Starbucks shut down 8,000 of its U.S. stores for racial bias training after two black men were arrested for sitting at a table before ordering.
We can’t wait while black.
Any one or number of those things seem to pose a threat to this society. But I won’t preach. No, my sermons are lost on the ears of the self-righteous who tell us “we shouldn’t be black and doing stuff.” So as I prepare to become a recluse like Teddy Perkins — the creepy character in Donald Glover’s "Atlanta" — I will commend Starbucks.
I also applaud the non-minority bystanders who protested as the two young black men were arrested for quietly sitting in the Philadelphia coffee shop waiting for a friend before they ordered.
I commend Starbucks for not being the trifling boyfriend whose always sorry, but his actions speak otherwise. It takes more than an "I’m sorry" to elicit change. It takes acknowledgment, accountability, sincerity, empathy and knowledge all funneled into an action. It takes Starbucks shutting down 8,000 of its U.S. stores for racial bias training in response to the arrest video.
Yeah, I salute their efforts while noting that it will also take more than one day of bigotry education to detect a tangible shift in the way people of color are treated in America. It’s evident in the manner that some responded to the Starbucks announcement. An individual, who apparently had the time and the prejudice, crafted and promoted on social media a counterfeit “for black people only” coupon that offered free coffee. If you clicked on the coupon, you were transported to a website that boasted the N-word. How pejorative, mid-20th century and unoriginal of them. I won’t wait for them to recognize it.
Aside from couponing, the backlash Starbucks received for its decision serves as the barometer for American attitudes toward racial and cultural differences. Judging from remarks and tweets on social media, there is a certain quality of people who are just flabbergasted by the need for training related to unconscious or conscious bias of any nature. Others are simply mad that Starbucks will be closed.
How can getting access to a morning cup of Joe somehow trump a future where people are finally treated equally even if it’s just at Starbucks? And, for all of you who want to continue being intolerant xenophobes, the training mandate does not apply to you. You will have to strive to change your attitudes on your own. But I won’t wait for that to happen.
I think it’s safe to say that on a regular basis we, all of us, encounter opportunities to make a difference. We should embrace those moments whenever they occur. What irks me is the peanut gallery that never wants to see progress or forward thinking. Every step of the way they drag their feet, yell out discouraging slurs and complain about the world going to pot.
Why do you perceive equality for all as an attack on your very existence? Does your confidence lie in feelings of grandeur and supremacy? Do you define who you are by the maltreatment of others?
No, Starbucks does not have the answer. But they have a start, which is more than what most of America has right now.
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Contact contributing columnist Rachel James-Terry at racheljames601@gmail.com.