#RaceTogether: Starbucks Encourages Baristas to speak About Race With shoppers

not like many firm heads, Starbucks CEO <a class="fc-plugin people-page" href="http://www.fastcompany.com/person/howard-schultz" data-name="peoplePages" data-id="fastcompanyjust isn't afraid to get political.

he is already pushed outspoken-yet-measured stances, corresponding to asking (but now not outright banning) gun house owners to not carry guns into Starbucks stores. In that spirit, baristas on the four,seven hundred U.S. Starbucks locations are being encouraged however now not required to discuss race members of the family with consumers.

And Schultz and Starbucks aren’t settling for a quiet liberate, both: After several forums in big cities, they’re launching their Race collectively initiative with full-web page commercials in the brand new York times and united states of america as of late—and the latter may even ship with an academic race-relations pamphlet as part of partnership with america lately. as of late, the information is trending on Twitter thru #RaceTogether. That may appear like aggressive PSA-ing, however it’s part of the initiative responding to the alarming concerns raised on the forums, which Starbucks recounted in the initiative’s blog publish:

in the course of a dialog with partners in St. Louis, a gentle spoken younger man shared that he was once proud to have reached the age of 20.
“The magnitude of that commentary might have been misplaced on many in the room, but for me, it delivered to gentle a deeply troubling scenario. For some younger individuals in our united states of america, simply staying alive is their largest and most vital accomplishment,” stated Kelly Sheppard, a Starbucks 15-yr companion who attended two of the boards. “How might that be in 21st century america with the entire promise and possibility our nation offers?”

The Twitter reactions to the Race collectively initiative are precisely what you’ll predict: a frothy mix of snark and offended anger at Starbucks’ audacity to push discussions about race on other people who need coffee with none engagement from their barista. in brief, Race collectively’s already working.

[by means of Fortune]