After a troubling incident in which two black men were recently arrested at a Starbucks in Philadelphia while waiting for a friend, the company announced that it would be closing all of its stores nationwide to hold “implicit racial bias” training.
President of the Chapel Hill – Carrboro NAACP Anna Richards said that despite the incident, she is not surprised by the company’s response.
“I’m not surprised by them taking that step, even though it is a costly step from an overall corporate management standpoint because they have long been in the forefront of progressive movements and progressive issues,” said Richards.
With a background in corporate finance, Richards said she also recognizes the financial impact that closing all of their stores will have on Starbucks.
Still, she believes the company has more work to do.
“I think overall it’s a good first step,” said Richards, “and I hope that it’s not an only step, but it’s a beginning of a process within that corporation.”
Starbucks does have a history with racially-charged incidents, such as a botched “Race Together” campaign that was written off by many as a publicity stunt.
The company will close its stores for training on May 29.
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