The Philadelphia Starbucks incident that happened a few months ago is still very much an active issue for the coffee house. After two Black men were wrongfully arrested for waiting for a friend inside the shop, it prompted people to boycott the franchise and for the CEO to initiate a company-wide racial-bias training.
Next Tuesday between the hours of 1 PM and 2 PM, the 8000 Starbucks coffee shops in America will be closed down for a training session that will come equipped with a guidebook on policies and values. There will also be videos with the CEO talking to employees, Complex reports, as well as a video from Common. It's not clear what the "Glory" artist will be saying in the video, but according to the training preview all aspects of the session are to make sure employees aim "to make Starbucks a place where everyone—everyone feels welcome."
"We understand that racial and systemic bias have many causes, sources, and ways of showing up within each of us and in our communities," a preview video explained. Another move Starbucks has made, to ensure inclusivity, is allowing bathrooms to be used by everyone - not just paying customers.
