whatever Starbuck's agenda is, I applaud them for making an effort with a sensitive, controversial issue.
29
Because it's a PR stunt.
Hey barista, could I have a double latte with a side of social counseling please.
8
You want an extra shot of compassion?
4
On the side, please, but sprinkle some empathy on that bagel!
2
Sadly, as much of the "conversation" about race (or "diversity") has been coopted to the point that many of us, having been brow beaten at supposed "training" sessions (by people who are making a fast buck selling snake oil) become immediately suspicious that the real meaning of such conversation is "let me tell you how bad white people - especially white males - are".
20
I would say that is cynical, except for what DuBrowa himself has experienced here.
I seldom visit Starbucks because their coffee is mediocre and overpriced. But the few times I've been in there, people were in a hurry. They wanted to place their order, pay for it, get it, and go.
There's not going to be time for more than an exchange of cliches in most Starbucks transactions. A true conversation takes time, especially if it's about such a complex topic that stirs up such a potent mix of experiences, thoughts and feelings.
I don't feel angry about this. I just think it's silly, a bit patronizing, unfair to the employees, and ultimately not productive (except that it does generate a lot of free PR for Starbucks).
If Starbucks is serious about improving the lot of oppressed groups, including African Americans, then they should do something that impacts the distribution of money and power to benefit these groups. Encouraging a brief exchange of cliches about race won't change anything having to do with the distribution of money and power. Changing that distribution is how you move towards greater equality. Everything else is just lip flap.
There's not going to be time for more than an exchange of cliches in most Starbucks transactions. A true conversation takes time, especially if it's about such a complex topic that stirs up such a potent mix of experiences, thoughts and feelings.
I don't feel angry about this. I just think it's silly, a bit patronizing, unfair to the employees, and ultimately not productive (except that it does generate a lot of free PR for Starbucks).
If Starbucks is serious about improving the lot of oppressed groups, including African Americans, then they should do something that impacts the distribution of money and power to benefit these groups. Encouraging a brief exchange of cliches about race won't change anything having to do with the distribution of money and power. Changing that distribution is how you move towards greater equality. Everything else is just lip flap.
54
Actually, he has started a national conversation. Guess what? People don't want to talk about it. I say don't stop pushing it!
1
perhaps instead of having "race together" printed on their coffee cups they can have "illigitimacy [or illegal drug useage or committing crime] has a really detrimental impact on one's economic well being".
I would like to see Mr Schulz actively support his employees in unionizing. That would have a tremendous impact.
Racism is not just something Democrats dreamed up to make white people look bad like Republicans would like you to believe. It's an issue that needs to be addressed and Starbucks is brave to take it on.
If you don't get this or think it is absurd then take a moment to imagine what it would be like to be magically transformed into a 18 year old black male in Compton that has to "make" it in life. Start with the realization that most white people are afraid of you and hate you for it. It's both a powerful and tremendously dangerous reality.
How many people would want to make such a switch? I'm guessing it's near zero and that makes it clear that being young black and male is about the toughest way to start life. If you want a better country then these conversations need to happen and they are tough but being in someone else's shoes in Compton is even harder.
If you don't get this or think it is absurd then take a moment to imagine what it would be like to be magically transformed into a 18 year old black male in Compton that has to "make" it in life. Start with the realization that most white people are afraid of you and hate you for it. It's both a powerful and tremendously dangerous reality.
How many people would want to make such a switch? I'm guessing it's near zero and that makes it clear that being young black and male is about the toughest way to start life. If you want a better country then these conversations need to happen and they are tough but being in someone else's shoes in Compton is even harder.
62
Why is it the responsibility of low-wage service sector workers to start the hard conversations about race? The Starbucks baristas near my work are almost all African Americans; why is it THEIR responsibility to open up conversations with their mostly white customers? Are these workers being trained and compensated for this additional duty? Yes, racism is real but the people who need to think long and hard about race relations and the experience of nonwhites in this country are not the baristas, but the executives and board at Starbucks, first and foremost.
2
You insult Black people in LA. An 18 year old Black kid in Compton has it better than 90% of the people on the planet, particularly access to the University system of Cal and all the natural resources of a tremendous state. How'd you like to be a white kid in poverty stricken rural Northern Maine where there is no culture within 4 hours fast driving distance?
1
Your comment is illustrative of one of the biggest challenges of living in America these days: dealing with semi-educated people with a lot of prejudices.
Japanese American citizens were interred in camps following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, something shamefully upheld as reasonable by the US Supreme Court. The Korematsu case is now widely thought to be among the High Court's worst opinions…ever.
"…using your vote to steal from others…"
How can one even comment on a statement so silly?
Japanese American citizens were interred in camps following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, something shamefully upheld as reasonable by the US Supreme Court. The Korematsu case is now widely thought to be among the High Court's worst opinions…ever.
"…using your vote to steal from others…"
How can one even comment on a statement so silly?
1
It's hard to think of many companies today who tout a positive social agenda as part of their brand, although I wish he'd tried something other than putting baristas on the front lines. Bill Gates separated the Microsoft brand from the Gates Foundation, and many others like Goldman Sachs (Urban Investment Group) have also used that model, not venturing to "taint" their enterprises with social overtones. Kudos to Howard Schulz - not since Ben and Jerry can I remember a more engaged CEO.
125
"...a positive social agenda," just what I'd expect from New York City.
What people say and what they think about race are two different things.
22
I agree that it's high time we started talking more openly about race, but are Starbucks baristas the ones to get this conversation going? I'd love to see the corporate training materials for this and what prompts Starbucks has suggested be used. Otherwise I can only imagine the conversations…
That's one iced chai. Good choice, sir. Starbucks Chai recipe originated in India. Oh, I see you are of South Asian persuasion! What's it like to be from India? Oh, you're from Milpitas. Oops. My bad!
What can I get started for you? Tall pike place in a grande cup. Coming right up. You know, this coffee is a blend of African and Latin American coffees. Kind of like the melting pot that is America, huh? What do you think about that?
Hola, amigo! Starbucks is talking about race this week. Oh, Ami-GA, cause you're a woman. Amigo is for a guy. Great catch. I always wanted to talk Spanish with a real Spanish speaker. Oh, you're Greek. I hear they went broke.
What can I get started for you? That's one grande, nonfat, extra hot, no foam latte. An you want me to FINISH it for you? Haha. Good one.
That's one iced chai. Good choice, sir. Starbucks Chai recipe originated in India. Oh, I see you are of South Asian persuasion! What's it like to be from India? Oh, you're from Milpitas. Oops. My bad!
What can I get started for you? Tall pike place in a grande cup. Coming right up. You know, this coffee is a blend of African and Latin American coffees. Kind of like the melting pot that is America, huh? What do you think about that?
Hola, amigo! Starbucks is talking about race this week. Oh, Ami-GA, cause you're a woman. Amigo is for a guy. Great catch. I always wanted to talk Spanish with a real Spanish speaker. Oh, you're Greek. I hear they went broke.
What can I get started for you? That's one grande, nonfat, extra hot, no foam latte. An you want me to FINISH it for you? Haha. Good one.
30
Oh please, Starbucks..can you be more arrogant and inappropriate than this?
