Starbucks all across the United States are closing down for a day on 29 May 2018. This is happening to train the staff working at Starbucks against injustice and unintended racial biases. This decision follows the racial discrimination incident that took place at a franchise of Starbucks in Philadelphia on April 12.
Table of Contents
Rewind to What Happened on April 12, 2018
On April 12 this month, an unlikely and unforeseen incident took place at the Philadelphia downtown branch of Starbucks. On the Sunday Afternoon on April 12, two black men visited the branch at Starbucks. These men are named Nelson and Donte Robinson respectively. Both men went to Starbucks, lingered in the restaurant for a while but ended up deciding to buy nothing. They were requested by the manager to leave the premises if they are not planning to buy anything. As a result, the manager made a complaint against the two men and got them arrested.
Does Lingering Emptyhanded in A Restaurant Land You in Jail?
The question that arises following this incident is whether lingering emptyhanded in a restaurant or shopping mall could land you in jail? This is unlikely to happen. Most of us have had the experience of going in to a shop and staying there for some time but ending up buying nothing. When such incidents don’t bother other people, why did it bring prison trouble for the Black men?
Rally Against Racial Injustice
The incident was followed by an outburst from the black community in the Philadelphia region. A rally called the ‘rally against racial injustice’ was carried out by over 100+ people. These people are member of the Omega Psi Phi community. The protest was carried out in support of the community member Nelson who was arrested in injustice act earlier in the month. The Mayor of city stated in a statement that this was a clear act of racial discrimination carried out by a reputed brand.
‘Training Against Racial Discrimination’ Is Not Enough
In regret of its action, Starbucks announced to shut down all its branches across the country for one day to train their staff against racial discrimination. The community does not feel that a one-day training can be enough to eradicate racial biases from the community. This is a cultural change that needs to be introduced in the society to create equality.
