Starbucks reverses Black Lives Matter ban after #BoycottStarbucks trends
After pushback, Starbucks has reversed course and says it will allow employees to wear clothing bearing messages of support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
In a statement Friday, the company said it would put out new T-shirts supporting the movement in an effort “to demonstrate our allyship and show we stand together in unity.’
“Until these arrive, we’ve heard you want to show your support, so just be you,” Starbucks said in a statement. “Wear your BLM pin or t-shirt. We are so proud of your passionate support of our common humanity. We trust you to do what’s right while never forgetting Starbucks is a welcoming third place where all are treated with dignity and respect.”
“We see you. We hear you. Black Lives Matter,” it added. “That is a fact and will never change.”
The coffee company was in hot water and faced calls for a boycott after an internal memo discouraged staffers from wearing accessories or apparel in support of the social justice movement, founded in 2013 after Florida man George Zimmerman was acquitted in the killing of unarmed Black teen Trayvon Martin.
The memo, obtained by Buzzfeed News, warned employees that wearing Black Lives Matter-related attire is against company policy, which explicitly prohibits “any type of political, religious, or personal accessories” and clothing, according to the outlet.
The retailer had previously given its full-throated support for the social justice movement and “committed to being part of change,” but in Wednesday’s memo said that hats or pins highlighting Black Lives Matter might bring “agitators who misconstrue the fundamental principles” of the movement and use them to “amplify divisiveness,” BuzzFeed News reported.
The about-face didn’t go well with consumers, especially African Americans who vowed to get their coffee fix elsewhere.
“Starbucks is officially cancelled,” one Twitter user wrote.
“F--- your frappes,” British soul singer Joy Crookes chimed in.
Another critic argued that Starbucks baristas should have the right to wear what they want.
“A starbucks employee could be wearing a cross necklace?” they added. “But heaven forbid an employee wearing a BLM clothing or accessories? I don’t want business with you, if you choose to be silent.
The hashtag #BoycottStarbucks also started trending late Thursday, as thousands took to social media to voice their outrage.
For many, the coffee chain’s reversal brought back memories of the April 2018 incident in which two Black men were arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks while sitting and waiting for a friend. Facing backlash, Starbucks closed more than 8,000 of its stores for racial bias training aimed at “preventing discrimination at our stores,” according to a company news release.
“I haven’t been back to @Starbucks since those 2 Black guys got hassled a few years ago,” one critic wrote. “Now they want to deny employees the right to express their support for Black Lives Matter? SMDH. That’s a latte bulls---.”
Out of the uproar, however, has come renewed support for Black-owned coffee houses and teas shops. Social media users have posted threads of new local places to patronize.
This story was originally published June 12, 2020 at 11:12 AM with the headline "Starbucks reverses Black Lives Matter ban after #BoycottStarbucks trends."