You are not our parents, (you really aren't),our ministers, our teachers (not yet anyway).
You are not our parents, (you really aren't),our ministers, our teachers (not yet anyway).
24
HELL IS PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS
“But Starbucks really meant well,” some will say. “At least give them credit for their courage in the service of a moral issue.” However, many will say: “Yea, but hell is paved with good intentions.” Instead others are convinced that the CEO of Starbucks has a political axe to grind (in fact, more than one). I, for my part, prefer to follow Sherlock Holmes’s old adage: “Follow the money trail." — "Elementary, Watson."
“But Starbucks really meant well,” some will say. “At least give them credit for their courage in the service of a moral issue.” However, many will say: “Yea, but hell is paved with good intentions.” Instead others are convinced that the CEO of Starbucks has a political axe to grind (in fact, more than one). I, for my part, prefer to follow Sherlock Holmes’s old adage: “Follow the money trail." — "Elementary, Watson."
9
I applaud their willingness to try, since most of the U.S. refuses.
Particularly those parts of the U.S. who have the money to blow on nonessentials like take-out coffee and ridiculously fancy beverages.
I'm in the non-wealthy part, the 50% of the population who have so little money left after supporting the uber-rich, that $3 on a coffee is a tradeoff with a gallon of gas, or milk for a week of breakfasts.
But I may just go by my local Starbucks to see if they're even doing #RaceTogether in Idaho -- this white denialist state -- and give them my support. Even a clumsy conversation about race is better than #HeadsInTheSand and #DenyItTillTheRoofCavesIn.
Particularly those parts of the U.S. who have the money to blow on nonessentials like take-out coffee and ridiculously fancy beverages.
I'm in the non-wealthy part, the 50% of the population who have so little money left after supporting the uber-rich, that $3 on a coffee is a tradeoff with a gallon of gas, or milk for a week of breakfasts.
But I may just go by my local Starbucks to see if they're even doing #RaceTogether in Idaho -- this white denialist state -- and give them my support. Even a clumsy conversation about race is better than #HeadsInTheSand and #DenyItTillTheRoofCavesIn.
237
"I applaud their willingness to try, since most of the U.S. refuses."
No, the rest of the US does not refuse. This is not the problem. The real problem is how real discussions regarding real factors holding back minorities are not discussed or are treated as taboos. You know, problems that if they would be solved, would go much further in benefiting minority groups economically. These include the reduction of disgracefully high illegitimacy rates (about 2/3 of all black births are illigitimate), drug dependency rates and crimininal records are holding back the black community from economic development. These need to be the real topics of discusssion, not cliches on coffee cups.
No, the rest of the US does not refuse. This is not the problem. The real problem is how real discussions regarding real factors holding back minorities are not discussed or are treated as taboos. You know, problems that if they would be solved, would go much further in benefiting minority groups economically. These include the reduction of disgracefully high illegitimacy rates (about 2/3 of all black births are illigitimate), drug dependency rates and crimininal records are holding back the black community from economic development. These need to be the real topics of discusssion, not cliches on coffee cups.
1
I only go to Starbucks when I have the time to wait in line for a burnt, overpriced cup a joe. Now you want to increase the wait by a factor of two or three or four? While everyone in front of me stops and talks for, what, ten, fifteen, twenty minutes? How long will each conversation be? Why doesn't Schultz just introduce a new coffee bean called "Kumbaya" and leave it at that?
9
Apart from the silliness of the idea (see the barista's imagining of how it might actually work), I think the most trenchant criticism of this initiative looks at the practices of Starbucks as a corporation. It is anti-union, and pays its baristas low wages.
There are any number of initiatives that would benefit human beings, including minorities, chief among them raising wages and not fighting union organizing.
There are any number of initiatives that would benefit human beings, including minorities, chief among them raising wages and not fighting union organizing.
5
It takes compassion to end racism. But in our Nation's efforts on racism, there is an absence of compassion. There is lots of anger and cynicism from both the black and white race. Yes, the blacks are so quick to attack any efforts with anger and cynicism.
Some self reflection about their own racism to Latinos and Asians perhaps would elicit the humility and compassion for the White who are doing their best albeit imperfect effort to mend race relations.
Some self reflection about their own racism to Latinos and Asians perhaps would elicit the humility and compassion for the White who are doing their best albeit imperfect effort to mend race relations.
2
If people are to judge by content of character and not color of skin - ALL race based criteria including diversity and affirmative action must go. This is a conversation the Al Sharpton's of the world don't want to have. Double standard.
10
of course racists like Sharpton would do their very best to aviod such conversations. These conversations would show who the true racists are.
1
Yoda - I don't judge all white people by the yardstick of Rush Limbaugh, why do you keep bringing up Sharpton? Is he the only black public figure you're aware of?
We can and should be discussing race, but the best way to break barriers is one on one interaction. Taking the step of saying hello and engaging in conversation lets us start to get to know one another.
Starbucks' baristas have little time to do this. Attempting to force a conversation (particularly first thing in the morning) is more likely to cause annoyance.
Starbucks' baristas have little time to do this. Attempting to force a conversation (particularly first thing in the morning) is more likely to cause annoyance.
1
We don't need to talk about race. We need to talk about racism. This Race Together thing reminds me of the New Coke fiasco...
5
Not everything Starbucks does is interesting or valuable. This is an excellent example.
10
Please list something of value at Starbucks, its a fast food joint for gods sake.
Who cares about Starbucks anyway? I get my morning fix at home the way I like it. Hey Starbucks, when the customer says "Room for cream" they mean room for cream, not more coffee!
3
In the words of Bill Nye the science guy, "There are no separate races, only one human race. We have tribes because the human animal is tribal but we are all one human race. We have different amounts of skin pigments due to where our ancestors lived in order to get enough vitamin D and/or sun protection."
20
For an opposing view to Mr Nye's statement please read "A Troublesome Inheritance" by Nicholas Wade who was a long time science editor at the New York Times. Mr Wade states that "human evolution is recent, copious and regional". This implies that genetic changes to our DNA are the product of recent evolution.
Maybe Howard ("I would have served in Vietnam if I was drafted"} Schultz can enlist Ben Carson and Clarence Thomas to work as baristas for a day.
8
At the end of the year, this will be viewed as nothing more than A Tempest in a Coffee Pot.
8
What can I really say about this? Ever since the death of Trayvon Martin and, more recently, Michael Brown and Eric Garner, racial tension and sensitivity is higher than ever.
I can't help but get the vague sense that Starbucks was trying to capitalize on the currently hot topic of "race" for their own selfish reasons of gain. I get that sense because, let's face it, they are a for-profit middle-class luxury brand run mostly by white people, a far cry from being the ACLU.
This type of thing might be appropriate for a locally run, independent coffee house where people actually come to hang out with their neighbors to chat in a leisurely way. But honestly, Corporate Starbucks is nothing like that.
I can't help but get the vague sense that Starbucks was trying to capitalize on the currently hot topic of "race" for their own selfish reasons of gain. I get that sense because, let's face it, they are a for-profit middle-class luxury brand run mostly by white people, a far cry from being the ACLU.
