Racism is a systemic issue at Starbucks. Just because a company seems liberal and progressive, it does not mean they are immune from being flagrantly racist. #BoycottStarbucks https://t.co/YTMhJpykZ9
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) April 16, 2018
Another Black man was not allowed to use the restroom at a Redondo Beach, Calif., Starbucks before he made a purchase. But that’s not the only reason his story went viral on Monday, April 16.
Brandon Ward, who videotaped the encounter, met a white man named Weston coming out the bathroom who was allowed to use it before he made a purchase. Weston said he planned to make a purchase.
Still, when Ward confronted the store manager about the different experiences the two customers apparently had, she began telling him that the coffee shop was a private business and that he is not allowed to tape.
“This is a private business and you need to stop recording right now,” she says. “I am the store manager and I am asking you to leave right now. You are actually not allowed to be in here anymore. You need to leave.”
“Why they upset with me, Weston?” Ward asks. “What did I do? I just tried to use the bathroom like you did … Is it my skin color?”
The clip has since gone viral on Twitter with many slamming the company.
“Just one more case of racism in Starbucks and the reason why we need to boycott Starbucks stores,” one person said. “This is what African-Americans have to deal with on a daily basis. Racism across this country is deep and sometimes we feel like we’re still in the 1950s and ’60s in this country.”
“@starbucks You have a problem. Starbucks’ reputation as an inclusive meeting place is eroding,” someone else said. “I am getting uncomfortable. I go to Starbucks because I thought it was a progressive company, now I am not so sure.”
“Look how they all approach him cautious like he’s going to get violent at any second,” said another.
This is the second clip of a racist incident at the Seattle-based coffee chain. Last week, two Black men were arrested at a Philadelphia location after the owner accused them of trespassing. The two had been waiting for a colleague, who is white. While the Black men were not arraigned, the police commissioner defended the cops who arrested them.
And although the Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson has apologized, the public is still calling for a boycott of the establishment.
