YOUTH Magazine| Race Together: the continued efforts to talk about race

by: Kassandra Edouard

For a country that is a melting pot, citizens are afraid to discuss racial diversity. Willingly are we to go to war and keep immigrants out of our country but quick to shut down any talk about racial inequality and the injustice plaguing our generation.

            March 22^nd, saw the end of Starbucks’ initiative with writing #RaceTogether on the cups of coffee customers bought. Since the start of the initiative, it was met with widespread criticism and resistance from customers and spectators alike. The criticism commonly reverberated widespread was the fact that they believed the campaign was “opportunistic and inappropriate, in wake of the racial events that included police brutality of black males.” 

            Jim Olson, a Starbucks spokesperson, said, “Nothing is changed. It’s all part of the cadence of the timeline we originally planned.” This initiative started with the cups as being the beginning of the conversation and seems like Starbucks is not willing to back down from their campaign, with it not stopping there. Starbucks knew that this would have not met with universal praise seeing as anything whispered about race gets dirty looks and naysayers. But their ambition, as Olson stated, will not be deterred and that is a comforting feeling. 

            Whereas everyone likes to believe that this initiative was a ploy to gain more publicity, it does not feel that way to me. Starbucks is seeing a pattern, a trend that everyone likes to turn a blind eye to. If we don’t talk about race and every aspect to it then we will not have to face the consequences of race. No one likes calling bullshit when we are being fed garbage, people would rather pretend it tastes good in their mouth and shovel it around the plate instead of take it for what it is worth. 

            One of the Starbucks customers who is a junior in college said that people come to Starbucks to drink some coffee and get a piece of mind or study. Starbucks “isn’t the place to talk about race relations” If Starbucks is not the place to talk about race relations then when will there be a time and place? Forums and classrooms seem to not work so it only makes sense that Starbucks takes the initiative straight to the public where it will be hard to hide from such a thing. 

            What makes me more furious than confused is why the initiative is not seen in a positive light. There is no organization or company trying to do what Starbucks has started; instead those companies act like Switzerland. Not daring to take a hit to their brand to talk about what is truly important for this generation. We need to see an end to racial inequality and the end of finding our young black males dead because police officers take their job a little too seriously. It is time to wake up to harmony for all of humankind because though this is hard to swallow, if this continues, it will be hell. 

            Racial bias is rooted deeply into our country; it is easier to cast someone off as one thing because getting to know them would be a hassle. I hate having to go into a store and have someone follow me around as if I would steal. I hate hearing my friends tell me that they were stopped by the police because they “fit the description”. There is no need for any of that but yet it happens on a day to day basis. 

            There is nothing wrong with Starbucks holding a platform for race to be discussed upon; the real wrong is with the people that are too scared of talking about something we all know so well. Sure, it might cause heated debates and unfavorable moments but if we are not willing to talk about it how can the problem be fixed. I am tired of the people of America acting like there is nothing going on, just because something race related is not in the news does not mean someone is not being affected by it. There is        nothing daunting about race, everyone is different and to respect those differences there should be discussions. The only thing Starbucks was blind to is the intense strength of conformity that their customers have been comfortable with. 

            I’m looking forward to the different strategies that Starbucks has to tackle the taboo that is race and I will join them in their journey because no longer will it be acceptable to continue acting like idiotic savages. By living with our head in the clouds, this generation will find its end at the bottom of violence and destruction.