This type of thing might be appropriate for a locally run, independent coffee house where people actually come to hang out with their neighbors to chat in a leisurely way. But honestly, Corporate Starbucks is nothing like that.
3
There are many reasons to be critical of Starbucks. This is not one of them.
16
The main one is that their coffee sucks.
As Howard Schultz has opened the door, I would like to have a clear answer from Starbucks on the following:
Does Starbucks believe in affirmative action at all ranks of the company?
Should race place a roll in hiring and promotion within Starbucks? If so, which races should have this benefit?
Should race place a roll in access to higher education? If so, which races should and which races should not have a benefit?
What is Howard Shultz's opinion on race based awards of contracts for services, construction, etc for Starbucks? Again, which races are in and which are out?
Should there be reparations paid to descendants of slaves? Native Americans? Asians who experience last century institutional racism?
If you do believe that there should be race based adjustments to society? Please define who is Black, Asian, etc? What is the required genetic make up?
Does Starbucks believe in affirmative action at all ranks of the company?
Should race place a roll in hiring and promotion within Starbucks? If so, which races should have this benefit?
Should race place a roll in access to higher education? If so, which races should and which races should not have a benefit?
What is Howard Shultz's opinion on race based awards of contracts for services, construction, etc for Starbucks? Again, which races are in and which are out?
Should there be reparations paid to descendants of slaves? Native Americans? Asians who experience last century institutional racism?
If you do believe that there should be race based adjustments to society? Please define who is Black, Asian, etc? What is the required genetic make up?
15
"role"
1
Also as my people, the English, were slaves of the Romans at one point, can I expect reparations to be repaid to my family by Italy, or possibly Little Italy?
1
"play a" role...
Now when we see MacDonald's golden arches logo changed into a rainbow of colors - then we'll know the world is getting serious about race relations.
9
That's actually a great marketing idea. The arches could use an update.
3
I have no problem with the company's "race together" as it, to me, can only mean an affirmation of diversity in a diverse nation. However, I can never discuss ANYTHING, let alone heavy topic, before my morning coffee.
16
No good deed goes unpunished.
In an America that has turned to the right with a mantra of "All Rights, No Responsibilities" any act of social good will be rejected.
I had a bored view of Starbucks, but now will move my coffee business to them.
In an America that has turned to the right with a mantra of "All Rights, No Responsibilities" any act of social good will be rejected.
I had a bored view of Starbucks, but now will move my coffee business to them.
195
I don't know that you can honestly say that "All Rights, No Responsibilities" - an observation I think is accurate - represents a turn to the right. There are shallow, selfish, self-centered, "me first" people on left and right. It is not the province of one side of the political equation. Oh I know, there are those that say only the left or "progressives" care about others but that is a simplistic reading again designed to bolster a political position. Right and left have different visions of much of the definition of care and it's snootily disilluisinal to claim, as some do, exclusive ownership of goodness by one side or the other.
2
I'm sorry to say this but the "All Rights, No Responsibilities" is a Liberal invention. Liberals have expanded the right to claim anything I want is a right way beyond anything in the Constitution.
Good for Starbucks, for at least attempting to foster this conversation. This first attempt seems kind of awkward--I agree with Gwen Ifill, most of us are just dashing in and out for coffee when we visit Starbucks.
And I'm not sure this is something baristas should have to add to their job descriptions. They seem busy already.
However, a coffeeshop is a great venue for discussion. Think of the coffeeshops of Paris and Vienna in the early 20th century and the role they played in the artistic life of their cities. Perhaps Starbucks could provide a gathering place for those who are ready to talk about this.
And I'm not sure this is something baristas should have to add to their job descriptions. They seem busy already.
However, a coffeeshop is a great venue for discussion. Think of the coffeeshops of Paris and Vienna in the early 20th century and the role they played in the artistic life of their cities. Perhaps Starbucks could provide a gathering place for those who are ready to talk about this.
23
This seems like a good idea in theory, and at least it's better than that fast-food campaign where the cashiers made customers perform tricks instead of paying via cash. But both get in the way of a frictionless customer experience.
3
This is nothing more than a publicity stunt. As a black man, I feel offended that Howard Schultz would take such a sensitive issue and "pimp" it out for his own commercial benefit. Shame on him, the company and Mellody Hobson.
62
Well said!
5
I am sorry Cliff. I am a black man. who are you kidding? "offended"? Perhaps we need to grow up? Your reaction is not that different from the thousands of trolls who shield themselves in the anonymity of the internet to proffer hurtful comments to anyone that they see fit. A lot of the comments here point to our country's insistence on saying we don't have a problem as a culture. This effort is laudable. Perhaps a tad idealistic, but nevertheless a worthwhile exercise.
3
Really, it was his employees who wanted this conversation. He is listening because 40% are of color, and tired of unspoken racism and violence against people of color. Why wouldn't you want this conversation. Is it just too easy to stay angry? I guess they are right about needing a conversation because racism cuts in all directions.
1
Focus on not screwing up my order.
24
"Pay together" and pay a lot is more likely what they're after. What a stupid idea. Last thing I need is to be lectured to by a stranger working at Starbucks. Furthermore it's a joke since in NYC the stores are understaffed and always busy so there is no time for conversation.
11
Starbucks is being opportunistic and attempting to capitalize on recent events, surely there's another way to go about it.
Seriously, it's going to take that much longer to get my quad shots of espresso and extend the wait for the customers in the line behind me.
Sort of the "may I have your name please" nonsense they came up with last year. I recall being in Starbucks in CT and the barrista asked for my name. I informed her that no one else is waiting in the store so my name is not necessary. She then proceeded to tell me that management requests that they ask the customers name and put it on the cup. I refused but that conversation only added to my wait while she could have been making my espresso
They do mean well...right?
Seriously, it's going to take that much longer to get my quad shots of espresso and extend the wait for the customers in the line behind me.
Sort of the "may I have your name please" nonsense they came up with last year. I recall being in Starbucks in CT and the barrista asked for my name. I informed her that no one else is waiting in the store so my name is not necessary. She then proceeded to tell me that management requests that they ask the customers name and put it on the cup. I refused but that conversation only added to my wait while she could have been making my espresso
They do mean well...right?
9
Hands out; fill cup. Just give me my damn coffee.
35
Perhaps the anger is directed at the overpriced, pretentiously named, burnt-tasting product that drives local coffee shops out of business as well as the presumption of good intentions.
23
Here in Brooklyn, it seems the local coffee shops are doing quite well offering an alternative to Starbucks corporate swill.
Just as silly as every corporate diversity training session I've ever attended.
30
As some have said already, give em some points for doing something. We are becoming a nation with a mentality of a fashionably cynical 15 year old who can only respond with 'ugh, no way' or 'uhm, whatever' to everything in life.
13
I have learned nothing smart makes it in social media as the ideas will be dragged down to the prevailing consciousness. Then a feeding frenzy takes place.
Look - via all the complaints and criticism posted here - at all the conversations already inspired by this initiative, from unfair wages and socioeconomic and racial disparity at the company, etc. I think so far the "race together" initiative is doing its job - now the question is will consciousness raise or will we just complain?
Look - via all the complaints and criticism posted here - at all the conversations already inspired by this initiative, from unfair wages and socioeconomic and racial disparity at the company, etc. I think so far the "race together" initiative is doing its job - now the question is will consciousness raise or will we just complain?
