Starbucks 'Race Together' effort generates conversation about itself
There鈥檚 no denying Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz鈥檚 earnestness in launching the company鈥檚 effort to do something about race relations in America today.
Persistent economic inequality, police shooting of unarmed black men, racist chants at college fraternities 鈥� he鈥檚 as troubled as anybody by what he sees in society today regarding race. The difference is, he has a huge megaphone to express himself and the huge corporation he heads.
鈥淚鈥檓 asking you to perform that small gesture of writing 鈥楻ace Together鈥� on a cup,鈥澛燤r. Schultz tells Starbucks employees .聽鈥淎nd if a customer asks you what this is, try and engage in a discussion, that we have problems in this country with regard to race and racial inequality, and we believe we鈥檙e better than this, and we believe the country鈥檚 better than this. And if this makes you have a conversation with a customer about the need for compassion, the need for empathy, the need for love towards others, if you can do that with one customer one day, then you鈥檙e making a significant difference as we go forward.鈥�
It鈥檚 unclear how many of those conversations have taken place between Starbucks baristas and customers deciding whether to order their usual grande soy latte or go for the 24-ounce venti.
But for sure, Schultz鈥檚 #RaceTogether effort 鈥� announced at the company鈥檚 annual meeting in Seattle this week 鈥� is generating controversy and what seems to be mostly critical comment.
Kansas City Star columnist Mary Sanchez puts it succinctly and accurately:
鈥淭he press has panned the idea, by and large without explaining its genesis, and critics on social media have savaged it,鈥� she writes. 鈥淭he prevailing attitudes are snark and dudgeon. How dare a purveyor of pricey beverages presume to address such a serious issue, with its grim historical underpinnings and taboo charge, in such an unserious setting!鈥�
For example, Bloomberg View columnist Ramesh Ponnuru says, 鈥淭o some of us it seems as though Americans talk about race all the time.鈥�
鈥淲e have talked about race and law enforcement seemingly nonstop for months,鈥� he writes. 鈥淲e talk about聽racial diversity and the Oscars. We even talk about聽the racial background of Santa Claus.鈥�
Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker points out that 鈥淪chultz isn鈥檛 new to corporate activism.鈥�
鈥淏ut this time he seems aggressively out of touch with his target audience,鈥� she writes. 鈥淣obody wants to be lectured聽before her coffee; Starbucks denizens, who often are toting newspapers and laptops, don鈥檛 want to be lectured, period.鈥�
The pushback against Starbucks now is getting its own pushback.
鈥淭he smart, cocky cynicism in response to Starbucks' effort is one big reason it is so hard to get to the good part of a real, informative conversation on any topic, including race relations,鈥� writes Fox News commentator Juan Williams. 鈥淚t is not only that whites might fear being called racist and tapping into guilty feelings while blacks fear being told they have a chip on their shoulders and play the victim/race card. It is also Hispanics, Asians and recent immigrants biting their tongues about the racial stereotypes they face as they are forced to listen as blacks and whites dominate their limited, two-way, jousting about slavery, its legacy and even 鈥榤icro-aggressions鈥� of 鈥榳hite privilege.鈥欌��
CNN commentator Van Jones points out that much of the criticism about Starbuck鈥檚 #RaceTogether effort (which includes full-page ads in The New York Times and a special section in USA Today) is coming from those actively working for racial equality.
鈥淵es, it seems like harmless fun to pile on or retweet the snark. At some point, all of us have enjoyed the cheap thrill one gets by kicking around a big company online,鈥� he writes. 鈥淏ut the cost this time is that no corporation will want to do anything creative or constructive on racial subjects for a very long time. In fact, some activists are responding with such little sympathy, empathy and grace, that other corporations are likely to run the other way. Again, is that what we want?鈥�
鈥淩ace Together鈥� is not a solution, Schultz acknowledges, 鈥渂ut it is an opportunity to begin to re-examine how we can create a more empathetic and inclusive society 鈥� one conversation at a time.鈥澛�
It鈥檚 unclear how many conversations on race will happen because of stickers or hand-written notes on coffee cups. For sure, it鈥檚 started a vigorous discussion about Starbucks itself.
