Boycott Starbucks

[DemocracyMouse]

In response to the arrest of two innocent black men in a Philly Starbucks (while waiting for a friend to turn up), I suggest we boycott EVERY Starbucks and start supporting local, family-owned diners.

Walk in, tell them they are being boycotted for treating two wonderful US citizens in Philadelphia like dirt, and walk out. If they say "it wasn't OUR starbucks" then tell them this:

"Your organization has consistently portrayed people of color as field laborers in your wall photos. Most if the authors in your older Starbucks murals are white. Last, but not least, you treat your employees like cultural illiterates who can't choose the music in the café. At the end of the day you're just another US corporation founded on the exploitation of slaves and poor whites."

And bonus points if you say: "Your pseudo-bohemian veneer doesn't fool me and my attachment to your dark roast is now kind of embarassing to me if you catch my drift."

Links to story:
https://www.google.com/amp/www.philly.com/philly/news/starbucks-philadelphia-police-viral-video-investigation-race-20180414.html%3famphtml=y

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/starbucks-philadelphia-police-viral-video-investigation-race-20180414.html?mobi=true

[DonViejo]

1. Starbucks responds to viral video showing arrest at Philadelphia store

BY LUIS SANCHEZ - 04/14/18 01

Starbucks apologized on Saturday to the two people who were arrested at a Starbucks in Philadelphia earlier this week.

The coffee cafe chain apologized and said it is reviewing policies to ensure such an incident doesn’t happen again.

Link to tweet

more
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/383178-starbucks-responds-to-viral-video-showing-arrest-at-philadelphia

[Angry Dragon]

3. Good

[dalton99a]

2. "These two guys are business professionals in commercial real estate"

There should be a lawsuit

[DemocracyMouse]

18. STARBUCKS PRESENTS PEOPLE OF COLOR AS FIELD HANDS

In ALL of its cafés Starbucks had been contibuting, perhaps unconsciously, to the culture where two innocent, dark-skinned men could be discriminated against – arrested even. Their photos of black field hands were surely intended to educate consumers about the source of their coffee, but the effect is the positioning of people of color as 2nd class farm laborers serving the middle class laptop brigades. It may be "fair trade", but can those hardworking coffee growers afford a $3.00 coffee? It's complicated, but not that complicated.

Dear Starbucks, I'm boycotting you because:

"Your organization has consistently portrayed people of color as field laborers in your wall photos. Most if the authors in your older Starbucks murals are white. Last, but not least, you treat your employees like cultural illiterates who can't choose the music in the café. At the end of the day you're just another US corporation founded on the exploitation of slaves and poor whites. Now your chickens have come home to roost because two "field laborers" (who were actually professionals), had the audacity of waiting for a friend inside the manor house.

I'm really pissed, and I don't need to wait for a corporate apology tour to whitewash this disgusting bananna republic culture Starbucks participates in.

[hlthe2b]

4. this is appalling. That said, I think giving the company at least 24 hours to address before boycott

is appropriate, especially since it seems they have started that process.

Seems in the post above that they have apologized and are addressing it. Maybe we can slow down any counter-response to see if that will not end up being a response that makes a difference...

[Civic Justice]

5. People will continue to expose the systemic racism mentality in many of America's Organizations.

The Exposure will not just address the element of racism against minorities, it will also address the historical expansion of that bias and bigoted mentality that is a systemic bias against and upon poor economically challenged whites as well.

American people of today continue the march toward truths... and many more truths are to be exposed by the coming generation.

The historical bias and historical bigotry is being "noted" everyday, and will continue to be exposed... If it takes "lawsuits" then so be it, because those who craft and promote such bias, bigotry and racism only concern themselves to self measure based upon money... Therefore, the systems of society will continue to "hit them in the pocketbook"... since that's the only means they can actually acknowledge the madness they've long supported.

[CentralMass]

6. I don't frequent Starbucks that often unless I need a coffee real bad and I happen upon one. However

I looked it up and Starbucks has , as of 2017, 27,339 locations worldwide AND employs 238,000 people (as of 2016)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starbucks
I think many if those people depend on those jobs and have nothing to do with any racicist agenda.

[uppityperson]

8. Many of those people would be working at locally owned and run coffee shops serving better coffee

if Starbucks didn't force them out of business.

[Wellstone ruled]

7. When I first read this Story it

blew me away. Worked with the Starbuck's Company as a Jobber for eighteen years. Do not know if this was a Corporate Store or a Lessee Franchise. Before we were allowed to Sell any of their Product Line,we all had to agree to there Corporate Policy of none discrimination and equal opportunity. And if we screwed up,well,they would intervene and embargo any and all of our Inventory.

[BigmanPigman]

9. I have been boycotting them since 1998

so that won't be a problem for me.

They charged me 50 cents for pouting milk into my iced coffee claiming I made it into a cappuccino. I stupidly paid them (I was in shock) then wrote a nasty, detailed letter to the company. In return I got more Starbucks coupons (which I gave away).

[pansypoo53219]

10. i boycott them cause the coffee sucks.

i can make my own candy flavored coffee at home for less. i can make butter scotch, buy NOT BURNED beans. plug for Valentine coffee here, buy 1/2 & 1/2.

[Chakaconcarne]

11. consider the health insurance and college tuition

they offer in your thoughts of boycott....

[Honeycombe8]

12. No.

Starbucks apparently has a policy of no loitering. You have to buy something to sit for a period of time. This store apparently took it to an extreme, which was not part of the policy. If someone had told me I'd have to buy something to sit and wait, I would have bought a cup of coffee.

Starbucks has apologized and said it's reviewing its policy. Starbucks has a problem with people just sitting there and using their wifi or whatever. If I owned a business, I'd want "customers" to buy at least some little something in return for letting them sit there.