8
I am supposed to have a conversation about race relations with the person I've ordered coffee from?
The next campaign we'll see is coffee cups with the phrase "Come out" on them and then we can discuss our sexual identities and practices with the coffee server, but remember, employees must wash their hands before returning to work.
The next campaign we'll see is coffee cups with the phrase "Come out" on them and then we can discuss our sexual identities and practices with the coffee server, but remember, employees must wash their hands before returning to work.
31
Just as "Race to the top" has not been successful in advancing the standards in education as proposed by the Secretary of Education
this campaign "Race Together" tends to marginalize the issues we face about race in America.
Indeed deep discussion is needed but that's not likely over my tall mocha in the morning or any other time of the day.
this campaign "Race Together" tends to marginalize the issues we face about race in America.
Indeed deep discussion is needed but that's not likely over my tall mocha in the morning or any other time of the day.
7
If Starbucks feels unloved because their CEO thought it would be a good idea for their employees to start an unwanted conversation about a sensitive issue with total strangers, maybe they should head to McDonald's where they can pay for their Value Meal with a hug or asking someone to dance.
People in service industries should have a certain level of professional detachment. Right now there's a discussion about whether a bakery owner should be allowed to refuse to make a wedding cake for a same-sex wedding; shouldn't that be a hint that customers and employees should keep their value systems and beliefs to themselves?
People in service industries should have a certain level of professional detachment. Right now there's a discussion about whether a bakery owner should be allowed to refuse to make a wedding cake for a same-sex wedding; shouldn't that be a hint that customers and employees should keep their value systems and beliefs to themselves?
16
"shouldn't that be a hint that customers and employees should keep their value systems and beliefs to themselves?"
one would think that but this is America. As long as one is white and heterosexual they need to apologize to all minorities. Period.
one would think that but this is America. As long as one is white and heterosexual they need to apologize to all minorities. Period.
1
Yoda - This is America where everyone is supposed to be equal. That is our value system. Why do you object to that?
So what if their execution of the initiative is clumsy at first. At least they are attempting to do something about the ongoing national tension.
9
Even overt displays of white guilt and self-flagellation aren't enough for the self-appointed racial warriors on Twitter who hate everything and everybody. No real "conversation" about race can ever occur in our country because these people scream down anyone who doesn't agree with them in every respect, and liberal media such as the Times trumpets these people's opinions as if they are representative of the population as a whole. Here's a hint: the angry twits on Twitter who express outrage over anything and everything are *not* representative of the people of this country. Quit giving them a huge platform.
10
So, everyone who is outraged about social injustice is a "self-appointed warrior?" It couldn't be that they just have an opinion, as you do? You are the one with a reply in the NYT, I see.
Or is it just those who don't agree with you?
There are going to be some rough edges, conversationally, since nobody has had the nerve to talk about this for the past 50 years. Give it some room, and think about why it makes you so uncomfortable.
Or is it just those who don't agree with you?
There are going to be some rough edges, conversationally, since nobody has had the nerve to talk about this for the past 50 years. Give it some room, and think about why it makes you so uncomfortable.
1
What many of us will never agree with are ignorant and bigoted statements. I once had a coworker who tried to tell me that white brains were bigger than the brains of people of color. That wasn't a difference of opinion it was a hateful lie.
Try bringing truth, reason and an open mind to the discussion and see what happens.
Try bringing truth, reason and an open mind to the discussion and see what happens.
1
I'm so white I'm almost blue and I live in one of the whitest states in the U.S.
It was a real eye opener when one of my children married a black person in one of the reddest states in the country.
We quickly found out that we all had a lot in common, large, close knit families, very similar values, a shared adoration of our grandchildren.....
There were also some very real differences and yes, getting an up close look at the kinds of things they have to face day in and day out was unsettling to say the least.
We talk about it, we joke about it, we help our grandkids deal with it. When my granddaughter aged four asked her Dad what color she was, he told her "you're not a color, you're a person." At age four she'd already heard comments and experienced dirty looks.
Humor and discussion help foster understanding and camaraderie. Why not have that conversation over a cup of coffee?
It was a real eye opener when one of my children married a black person in one of the reddest states in the country.
We quickly found out that we all had a lot in common, large, close knit families, very similar values, a shared adoration of our grandchildren.....
There were also some very real differences and yes, getting an up close look at the kinds of things they have to face day in and day out was unsettling to say the least.
We talk about it, we joke about it, we help our grandkids deal with it. When my granddaughter aged four asked her Dad what color she was, he told her "you're not a color, you're a person." At age four she'd already heard comments and experienced dirty looks.
Humor and discussion help foster understanding and camaraderie. Why not have that conversation over a cup of coffee?
349
So the child is taught to ignore her color, as though her color is the problem, not the ignorance of the people she encounters? She IS a color too, and it's probably a beautiful brown, so why pretend that she shouldn't acknowledge that part of her identity?
AB - She's not taught to ignore her color. She couldn't ignore it if she tried and she shouldn't. She's taught that color isn't the only thing that identifies her.
3
I agree conversation is warranted but not while grabbing a morning coffee. Why not set up Town Hall coffee chats on the weekends led by someone trained to facilitate the conversation.
1
I don't go to Starbucks to have my consciousness raised, nor to Wendy's, Taco Bell, Walmart, or any other such place. I suppose I should now expect the next used car salesman I patronize to engage me on the merits of same-sex marriage. I get all I need on the internet and at church, thanks.
10
This is actually where people go everyday. This is as close to a communal place today's American's have. Kudos to Shultz for at least trying to bring his patrons together in a more meaningful way.
Those who simply wish to get a coffee and leave may do so, and I highly doubt any barista will fault them for not engaging in a detailed discussion of race in America. But I suspect that the viewpoints in this article reflect an urban sensibility to the detriment of the 'third place' community feel in thousands of Starbucks across less densely populated areas, where customers meet to keep in touch with their neighbors and friends. There, the campaign may have its greatest effect, and encourage conversation on a subject too-often ignored.
2
Memo to Howard Schultz: Stick to what you know, e.g., black coffee. Leave racial politics to others.
5
Starbucks PC attempt is profit driven and leaves a worse aftertaste than they're coffee.
10
It's a coffee cup, folks. Relax.
8
It's best that corporations stay away from advocating for changes to social policy. I have no trouble with their providing an opinion on it or applying it internally to their own policies (e.g., as Apple does with issues related to the environment or sexual orientation), but to drag customers into it and trying to change the conversation is flirting with a dangerous form of communitariansim.
6
I've never seen a Starbucks located in black neighborhood.
19
125th and Lennox Ave - in the heart of Central Harlem...
7
Does the one on Franklin Ave and Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, Brooklyn count?
2
Nonsense is alive and well in corporate America.
13
Looks like race pandering to me.
"good corporate citizens"-- Phooey!
"good corporate citizens"-- Phooey!
12
I truly do not understand the outrage here.
70
Think about standing in line first thing in the morning, with dozens of other people, trying to get your coffee while on the way to work, and the baristas are holding up the lines talking to a handful of customers about race relations. That's the way to drive away business, not improve race relations.
