Starbucks to allow baristas to wear Black Lives Matter attire and accessories after backlash

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Starbucks said Friday that the chain would allow workers to wear attire and accessories highlighting the Black Lives Matter movement, reversing its prior stance after social media users called for boycotts of the company.

Buzzfeed first reported on Wednesday that the coffee chain would not allow its employees to wear Black Lives Matter clothing or accessories, and management justified the decision by saying that such items could be misunderstood and incite violence. While Starbucks has a policy against wearing personal, political or religious clothing or accessories, workers told Buzzfeed that the company hands out buttons and attire celebrating LGBTQ rights and marriage equality.

Now, Starbucks will be doing the same for Black Lives Matter. The chain will make 250,000 shirts with a design that includes "Black Lives Matter" and "No Justice, No Peace" available to workers in its company-owned cafes in the United States and Canada. Until the shirts arrive, employees can wear pins or shirts to show support.

In early June, as protesters filled the streets of U.S. cities and small towns to call attention to the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black Americans at the hands of police, Starbucks joined the flood of other corporations supporting Black Lives Matter. It pledged $1 million to organizations that promote "racial equity and more inclusive and just communities."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/starbucks-to-allow-baristas-to-wear-black-lives-matter-attire-and-accessories-after-backlash/ar-BB15oyDC?li=BBnbfcN&ocid=DELLDHP

[sheshe2]

1. It took a backlash to make that happen.

Shame on you, Starbucks. You made the decision for 'bucks'.

Frankly I think your coffee sucks...tastes like burnt beans. I drank it once, I will never drink it again.

[Ms. Toad]

3. The memo cited was not uniformly, at least, distributed to employees -

and as of last night (when this was first reported here), my daughter (who works at Starbucks) had beein told they would be given BLM gear.

She was never given the infamous memo, nor was she told she could not wear BLM gear.

My suspicion is that it was a local franchise, since I have yet to meet a company that is better at communicating with employees in a uniform and timely manner. I am far more impressed with that aspect of Starbucks than I expected to be when my daughter's employer went bankrupt just before the pandemic started.

I drink their coffee - but when my dad asked my daughter and me if it was really that much better than everyone else's - we simultaneously answered no.

[sheshe2]

4. Thanks for the update.

I stand by my coffee assessment.

[budkin]

2. They didn't want to upset their racist customers?

Pathetic.

[Doreen]

5. I thought Starbucks supported human rights issues.

When did they stop doing that without being pushed into it by angry employees and customers?

[Cha]

6. Cool!