Discussion » Statements » Rosie's Corner » The CEO of Starbuck's was VERY SERIOUS when he apologized. Thousands of stores will be closed for one day for a seminar. ON WHAT?
RosieG

The CEO of Starbuck's was VERY SERIOUS when he apologized. Thousands of stores will be closed for one day for a seminar. ON WHAT?

Racial Bias. How to avoid it. That's a pretty impressive reaction to the "arresting" of two black men who were sitting quietly at a table waiting for a white friend to arrive. More than lip service for a change. Think it will make any changes in anyone anywhere?

Posted - April 18, 2018
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Responses


  • 10880

    No seminar will ever end (solve?) racism in the workplace.  Just like sexual harassment seminars didn't end (solve) sexual harassment in the workplace.  You can tell someone something until you're blue in the face, but you can't force anyone to do anything.  Sure, you might fire a person who commits an act of racism in the workplace, but the next person you hire is fully capable of doing the same thing.  Racism comes from a person’s heart.  No one – not by seminar, sermon, threats, protests or whatever can change another person’s heart.   We can spend billions of dollars on seminars.  We can devote countless hours to lectures.  But if someone doesn’t want to change… they never will.

      April 18, 2018 10:18 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    Read the other responses on this thread and weep with me m'dear. Incredibly sad and disheartening. Racism is alive and well in the human  DNA and racists don't even KNOW they are. They are oblivious to it. Always defending racist actions as being what was required. Bullsh**! SIGH. If it were two white women or white men nothing would have happened. We all know that. Some just refuse to accept the truth of it so they talk all around it and justify and defend with such certitude. They don't even question it. They are absolutely positive what was done in the Starbucks was the correct thing. So yes it's hopeless but I admire the CEO for trying. You can lead folks who are dying of thirst to water but you cannot force them to drink. Thank you for your thoughtful reply and Happy Thursday Shuhak! :)
      April 19, 2018 2:20 AM MDT
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  • 10880
    At my last job I was required to go through "sexual harassment training" yearly .  They sent every manager, asst. manager, supervisor, and department head (from the entire chain) to a central location (sometimes in another state) to sit through 4-5 hours of "how to sexually harass your fellow employee and/or vendor" (via graphic videos, tedious lectures and written tests).  We were then to go back and tell our subordinates, "don't harass anyone".  Seriously??? And for the final 2 years i was there they switched the entire "course" to the computer (no more 3 hour road trips).   We weren't given extra time to take the course, meaning we had to fit it in to our normal excessive work schedule), so we all split it up over a month.  If we didn't get 100% on ALL tests, we were forced to retake the entire course (until we got 100%).  Then we were to go to our subordinates and say, "don't harass anyone".  That's supposed to stop sexual harassment????   What a joke!!!! 
      April 19, 2018 12:47 PM MDT
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  • 113301
    Our society is very ill and I guess always has been. The number of men who sexually harrass women if not outrightr rape them is shocking to me. I always thought those who were perverts or rapists were few in number. With all the "me too" women coming forward in droves I realize how lucky I have been. Once a supervisor put his hand on my knee and gave me a gift. I reported him and was transferred and they investigated him and fired him because I wasn't the only one. That's it! My experience with "sexual" harassment. Puny baby silly stuff compared to what other gals have endured. It is disgusting. What is wrong with so many men that they treat women with such contempt/disdain? Thank you for your reply Shuhak.
      April 20, 2018 2:56 AM MDT
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  • 10880
    My experience with sexual harassment was when I had a nymphomaniac employee.  What a nightmare that was!  Ay-yi-yi!!!  I thought she had it under control at work, but according to human resources I was wrong.
      April 20, 2018 9:33 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    Oh my goodness Shuhak. Yikes, gadzooks, yegads and good grief! When you have a "condition" that controls you and harms others who is to blame? Like shoplifters who  can't seem to stop stealing or hoarders who can never throw anything away. Is their fault? Thank you for your reply! :)
      April 23, 2018 3:43 AM MDT
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  • 35529
    It is PR. The men were not arrested based on racism.  They were loitering. There were asked my the manager to make a purchase or they would have to leave as tables were needed for paying customers. They refused to do either.
    The manager then called the police. The police asked them multiple times to leave. The men refused...yes they refused quietly but they still refused.  So at that point they were arrested for trespassing.