54
It's pretty simple Christopher. A discussion on race relations always produces outrage, from multiple sides of the debate, no matter what.
5
Is Howard Schultz more concerned with improving race relations than increasing his net worth?
4
Would that be so horrible? I know, it's inconceivable.
But I guarantee you, they know their base and have taken a calculated risk.
But I guarantee you, they know their base and have taken a calculated risk.
1
Schultz has provided a lot of jobs for people, so I hope he does keep increasing his net worth
1
Easy to be a hater. Is it ill-thought out? Probably. But any conversation about race is a conversation worth having. Especially in America. Most especially now. Give them a break.
And if you really give a damn how your name is spelled, spell it for them.
And if you really give a damn how your name is spelled, spell it for them.
15
Perhaps cups saying "smile and say hello to the the next person of a different race that you see" would be more effective.
9
As an African American female, I've experienced my share of comments and behavior from people who meant well, but didn't realize their own ignorance in regards to race relations. This falls into one of those categories -- Mr. Schultz meant well, but didn't think it through, or realize his own privilege/ignorance in presenting his idea. Ignorance without malice is forgiveable, in my book. It's when ignorance is aligned with malice that makes the situation untenable. Mr. Schultz would do well to start with the man in the mirror and establish diversit programs and and race discussion/inititives in his own company. New attitudes internally will reflect externally in Starbucks public interactions.
329
I, too, applaud them for their grit in taking on race. It's a bold, risky decision.
It tacles the biggest problem: that we don't talk to each other. We make assumptions based on misunderstanding. Nothing can happen without letting each other in.
Be the love.
It tacles the biggest problem: that we don't talk to each other. We make assumptions based on misunderstanding. Nothing can happen without letting each other in.
Be the love.
1
Diva - what do you mean by "Mr.Schultz does not realize his own privilege/ignorance in presenting his idea"?
BTW, I did not grow up privileged nor am I white. But I still don't understand the backlash.
BTW, I did not grow up privileged nor am I white. But I still don't understand the backlash.
6
Diva, as an older white woman, I am sensitive to misunderstandings and wrong judgement about what I'd like to talk about. It's still okay to say awful things about relationships with older people; it's still fine to talk on the air about how sexually unattractive and unwanted older women are. In my fifties, I've already become invisible to men and can expect more of the same for the rest of my life.
I do have advantages, nobody is going to watch me buy crab meat and worry I'm going to steal it. Nobody is going to assume I'm carrying drugs or a gun.
I don't wish to diminish the plight of blacks in the U.S., I do realize that their lives often depend on their giving up their civil rights so as not to engage authorities. That's real, that's happening.
When a young waiter calls me a "young lady," he has no idea what he's stepped in, and it IS infuriating. When someone shakes my hand as though it were a wet fish and not a person's appendage, II get it. When someone jokes about Sarah Silverman's longevity in terms of her rotting body, believe me, I get it.
But I, personally, wouldn't like to see people discussing how badly their elders are treated. I might not enjoy the conversation, or how it effects me that day, but for everyone who comes after me, I would endure it.
THAT's how things change.
I do have advantages, nobody is going to watch me buy crab meat and worry I'm going to steal it. Nobody is going to assume I'm carrying drugs or a gun.
I don't wish to diminish the plight of blacks in the U.S., I do realize that their lives often depend on their giving up their civil rights so as not to engage authorities. That's real, that's happening.
When a young waiter calls me a "young lady," he has no idea what he's stepped in, and it IS infuriating. When someone shakes my hand as though it were a wet fish and not a person's appendage, II get it. When someone jokes about Sarah Silverman's longevity in terms of her rotting body, believe me, I get it.
But I, personally, wouldn't like to see people discussing how badly their elders are treated. I might not enjoy the conversation, or how it effects me that day, but for everyone who comes after me, I would endure it.
THAT's how things change.
4
"that is the role and responsibility of a for-profit, public company.”
Corporations have responsibilities to stockholders. That's it period. Not to the law (not if it interferes with profits), not to the public, not to clients, not to democracy, not to the environment, not to diversity, not to communities, not to the IRS, not to employees.
Corporations don't have values. Values are what corporations want us to think they have. It's just PR. See the documentary The Corporation.
Corporations have responsibilities to stockholders. That's it period. Not to the law (not if it interferes with profits), not to the public, not to clients, not to democracy, not to the environment, not to diversity, not to communities, not to the IRS, not to employees.
Corporations don't have values. Values are what corporations want us to think they have. It's just PR. See the documentary The Corporation.
12
I believe Starbucks intention was noble, but the truth is many in America do not really want to have a national, cross-cultural discussion on race. We would rather surround ourselves with like-minded individuals with similar backgrounds and discuss it there, in our safe circles.
11
From the board meeting: "We've already convinced most of the world to pay obscene amounts of money for a mediocre cup of coffee, while keeping our suppliers impoverished. What should we do next?"
21
I look at this from an employer/employee relationship.
Starbucks baristas are paid to serve coffee. Anything outside of that 'encouraged' by senior management is paternalism at best, an undue burden and coercion at worst. No matter what the issue is.
Corporations should not 'encourage' their employees to discuss social issues with customers as a planned coordinated campaign. Those discussions, regardless of merit, are inappropriate in the workplace particularly if pushed by those with the power to hire and fire.
What's next Chik Fil A employees discussing gay marriage?
Starbucks baristas are paid to serve coffee. Anything outside of that 'encouraged' by senior management is paternalism at best, an undue burden and coercion at worst. No matter what the issue is.
Corporations should not 'encourage' their employees to discuss social issues with customers as a planned coordinated campaign. Those discussions, regardless of merit, are inappropriate in the workplace particularly if pushed by those with the power to hire and fire.
What's next Chik Fil A employees discussing gay marriage?
80
"Starbucks baristas are paid to serve coffee."
That's your view. It's obviously not Starbucks' since it encourages and allows its employees to talk about race with the customers if the customers are so inclined. And it is all done during work hours and the employees are paid to do it. Is there any other American companies willing to do what Starbucks is doing?
That's your view. It's obviously not Starbucks' since it encourages and allows its employees to talk about race with the customers if the customers are so inclined. And it is all done during work hours and the employees are paid to do it. Is there any other American companies willing to do what Starbucks is doing?
1
This executive's insincerity reeks to high heaven. Such hypocracy.
7
Incredibly naive marketing mistake. Customers don't want a dialog on race relations with their barista. They want coffee.
16
It seems that even the army of MBAs on the Starbucks payroll couldn't prevent the top execs from making the stupid mistake of using hot social issues as part of a marketing plan. It's a potentially suicidal mistake that guys in top consumer brand companies seem to repeat. As an earlier commenter suggested, just make better coffee and let someone else handle the social engineering.
15
All the more reason to justifiably believe that the MBA does not trully represent a real education.
Like Lucy's five-cent psychiatry service. Very simple here - standing in a hotel lobby line at 7am for social counseling with my first cup of morning coffee? Really? And will the prices go up too for this value added benefit? It's difficult enough as it is to wince down a Starbuck's coffee. Sometimes a cup of coffee is just a cup of coffee. Quote me.
