Talking about race over a cup of coffee

Starbuck campaign backfires, but some say it is working

Starbuck baristas can - but are not required to - write "Race Together" on the coffee chain's coffee cups.

SOME PEOPLE like their coffee black; others add sugar or cream. Still others like a cup of to add steamed milk, or something stronger like espresso to which they can transform into latte or a cappuccino. One thing they don't like - apparently - is to talk about race when they go to their local coffee shop.

At the very least, they get REALLY, REALLY uncomfortable.

I never intended to write about Starbucks in two consecutive posts but I didn't know they would launch this campaign about race the day after I praised them for their sensitivity to the needs of their community.

The Atlantic wrote today:

When Starbucks announced that it would host conversations about race at brick-and-mortar locations across America, a campaign dubbed "Race Together," the venti coffeehouse chain and co-working space immediately found itself facing an acerbic backlash. The brand is now under fire and its leadership is being subjected to intense personal attacks. Companies found guilty of racial discrimination have attracted less heat.

Starbuck's intention with its latest campaign, wherein their baristas write #racetogether on the paper coffee cups given to customers, was to start a conversation about race relations in the country, something civil rights organizations and the President of the United States have been saying desperately needed to be done in order to complete the healing process between the races. 

The campaign was launched after discussions with Starbuck employees. One of them is "Dennis," who writes:

I was adopted from the Philippines during their revolution in 1986. Growing up in suburban Connecticut I did not feel or know that I was of a different race, that I wasn't white. My family and friends were truly color blind to that fact. It wasn't until middle school that I met another black boy, Tim who I became friends with. Throughout school I suppose I wasn't as popular as most because I was a nerd but my high school valued academic excellence so it wasn't a lonely existence. It would be fair to say, that almost all my friends were white growing up. Again, I didn't feel that my brown skin was a stigma because in my town, it's 90% white. People just didn't think anything about race relations.

I attended Boston College and graduated in 2006. I decided to join the Marine Corps. I remember the recruiter, said to me when I came into the office after calling, "Oh we thought you were white. You sound like it." And I thought well, I know that my accent is what people would consider educated.

Now as an adult, I find more people view my skin color and do make judgments. For example, some people don't think that I know English. Some try to talk to me in Spanish. I know that a few times police have stopped me for no reason but simply for the color of skin. Some of us call it DWB "driving while brown." The police apologize afterwards when they realize I'm a veteran and was not breaking any laws. Race relations in this country are a serious and grave concern. But also we need to move forward and almost have a childlike innocence. We not only want tolerance, we want acceptance.

Race - as Starbucks found out - is a subject people have intense feelings about, even if some of their espresso-sipping customers won't admit to themselves. The last thing many of them don't want to see is #racetogether on their morning joe because that's too difficult and upsetting a subject to contend with when all you want is a jolt of caffeine to start the day.

Here are some of the snarkiest comments:

For more tweets, click here.

Sure, Starbuck's campaign may seem a bit simplistic but I think the intention is well-meaning. If it upsets a few people, well, that is to be expected on a topic as incendiary as race. I'm sure the Starbuck executives were aware of the risk they were taking when they conceived and launched their bold move.

I'm a bit amused at Starbucks' critics because by reacting as they are doing, they unintentionally are fulfilling the coffee chain's goal - to start talking about race. 

I seriously doubt the caffeine addicts will stop going to their local Starbucks to get their daily fix but that remains to be seen. Not everybody has a rival coffee shop nearby.

Whether or not the conversation about race extends beyond the coffee shop and snarky tweets ... that's up to all of us.

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