Calls for Starbucks boycott after weak apology for racial arrest
A store manager called cops about two Black men who were doing what White customers do all the time.
Black folks rejected Starbucks’ apology over the racist arrest of two Black men Thursday at a Philadelphia store and continued their call for a boycott of the coffee chain.
SEE ALSO: ‘Shut Up, Slave:’ White Man Charged With Hate Crime For Assault At Chicago Starbucks
Mobile phone video showing at least six Philadelphia police officers arresting two seated Black men has gone viral. They were reportedly waiting for a man, identified as Andrew Yaffe, to discuss a business deal. A Starbucks employee called the officers because the two Black men were doing what scores of people do at Starbucks—using the coffee shop as a meeting place without making a purchase. Yaffee arrived as the officers put the men, who were not being disruptive or confrontational, in handcuffs for trespassing.
WATCH NBC10 NEWS LIVE NOW: Witness speaks to @AClineThomas
about controversial arrest of two black men at a Philadelphia @Starbucks https://t.co/DRzSOlwTWG pic.twitter.com/rHezYdnRjL— NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBCPhiladelphia) April 15, 2018
Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson apologized to the men on Saturday, calling the arrest “a disheartening situation in one of our Philadelphia-area stores this past Thursday, that led to a reprehensible outcome.”
We apologize to the two individuals and our customers for what took place at our Philadelphia store on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/suUsytXHks
— Starbucks Coffee (@Starbucks) April 14, 2018
But for many, that apology came up short:
Fixed!😊 #BoycottStarbucks pic.twitter.com/Xi3VolF4Ey
— TheRowdyTweets (@MayaAaliya) April 14, 2018
Walking while Black.
Kneeling while Black.
Using a cell phone while Black.
Driving while Black.
And now…waiting in Starbucks while Black.This shit MUST stop.
Those men need to be compensated for that ordeal, @Starbucks.
Fire the employee.Until then, #BoycottStarbucks. https://t.co/WbftaqfUbR
— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) April 14, 2018
"At Starbucks you must be THIS white to sit at their tables"#BoycottStarbucks pic.twitter.com/U7RLPPpx8l
— Kim WhyNot (@davis_whynot) April 14, 2018
Philadelphia’s Mayor Jim Kenney also dismissed Starbucks’ apology, underscoring that calling the police in that situation “appears to exemplify what racial discrimination looks like in 2018.”
Kenney hit the nail on the head with this statement: “For many, Starbucks is not just a place to buy a cup of coffee, but a place to meet up with friends or family members, or to get some work done. Like all retail establishments in our city, Starbucks should be a place where everyone is treated the same, no matter the color of their skin.”
Indeed, even Starbucks acknowledged that people use its coffee shops as a “community hub,” according to the Washington Post. It has become a place where people drop in for the free WiFi or to meet friends without ordering anything.
That, however, apparently doesn’t apply to Black people:
Apparently, your policies should explicitly spell out that sitting while Black is not a crime. We're sure your white customers, who sit and wait, do not worry about being criminalized by your baristas #BoycottStarbucks https://t.co/qMOHsFfwdg
— ColorOfChange.org (@ColorOfChange) April 15, 2018
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95 Photos Of Black People Marching For Our Lives
95 Photos Of Black People Marching For Our Lives
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9. March For Our Lives In Washington, DC
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This is the truth. Our country values gun rights more than the lives of Black and Brown kids. #MarchForOurLives #enough #neveragain #endgunviolence pic.twitter.com/JOtWLoMkL6
— YWCA USA (@YWCAUSA) March 24, 2018
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This is the truth. Our country values gun rights more than the lives of Black and Brown kids. #MarchForOurLives #enough #neveragain #endgunviolence pic.twitter.com/JOtWLoMkL6
— YWCA USA (@YWCAUSA) March 24, 2018
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Advancement Project team hitting the streets for at the March for Our (Black and Brown) lives. #MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/AMaXBD54Vp
— Advancement Project (@adv_project) March 24, 2018
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Advancement Project team hitting the streets for at the March for Our (Black and Brown) lives. #MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/AMaXBD54Vp
— Advancement Project (@adv_project) March 24, 2018
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I hope one day I will get as many rights as a gun. - A Black American #marchforourlives pic.twitter.com/5yFiZ18Jid
— Bradley E. Williams (@B_RadWill) March 24, 2018
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I hope one day I will get as many rights as a gun. - A Black American #marchforourlives pic.twitter.com/5yFiZ18Jid
— Bradley E. Williams (@B_RadWill) March 24, 2018
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#marchforOURlives Crew @KellyMcCreary @Alyssa_Milano @billprady @jehorowitz @RenaSofer @DannyZuker MY objective today was to look out for too often excluded Brown/Black/Indigenous lives 🖤✊🏽 #blacklivesmatter #GunViolence #PoliceViolence #StephonClark #RekiaBoyd pic.twitter.com/n8Mj9M7Jqs
— Kendrick Sampson (@kendrick38) March 24, 2018
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#marchforOURlives Crew @KellyMcCreary @Alyssa_Milano @billprady @jehorowitz @RenaSofer @DannyZuker MY objective today was to look out for too often excluded Brown/Black/Indigenous lives 🖤✊🏽 #blacklivesmatter #GunViolence #PoliceViolence #StephonClark #RekiaBoyd pic.twitter.com/n8Mj9M7Jqs
— Kendrick Sampson (@kendrick38) March 24, 2018
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I love John Lewis. #MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/Egs6Ggv2Lg
— Denizcan James (@MrFilmkritik) March 24, 2018