9
The big issue is this - The coke campaign is completely positive and for something that not a contentious issue. I am a white male, and I get enough harassment that I am a vile "White Privilege" racist just due to the fact that I am male and white on social media and in the mainstream news. I really don't need to hear it when I am giving my hard earned money to buy something.
9
gratuitous timing given nationwide events of late but then last comment pegs it - advertising and money making
“They just put it on and they don’t explain what it is." “I thought it was just advertising.”
If Schultz is truly interested in having this conversation open a store in Ferguson MO ...and better, add some people of color to your Executive team
“They just put it on and they don’t explain what it is." “I thought it was just advertising.”
If Schultz is truly interested in having this conversation open a store in Ferguson MO ...and better, add some people of color to your Executive team
8
Brace Together is more like it.
2
If Americans wanted to have conversations, they would become French or British. We make proclamations. We have God on our side. And guns. Lots of 'em.
75
Sadly - that is exactly how many think...
It would be better to use advertising to promote this than to make baristas and customers imteract with one another in what could be a very uncomfortable experience. What they should focus on is making their breakfast sandwiches better. My last one was a sorry excuse for a breakfast sandwich which I picked up in the drive thru. When I got to my destination it was too much trouble to go back and complain. I am a happy shareholder but this race initiative seems not to have been well thought out.
4
This is what happens when you take your eye off the bottom line. Next thing you know your business is somebody's vanity project. Stick to what you know, and do it the best you can.
10
I remember in the early '90s wondering how a company that sold coffee could sustain the number of stores that were sprouting up all over the place, given the cost of rent, salaries, etc. vs. the fact that a regular cup of coffee around that time was less than a buck. Unlike a pub, where patrons usually down a few beers, a coffee shop (I thought) wasn't going to attract a crowd that would hang around for multiple caffeine injections. How wrong I was, because I didn't understand that they weren't (and aren't) really selling coffee - they are selling cool. They were successful in convincing the social strivers that sitting in one of their kiosks and reading the NY Times made them the hipsters of their time, even if it meant buying overpriced pastries and mediocre coffee with pretentious sizing designations. This latest effort is no different. It is all about tapping into socio-political affiliations, the driving force in modern culture. I'm with Maggie - how about focusing on better coffee and better service - but then again, I guess I just don't get the joke.
11
The notion that this is anything but a PR or advertising scheme is absurd. Starbucks is a highly profitable corporation that pays its employees far less than a living wage and that exploits the young and minorities that have few options. 'Race relations' begin with the proper treatment and respect for the individual and until corporations like Starbucks do that, any words will be hollow.
49
You are truly uninformed. It's not true. I have many adult friends for who Starbucks was the only option for a decent wage, retirement benefits, healthcare. These are people with work experience, education. Let me tell you-- they love Starbucks because it actually puts a roof over their head and food on the table with healthcare. For young people it is also an excellent job with the highest wage they can earn. I don't know what you are talking about. Maybe you just assumed that all corporations are like Wall Mart. Starbucks is exemplary.
2
Uninformed? Starbucks insures less of its people than Wal Mart and employee hours are manipulated to deny benefits. Starbucks is one of the top ten companies that pays the least to its employees and many are paid well below the poverty line as little as seven to eight dollars an hour. A friend of mine was a store manager and was paid less than a living wage, eleven dollars an hour, this in a major city.
what a stupid idea. Most of the country (outside the liberal coastal areas) could care less about discussing "race", particularly with some entry level worker in a coffee shop. Hard to see how any real discourse would come from that
26
You're right, a large part of the country doesn't want to talk about race. They don't want to talk about voter restrictions, discrimination, a lack of access to equal justice etc. Nope, they don't want to talk about it, they just want to continue quietly treating people like second class citizens.
4
Customers like companies that sell them the goods and services they want to buy at a price they wish to pay, and do the job quickly and efficiently. Most people don't want to hear a sales pitch for a social cause. They want to go in, buy their item, and leave, all without any hassle.
10
Hey Starbucks: this is ridiculous! Instead of writing meaningless drivel on my coffee cup (I have to beg the poor baristas not to put my name on it -- I don't want ANYTHING written on my cup) I want to know the following: are your employees properly paid and did you ever hire maintenance workers to clean your bathrooms? If the person who makes my coffee is still the one scrubbing a public toilet, we have some basic things we need to discuss before moving on to loftier topics.
277
Look at my other comment. Starbucks leads the nation in wages and compensation in their industry-- far beyond any other corporation. They are a model in healthcare and 401K. They have the best procedures in place for every aspect of running their stores. How ugly are you to deflect from the issue being raise tones that have no relevance. Clearly, a conversation is needed.
4
Why is it such a big deal if they put your name on the cup? It makes it easier for everyone.
3
...and does Starbucks offer equal pay by gender?
As a former barista, this baffles me. How on earth would Starbucks expect me to execute this?
"Here's a venti caramel machiatto for Jake - and has anyone told you about our 'race together' initiative? Uh huh. Uh huh. No, I'm sorry sir. No, it's not because you're bl- no, I just have to give out thirty of these today and- no, you're right, it's stupid and I'm sorry. Oh, your drink is the wrong size? Sorry, I'm just so nervous about these stickers - let me make you a new one. I'm so sorry."
Whoever came up with this idea should be punished, by having to work behind the counter during a morning rush and start race-focused conversations with 5% of patrons.
"Here's a venti caramel machiatto for Jake - and has anyone told you about our 'race together' initiative? Uh huh. Uh huh. No, I'm sorry sir. No, it's not because you're bl- no, I just have to give out thirty of these today and- no, you're right, it's stupid and I'm sorry. Oh, your drink is the wrong size? Sorry, I'm just so nervous about these stickers - let me make you a new one. I'm so sorry."
Whoever came up with this idea should be punished, by having to work behind the counter during a morning rush and start race-focused conversations with 5% of patrons.
420
This isn't the point. You don't have to have a conversation. It is a reminder of the unspoken issues and a push for people to see the racism in their midst.
1
All you do is just serve the coffee in those cups. You don't need to be a talk host. Conversations will start subliminally among coffee drinkers at some later time.
That might be what it is to you, but see the other comments from baristas. When your boss is telling you to engage customers to start conversations about race, it's fair to ask "how, exactly?"
The point may have been a good one, but the execution is the ridiculous part. Why wouldn't Starbucks just put up a sign, or buy some advertising to promote their view? Why put it on the baristas?
Trust me, every barista has experienced casually cruel or out-of-control mean customers. So, they're naturally going to get stomach pains when the CEO starts asking them to engage these grown children with race talk.
The point may have been a good one, but the execution is the ridiculous part. Why wouldn't Starbucks just put up a sign, or buy some advertising to promote their view? Why put it on the baristas?
Trust me, every barista has experienced casually cruel or out-of-control mean customers. So, they're naturally going to get stomach pains when the CEO starts asking them to engage these grown children with race talk.
1
As Larry Wilmore and many others have said, "How can Starbucks talk about race if they can't get my name right on the side of the cup?" Some variations of "Erica" have been "Aerka" "Eureka" "Erka" "ica" "ER" and my favorite "America". So um...yeah, that race thing, we might want to put that on hold.