    Why did the men not simply make a purchase? Then the whole situation could have been avoided.
      April 18, 2018 10:25 AM MDT
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  • 113301
     A concept you apparently don't grasp. PRINCIPLE. Would two white men have been asked to purchase something? Have you NEVER waited for friends sitting in a restaurant without ordering anything? Have you NEVER used a restroom in a restaurant without being a customer? I have done both and never been refused or humiliated or accused of anything. PRINCIPLE. SIGH. Thank you for your reply and Happy Thursday to thee m2c.
      April 19, 2018 2:15 AM MDT
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  • 35529
    As a business owner, I can tell without a doubt....yes, yes, yes two white would have been asked to make a purchase or to free up the table for PAYING CUSTOMERS.  Businesses do not care about color of skin.....we care about one color GREEN. 
    COURTESY.
    Yes, I have but knowing the person was on their way....and if they were running late....I always ordered or went outside so as  not to occupy a table. Yes, I always make a purchase if I use a businesses restroom. It is COURTESY otherwise you cost them money.
    COURTESY...SIGH.
      April 19, 2018 4:50 AM MDT
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  • 1233
    More virtue signalling nonsense from Starbucks.

    The men were asked to make a purchase or leave. They refused and the police were called. No evidence of racism at all. Even if it were racially motivated, so what? A normal company would just fire the employee they feel acted improperly, not insult its entire workforce by acting as if the company had an institutional problem. Damn, they're pathetic..... This post was edited by Zeitgeist at April 18, 2018 1:44 PM MDT
      April 18, 2018 11:15 AM MDT
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  • 7280
    Personally, I agree with those who think what the Starbucks manager did was reasonable.

    The actions of the two men involved are about as reasonable as refusing to "show your hands" to a police officer when he says to do so---you are greatly increasing the probability that things are not going to end simply.

    When I first saw the story on the news, I though it sounded like a "set-up."


    But to the extent that "perception" is more important than determining opinions rather than simple logic and good will, Starbucks wound up with a huge PR problem that was not necessarily one of its own making.

    I'm not sure that those who think it was a racist issue could reasonably require Starbucks to do anything more to prevent it from happening again. 


      April 18, 2018 12:25 PM MDT
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  • 113301
    I disagree completely. I've waited for friends sitting in a restaurant without ordering anything. No one ever asked me to leave, accused me of loitering and escorted me out. I've also used the restroom in restaurants without purchasing. i'm a white woman. They were two black men. They created no disturbance. The white friend showed and asked what was going on. From the reports I read they had planned to meet there and grab a bite. I'm kinda surprised that you see it that way tom but different strokes. Thank you for your reply and Happy Thursday. Color matters. It shouldn't but you know it does. How many unarmed young WHITE men have been murdered by cops who walked versus how many unarmed young black men have been murdered by cops and walked? SIGH.
      April 19, 2018 2:12 AM MDT
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  • 7280
    Did you see the video of the two men involved---no disrespect intended, but I doubt that anybody seeing you (or me either at our ages) in a restaurant would be particularly worried that you were either likely to or capable of causing assaulting them or robbing the place.  Heck, a guy in a wheelchair could catch me before I could get away.

    Beyond that, calling the police to ascertain whether they are in fact breaking the law seems to me to be a reasonable attempted resolution of the situation.  

    Essentially, she enlisted a third party with the authority to determine whether she was right or wrong in her evaluation of the situation.

    We'll agree to disagree.


      


      April 19, 2018 2:07 PM MDT
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  • 113301
    Of course tom. We are quite often on the same page but sometimes we aren't. No worries. I think there is a gender bias as well for each of us. I think it is inevitable and probably quite normal/natural. I'm gonna ask. Thank you for your reply and Happy Friday m'dear! :)
      April 20, 2018 3:06 AM MDT
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  • 6023
    According to NPR, the two men were waiting for someone.
    No mention if they were going to purchase anything when that person arrived or were just using Starbucks as a recognizable landmark.
    Nor any mention of that other person ever showing up.

    Either way, they could have waited outside.
      April 18, 2018 12:35 PM MDT
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  • 113301
     The other person who was in fact white showed up and asked  "what is going on"? That is the report I read Walt. Further they had planned to grab a bite there. I don't know why what you read was incomplete or whether what I read was the full story but on the face of it racism showed its ugly head. I'm white and I've waited for friends sitting at a table in a restaurant without ordering anything. No one ever accused me of loitering or escorted me out. Thank you for your reply and Happy Thursday.
      April 19, 2018 2:08 AM MDT
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