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I love John Lewis. #MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/Egs6Ggv2Lg
— Denizcan James (@MrFilmkritik) March 24, 2018
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So so so inspiring ❤️ #MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/upgw58E9xk
— megan 3 (ia bc of exams) (@sggmendes) March 24, 2018
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So so so inspiring ❤️ #MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/upgw58E9xk
— megan 3 (ia bc of exams) (@sggmendes) March 24, 2018
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Thank you @repjohnlewis. #GoodTrouble #MarchforOurLives pic.twitter.com/uLKsCliXot
— Bros4America (@Bros4America) March 24, 2018
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Thank you @repjohnlewis. #GoodTrouble #MarchforOurLives pic.twitter.com/uLKsCliXot
— Bros4America (@Bros4America) March 24, 2018
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Where's the lie? #MarchForOurLives. Image Cr. @sirmeadows @ColorOfChange https://t.co/HDDO3Dmgco pic.twitter.com/vSpR4CbITs
— ColorOfChange.org (@ColorOfChange) March 24, 2018
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Where's the lie? #MarchForOurLives. Image Cr. @sirmeadows @ColorOfChange https://t.co/HDDO3Dmgco pic.twitter.com/vSpR4CbITs
— ColorOfChange.org (@ColorOfChange) March 24, 2018
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#MarchForOurLives signs DC pic.twitter.com/KOc7pAl0BE
— Megan B. (@MegzFLo) March 24, 2018
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#MarchForOurLives signs DC pic.twitter.com/KOc7pAl0BE
— Megan B. (@MegzFLo) March 24, 2018
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#marchforourlives Philadelphia pic.twitter.com/lpzCmGOUuQ
— † Maria♀ (@Mella0_0) March 24, 2018
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#marchforourlives Philadelphia pic.twitter.com/lpzCmGOUuQ
— † Maria♀ (@Mella0_0) March 24, 2018
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I'm so damn proud of these kids, man.
— MT (@MasterTainment) March 24, 2018
Look what they did.
Look. What. They. Did.
Blind, selfish adults told them to sit down & shut up.
They tried to discourage them with lies & threats.
But these kids rose above it and inspired a nation.
And the world.#MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/WwcZOVDzEq
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I'm so damn proud of these kids, man.
— MT (@MasterTainment) March 24, 2018
Look what they did.
Look. What. They. Did.
Blind, selfish adults told them to sit down & shut up.
They tried to discourage them with lies & threats.
But these kids rose above it and inspired a nation.
And the world.#MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/WwcZOVDzEq
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These Kids will....
— Mayday Mindy 🌊 (@maydaymindy9) March 24, 2018
MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN#MarchForOurLives @realDonaldTrump #TheResistence #NeverAgainMSD pic.twitter.com/aC7BCUPwnE
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These Kids will....
— Mayday Mindy 🌊 (@maydaymindy9) March 24, 2018
MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN#MarchForOurLives @realDonaldTrump #TheResistence #NeverAgainMSD pic.twitter.com/aC7BCUPwnE
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One of the best one’s I’ve seen so far..#MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/h7rFuLX1GH
— Zero F*cks to Give, Monica (@BenzelLouden) March 24, 2018
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One of the best one’s I’ve seen so far..#MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/h7rFuLX1GH
— Zero F*cks to Give, Monica (@BenzelLouden) March 24, 2018
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#Marchforourlives was so much fun, it felt so good to make a difference 🐝 pic.twitter.com/8mBEJISCej
— K A M 🙂 (@kameastcoast) March 24, 2018
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#Marchforourlives was so much fun, it felt so good to make a difference 🐝 pic.twitter.com/8mBEJISCej
— K A M 🙂 (@kameastcoast) March 24, 2018
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The conversation about guns and safety is always incomplete when you leave out the voices of those most marginalized.
— Pete Haviland-Eduah (@TheNotoriousPHE) March 24, 2018
Inclusiveness is going to be key to see our movements to the finish line.
Had to remind folks of that with my presence today. #MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/O2dqDNk9lM
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The conversation about guns and safety is always incomplete when you leave out the voices of those most marginalized.
— Pete Haviland-Eduah (@TheNotoriousPHE) March 24, 2018
Inclusiveness is going to be key to see our movements to the finish line.
Had to remind folks of that with my presence today. #MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/O2dqDNk9lM
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I didn’t catch her name but she is telling her gun violence/ptsd story and she has made it real #marchforourlivessf pic.twitter.com/79PPCOuGYU
— marymcnamara (@marymcnamara) March 24, 2018
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I didn’t catch her name but she is telling her gun violence/ptsd story and she has made it real #marchforourlivessf pic.twitter.com/79PPCOuGYU
— marymcnamara (@marymcnamara) March 24, 2018
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95 Photos Of Black People Marching For Our Lives
Black folks were representing in full force at the dozens of March for Our Lives rallies held across the globe on March 24, 2018, attracting hundreds of thousands of students, activists, celebrities and other world citizens concerned about the disturbing levels of gun violence that plagues the U.S like no other nation. As the disproportionate victims of gun violence in America, Black people made sure their voices were heard. Have a look at the youthful faces of the country's current and future freedom fighters as well as their colorful, clever signs.
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