36
This is a way to laugh off and trivialize the issue. Classic way to dismiss the actual content by focusing on another aspect - Make fun of people who can't spell or translate your particular cultural name - I am sure the baristas can speak intelligently about race.
My name is sometimes misspelled and I couldn't care less as people hear differently and have different cultural backgrounds.
My name is sometimes misspelled and I couldn't care less as people hear differently and have different cultural backgrounds.
2
I cannot relate to the backlash and offer that it is rooted in the discomfort and unpreparedness that is rampant regarding race in Western lands: many of us behave one way in public but hold a certain stance in our hearts, one baked into our psyche, passed from generation to generation, perhaps diluted with societal progress, perhaps not. The deep conversations needs to begin with ourselves. In a way, Starbuck's campaign shows a naivety and trivializes the issue into a very short conversation between (probably) strangers: little pleasantries amid nervous smiles, lacking substance and depth. Fake. As for the effort, I applaud Starbucks for good intentions.
24
Faith, I have already been robbed (twice) by people of color. The last thing I need to hear, especially first thing in the morning, is how I "owe" people of color for the crime of whites bringing blacks to America centuries ago.
1
Like Dolce & Gabana, Schultz has long ago understood that there is no such thing as "bad" publicity for a brand to stand out more in a crowded market....!
3
I'm not a fan of Starbucks. The food is just awful and coffee is over priced and overrated. The premium you pay is for the hipster chic vibe, which should be passé by now. (I prefer the pink & orange of Dunkin Donuts. And the styrofoam cups make me feel like a real American.)
But, notwithstanding, I don't get the big deal about the "Race Together" phrase. The lady from PBS who found it offensive? That's ironic since the media has manufactured a racial problem way out of proportion with reality.
But, notwithstanding, I don't get the big deal about the "Race Together" phrase. The lady from PBS who found it offensive? That's ironic since the media has manufactured a racial problem way out of proportion with reality.
1
I don't think that she -- and this probably true of lots of people -- found it offensive. It's more an issue of the suitability of a conversation about race when you're standing in line for what is essentially take-out, with 10 people waiting behind you, and you all want to get out as fast as you can.
2
An ingenious plan to get themselves on the front page of the NYT-- brilliant! You can't buy that kind of advertising.
5
For G@ds sake it's a just coffee company! I don't need some silly coffee company with an inflated sense of self importance to tell me to be more race conscious or to give me any political or cultural advice for that matter.
Just serve me a good cup of coffee and let me worry about what to think.
Schultz should stick to his knitting and let his customers develop their own "consciousness"! What arrogance.
Just serve me a good cup of coffee and let me worry about what to think.
Schultz should stick to his knitting and let his customers develop their own "consciousness"! What arrogance.
24
Until we address economic inequality in this country, the discussion of race will get nowhere. Essentially, right now, we are asking white working class and poor people to share their tiny piece of the pie with more black and latino working class and poor people. Instead, we need to make the piece of pie bigger, i.e., get the rich to share their enormous piece of the pie. You can easily see this in Ivy league admissions. For every affirmative action placement, that is one less spot for a white student in a lower economic bracket. It is not the children of the rich who are being excluded.
10
At least they were courageous enough to try.
16
Our politicians offer no leadership on racial issues so corporate America steps in - and screws things up.
2
To those who care not OK with Starbucks talking about race... really, tell me why? Is it denial? Nothing to see here move along and leave me alone with my thoughts of race of which I may or may not be proud of? I want to keep my thoughts on race hidden from everyone else? What is the reason? And by reason I mean, give me a logical explanation, don't just say it's not Starbucks place to initiate the conversation, because that's not a reason, that's your opinion.
2
Consciousness - and awareness - can sometimes be unsettling.
4
this campaign was an act of self promotion, and guess what?
it worked!
the times covered it. free advertising.
and i read it and wasted 22 seconds commenting.
but since i don't drink coffee, at least they won't make
any money off me.
it also might make the corporate types feel better.
but the baristas would prefer you redistribute the
wealth with bigger tips!
it worked!
the times covered it. free advertising.
and i read it and wasted 22 seconds commenting.
but since i don't drink coffee, at least they won't make
any money off me.
it also might make the corporate types feel better.
but the baristas would prefer you redistribute the
wealth with bigger tips!
4
The revolution may not be televised, but apparently, it can be commodified and used for branding purposes.
40
From the company that brought you the Flat White - but will make you drive to Jennings for one if you live in Ferguson.
6
Howard Schultz has tried to keep guns out of Starbucks? Has their policy changed? Several years ago I stopped patronizing Starbucks because they refused to make their shops 'no gun zones,' although they could have. Instead they decided to follow whatever the local carry laws were, allowing customers to bring their weapons into the store, if local gun laws let them do that. Some initiative.
As to Schultz's latest ego-driven stunt, the last person I want telling me what I should think, or think about, would be my barrista. How intrusive! Whatever happened to boundaries? And if Starbucks really wants to talk about race with complete strangers, they better change their gun policy to keep people safe.
As to Schultz's latest ego-driven stunt, the last person I want telling me what I should think, or think about, would be my barrista. How intrusive! Whatever happened to boundaries? And if Starbucks really wants to talk about race with complete strangers, they better change their gun policy to keep people safe.
16
I look forward to reading the USA Today special supplement. For people who understand that there is a problem, this may seem unnecessary, redundant or even patronizing. Much of White America consider "race issues" (generic) something that was handled by the civil rights movements, and incidents like Ferguson aberrations (or even community overreaction to "normal" police practices or, worse, cynically manufactured controversies).
Sadly, ironically, this controversy may convince other people in all strata of society that even trying to talk about race is a bad idea. The salutary effects of "talking about it" may be unrealistic. Criticism that "talking about it" is a feel-good-outreach which does nothing with regard to structural racism has its merits -- however I hope the USA Today research helps confront the wide spread denial as to the depth (and width) of the problem(s).
Sadly, ironically, this controversy may convince other people in all strata of society that even trying to talk about race is a bad idea. The salutary effects of "talking about it" may be unrealistic. Criticism that "talking about it" is a feel-good-outreach which does nothing with regard to structural racism has its merits -- however I hope the USA Today research helps confront the wide spread denial as to the depth (and width) of the problem(s).
1
The problem is that "talking about race" is only acceptable to proponents of "talking about race" when it is entirely one-sided. This only serves to aggravate tensions. It is so clear. Wake up, people; we are all human beings who deserve respect.
3
Have another Flat White Mr Schultz. Maybe two.
3
This seems to place an unfair burden on the Starbucks employees. It is difficult enough for them to do their fast paced jobs as well as they do, without having to be amateur sociologists and figure out exactly how to talk about race with anyone who wants to. Executives, if they're really concerned, should be volunteering their time to carry on a dialogue about race, not the employees.
132
There aren't enough executives for your suggestion to make a meaningful difference. Also, the employees are simply being asked to write something on a cup or place a sticker there. The executives only said that they would be supportive of any Baristas who chose to start a conversation. They did NOT ask the Baristas to do so.
Your job is to serve coffee to customers, not to address race issues in America.
19
Stick to your "knitting". Starbucks is in the business of selling coffee. It should not be engaging in political propaganda, which will drive away customers. That's not in the interest of its shareholders or employees.
