Essay on Conversation or Conflict

Coffee and racial problems seem to be two different subjects altogether, yet Starbucks is trying to merge the two. In the month of March, Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz, tried to open conversations up about a social issue that has plagued America since it was first created, race relations. They tried to break the ice between customer and company by asking baristas to write “Race Together” on cups in hopes of sparking a meaningful conversation with the customer. Yet, it seemed naive to take on such a big topic as race relations through such a simple method, and much of the information about the initiative was misinterpreted. The “Race Together” campaign was worthwhile because it opened up a way to discuss a subject that most find uncomfortable and gave baristas the option to participate in the initiative.

Many are extremely cynical about even attempting to try this initiative calling it "naive" and "the height of American idealism" (Source E). Yet, they are missing the goal of the whole campaign which is just to start a conversation about racial issues, not to solve it with a message on a coffee cup. Howard Schultz explains in an article introducing the campaign that, “'Race Together' is not a solution, but it is an opportunity to begin to re-examine how we can create a more empathetic and inclusive society-one conversation at a time" (Source A). Critics also criticize that Starbucks is a, "#brand trying to seem human" (Source B).Yet, they seem to overlook that the "Race Together" campaign is not the only initiative that they have created. Schultz has led a push urging politicians to end the shutdown of the government, wrote a letter asking customers to refrain from bringing guns into Starbucks and launched a fund to spur U.S. job creation (Source 0). Though these initiatives still seem like a profit machine, one initiative even "had hurt sales after a boycott by an advocacy group" when they supported marriage equality, showing that these campaigns mean more than just money to Starbucks (Source 0).

Yet there are even more misconceptions that are being spread about this optimistic initiative. One misconception of the campaign is that it, "seems like a clear case of the bourgeoisie pushing the proletariat to do the heavy lifting while their own lives carry on unchanged" (Source E). Would a CEO that is wanting all his underlings to do the dirty work, "[meet] with almost 2,000 Starbucks employees," that had been hit with racial issues (Source 0)? It seems clear that he has some care for both the customers and his employees. It is also clear he had put work forth to get this initiative off the ground and running. Yet another misconception is that the workers had no part in the decision to start the campaign. In the Starbuck video introducing the initiative, "Race Together", it "seems to have come from the Starbucks employees"