You don't even have all the information yet. Why try to boycott a place without complete information? Makes no sense, unless you just don't like the company, anyway.

[DemocracyMouse]

13. You're thinking like your captors.

[Igel]

14. As opposed to the owners and builders that we are? n/t

[Bradshaw3]

28. You really should rethink this line

You don't know this person and it implies they are too naive or dumb to understand the situation. Perhaps they just disagree with you for a good reason.

[DemocracyMouse]

30. "No" they wrote. It was authoritarian. ...I was responding to their highly negative one word title.

[Jake Stern]

15. Normally I'd wholeheartedly agree

and I do feel that way when it comes to most places.

HOWEVER I've been to Starbucks from coast to coast and have seen plenty of people banging away on their laptops with nary a cup or biscotti in sight. It's not unusual to see people pop in long enough to charge up their phones.

A good friend of mine is on the road all day for his company. He uses Starbucks locations as de facto "offices" to type up reports, answer emails and even meet with clients. Never had the cops called on him even though he freely admits he doesn't always buy coffee.

[Honeycombe8]

17. I'm not changing my mind. I'll wait for the other side's story, too. As I would wish, if it were me.

If I were the one being accused.

I worked for lawyers as a litigation paralegal for decades. I've learned that there are two sides to a story. Always. Things may not be what they seem at first blush.

But most people judge early and judge often.

[DemocracyMouse]

23. No one here is addressing the Starbucks culture and the 2nd class status implied by pix o field work

[jberryhill]

27. How many white people harvest coffee in Kenya?

I've been to Kenya. The coffee is great. I'm not sure one could conceivably obtain a photograph of Kenyans harvesting coffee that was racially diverse.

Ditto Costa Rica and Jamaica.

The entire country of Colombia uses this guy as their mascot:

[CTyankee]

19. I can understand that. People shouldn't use Starbucks to charge their wifi. They are a restaurant.

But I do think that it is inhumane not to allow someone needing a bathroom to come in and use the bathroom, regardless of whether they buy something. That just strikes me as not right.

I don't go to Starbucks and I don't buy their coffee in the supermarket. I have plenty of other choices and we have an excellent selection of coffees in my supermarket.

This was easy for me...

[Honeycombe8]

20. I've often seen signs in places, even along hwys, that state restrooms r for customers only.

There's usually a sign posted, though. It's not unusual. Everyone knows to use the restroom when you stop for gas or at a convenience store. Those places let you use the bathroom, along the highways. But if they don't have a sign posted, but that is Starbucks' policy, then that puts the employees in a bad position, at having to enforce a rule that isn't posted. If it's NOT a Starbucks policy, the employee is in trouble, unless something else happened.

I've been to Starbucks quite a few times...in NY, Dallas, & in La. I've never seen anyone just sitting there without buying something. Especially in NY! NO way they would have allowed someone to sit in such a prime real estate place w/o buying something. My dad used to meet his old cronies in the mornings for a gossip session. They all bought at least one cup of coffee.

But that's been my experience.

I went to McDonald's last year to use its wifi. I bought a big Coke for the privilege of using their wifi.

I don't go to Starbucks much, anymore, now that I'm retired. I buy Starbucks ground coffee & make it at home. It's my favorite coffee and costs the same as other coffees, when you buy it in bags and make it yourself.

[Jake Stern]

16. A buddy of mine uses Starbucks locations as impromptu offices every day

including meeting clients and he has never had the cops called on him despite admitting that he only occasionally buys product there.

[Honeycombe8]

21. It could depend on the location. The ones I went to in Dallas & NY are prime real estate

locations, and busy. No way they would've let anyone sit there & take up space w/o buying something. The tables are for customers. But I suppose if there's a large SBX that isn't busy, they wouldn't care, normally. The space isn't needed for paying customers. (But I think it's tacky not to buy somethng when using someone's business for your own purposes. That's just my personal feeling. Businesses are there to sell stuff & make money & pay the wages of the employees, etc.)

[NickB79]

22. I'm a Caribou guy anyway

Starbucks doesn't have the dark chocolate I crave.

The only reason I find myself in Starbucks is to get free used coffee grounds for my garden in the summer (I brought home 500 lb last year).

[jmowreader]

24. Reality time about the field laborer murals

All coffee grows in places where persons of color are the population. The only way to get around this is to display murals that have no people in them.

[Blue_Adept]

25. I'm losing track of all of the places I'm supposed to boycotting

and the various companies that I'm not supposed to buy from.

It really dilutes the message in the end.

[leftieNanner]

26. I actually NEVER get coffee at Starbucks

We are fortunate in our community to have several local awesome roasters.

Besides, Starbucks coffee is terrible!

Easy boycott for me!

[DemocracyMouse]

29. Looks like I wasn't the only one threatening a boycott -- Starbucks blinked today

They've closed thousands of outlets for anti-discrimination training.

Racism is, hands down, one of the worst afflictions of this big, lumbering country (and it's founded on, and helped to build, colonialism and wealth concentration, which is a fundamental problem too). I saw that a few of you wanted to "wait and see." I'm glad the first impulse of many was to call for a boycott. SOME of us are sick to the gills of police abuse of blacks, the poisoning of an African American community in Flint Michigan, the removal of voting booths by Republicans in black neighborhoods, the underfunding (generation after generation) of black school areas.

Sometimes you call for a boycott and they close the store before you've written the first poster. It's a start. I'll keep monitoring the chain café. Maybe their anti-discrimination training will have a ripple effect and act as a model for other companies.

And maybe they'll also start embellishing their photo murals of coffee growers with a wider range of images of people of color. Maybe theyll even let their culturally cutting edge barristas start choosing the music. One can hope.