Starbucks recently announced “Race Together,” a new campaign intended to open up conversations about race relations between baristas and customers.
Photo Credit: Starbucks
In a video message to Starbucks partners, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz encouraged employees to discuss race with customers. Schultz asks, “What if we were to write ‘Race Together’ on every Starbucks cup, and that facilitated a conversation between you and our customers?”
Twitter, for the most part, replied: “How about NO.”
Some Didn’t Like It
Starbucks staff in my neighborhood have already spent years doing Nobel-level work on being patient with white people. #racetogether
— jay smooth (@jsmooth995) March 17, 2015
Some Laughed It Off
Starbucks staff in my neighborhood have already spent years doing Nobel-level work on being patient with white people. #racetogether
— jay smooth (@jsmooth995) March 17, 2015
My local Latina barista has no idea what #RaceTogether is and is more concerned about getting my name right on the cup. Lol @Starbucks!
— Mexican Judge (@laloalcaraz) March 18, 2015
I’d like a Venti Latte extra foam + your unsolicited opinion on Ferguson RT @jaredbkeller: Uh. http://t.co/cj4a9q1o4M pic.twitter.com/zZyrQhuBJj
— rebkah howard (@pink_funk) March 17, 2015
I go to Chipotle for the literature and Starbucks for the real talk about race
READ: Yes, Someone Actually Complained about Diversity on TV
Some Hated It
honest to God, if you start to engage me in a race conversation before I've had my morning coffee, it will not end well.
— gwen ifill (@gwenifill) March 17, 2015
Some Thought it wasn’t a Bad Idea
What people are missing about this @Starbucks thing–people of color are ALWAYS having awkward conversations about race. I think it's great.
— Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) March 18, 2015
Others Ran with the Hashtag #NewStarbucksDrinks
Malcolm Xpresso #NewStarbucksDrinks
— jujoffer (@jujoffer) March 17, 2015
Some of My Best Friends Are Black Coffee #NewStarbucksDrinks
— Imani Gandy (@AngryBlackLady) March 17, 2015
What About Black On Black Tea #NewStarbucksDrinks
— Gabe Ortíz (@TUSK81) March 17, 2015
Starbucks, which has also pledged to hire more young people of color, responded to AdAge about the backlash: “We knew this wouldn’t be easy, but we feel it is worth the discomfort.”