8
Starbucks will lose some of the American Apartheid White Privileges R Us business, but isn't that a wonderful thing to lose ?
America has serious racial issues to fix; talking about those issues can only help solve them, even with the antediluvian, denialist, "I Can't Hear You" and 'what racism' right-wing crowd.
America has serious racial issues to fix; talking about those issues can only help solve them, even with the antediluvian, denialist, "I Can't Hear You" and 'what racism' right-wing crowd.
76
Or whites could simply ask themselves why blacks do not examine the real issues holding their community back economically. You know, high rates of illigitimacy, high illegal drug consumption rates and high rates of crime. Maybe if the black community would at least try to address these issues it would not be in the sad and sorry state that it is in. Remedying these issues would go farther than all the cliches on all the cups of coffee in the world.
1
Yoda - You might want to do some reading about some of the poor areas in rural America, high drug use, teenage pregnancy etc. Guess what, most of those areas are predominantly white.
3
I have to say, that before reading this column, were I to see the phrase "race together" my first thought would be "What the hell does that mean? Then in my broad knowledge of the world I would have to conclude that it was a way of getting more people to sign up for a marathon, or a 10K.
You see, it would be for me a pearl before a swine.
Now that I know what it means, what does it mean?
Race???? Together????
What????
The truth is, I don't go to Starbucks because I don't like their coffee.
You see, it would be for me a pearl before a swine.
Now that I know what it means, what does it mean?
Race???? Together????
What????
The truth is, I don't go to Starbucks because I don't like their coffee.
23
Here's a thought. Pay baristas a living wage. Not a buck over minimum wage, but a living wage. Then, those baristas of color can talk about how their jobs pay well, that Starbucks is a great employer, they treat their employees fairly, etc. Then, perhaps, at least in the Starbucks environment, race might not be so much of an issue.
89
Actually they are paid well beyond the minimum wage, plus 401K match, healthcare before Obamacare, funding for education. They are a true employer, not a Wall Mart. Get informed. Howard Shultz was just listening to his own employees concerns. A very unique thing in our country, a corporate CEO who cares about his society and his employees.
6
Starbuck is a great employer.
2
Corporate exploitation at its finest. What about the disparity between Starbucks' corporate demographic, which is predominantly white, and its retail employees, who are mostly "minorities"? Let's talk about that.
8
Yes and this "race together" initiative got us to talk about that. This is one of the many dialogs that can come from their initiative. Maybe it is more positively inspiring then people give it credit for.
4
While the message is laudable per se, I have to wonder what Starbucks hopes to accomplish by having baristas 'engage'. It seems to me the equivalent of my dentist asking me what I think of Netanyahu's re-election. High-minded, perhaps, but ultimately misplaced and ineffective.
8
America is so fickle. Regardless of how one feels about Starbucks (the company, the coffee) you have to give them props for attempting to do what almost no one else, excepting thousands of protesters who have been rallying around this issue (for days, years, decades), in corporate is willing to tackle. If won't make me drink their coffee but it just might help us confront an ugly history.
270
The problem is in business schools it is thought that the primary goal of a corporation is "to add value to their stockholder". It's not a non-profit community organization. Corporations can pretend to be champions of "social change" but at the end of the day what matters is what happens on Wall Street. Which means if the stock tanks they won't think for a second to lay off a few thousand employees. So Starbucks can pretend all they want but it is just hypocrisy.
6
And Starbucks is a special snowflake.
As an adult and as a professional organization - they don't get props for trying.
You get props for executing - for planning - for follow-up - for RESULTS.
You want to engage the customer in a a discussion of race - train and empower your employees - ensure you are coming from a good place in race-relations.... the list could go on... and on.
Don't add another sticker to the world and clap your hands as you exclaim: "look how clever I am".
As an adult and as a professional organization - they don't get props for trying.
You get props for executing - for planning - for follow-up - for RESULTS.
You want to engage the customer in a a discussion of race - train and empower your employees - ensure you are coming from a good place in race-relations.... the list could go on... and on.
Don't add another sticker to the world and clap your hands as you exclaim: "look how clever I am".
1
As a conceptual artist that has dealt with race as a subject for over 30 years what impressed me first about 'Starbuck's Race Together' was the venue seems wrong. Don't get me wrong, the fact that we don't talk about race from the historic view and the current reality of it is the foundation of racism today in America. But the venue is always important. Would you want to go to a 6 year olds B-day party and start a conversation about what a bunch of racists Americans are? I don't think so. Fetching the morning (or afternoon) latte it seems out of place as well.
2
Businesses need to be good corporate citizens. Starbucks does not need to call attention to racial issues as if they are not in the headlines every day. On the other hand, making a positive social point is not harmful, even if it is a vague intention. For this to be a truly successful initiative, Starbucks would need to show how they promote diversity in their employees and management, how they develop products that meet the preferences of a diverse clientele, and how they function as neighbors in diverse communities. In other words, they have to do something, not just encourage others to talk.
23
And yet again we see vague calls for "responsibility", with others defining "responsibility" to suit their own particular outlook.
1
If Howard Schultz wants 'barristas' to initiate conversations about race relations he should raise their pay since such social work is way beyond their present pay grade as servers.
255
Sadly, the pay and benefits of Starbucks is a better deal than most social workers ever get.
15
Amen
4
Actually, social work only pays a tad better than a "barista," and that is usually with a Masters degree. By the way, "barrista" is the Italian word for bartender.
6
How can this result in anything other than a net good?
18
Hmm, predominantly white middle-upper class people buying expensive coffees from predominantly black, lower income people....what could possibly go wrong!!
9
It is just fluff. How much of Starbuck profits are shared with employees? What are they doing in communities that do NOT have a Starbucks because they are too poor to support a store? Signs on cups in moneyed America means nothing.
12
i'm not sure its a net good to have low paid people of color start conversations "about race" - whatever that means -- with people they do not know anything about except possibly their coffee preference. what happens when someone is abusive to a barista? how likely is this to actually change anyone's mind? and how happy are you waiting an extra ten minutes for your coffee while people air out their prejudices?
8
I would suggest Starbucks try focusing on better coffee and better service. I never drink their swill.
67
What? You don't like the taste of over-priced burned beans? It's the trending thing.
2
It's always perilous for a firm to do something like this and there's no guarantees of success. But at least they had it in them to care enough to try. I cannot find fault in that.
186
Judging from the lack of commentary here there is very little willingness for a broad based conversation regarding race in our every day lives.
All the focus is on Starbucks while avoiding any substance about race relations and race history in America.
All the focus is on Starbucks while avoiding any substance about race relations and race history in America.
8
as someone who desires to have my coffee in peace, first thing the morning, and to avoid criticism of my race I beg to differ from you.
2
We all care about things. Must we be bombarded orally by what Mr. Schultz cares about when we simply want to make a purchase?
If anything race is too important to discuss in a two-minute transaction. It's a silly campaign that trivializes the issue. Mr. Schultz takes that simple transaction entirely too seriously.
If anything race is too important to discuss in a two-minute transaction. It's a silly campaign that trivializes the issue. Mr. Schultz takes that simple transaction entirely too seriously.