Comments on: Starbucks Doesn’t Serve their Coffee Black

By: Zachary D Katz

Zachary D Katz — Wed, 09 May 2018 19:30:04 +0000

This Starbucks situation was a huge failure. Co-workers, management, cooperation officials and law enforcement officials all handled this extremely poorly. It is unfortunate considering Starbucks is known for being a location in which is who they are because they allow people to sit, and wait, for hours on end. These men were doing no wrong, and I have see various times, people of privilege in Starbucks doing the same exact things, and no questions were asked, and no hands were raised. Police officers took no responsibly which is a major problem. When law enforcement officers refuse to take responsibly of doing something wrong, that sets in a domino effect. It is unfortunate that major people are controlled by implicit bias and have no desire to-change these automatic assumptions.

By: Carli Weimer

Carli Weimer — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 23:16:10 +0000

I remember when I first heard about this incident at Starbucks. It was all over social media and various news outlets. I am shocked, however, to read that the Police Commissioner responded the way he did. Yes, the police officers were doing their job and responding to a call, but everyone is entitled to have their rights read to them. Their was an automatic assumption that the Black men had in fact done something wrong or dangerous. After learning about implicit biases in class, I believe that while the police officers were “just doing their job”, they still held the belief in the stereotype that people of color are criminals or dangerous. Because the incident was documented and taped, people are much more likely to categorize it as racism. I think microaggressions are much more harder to identify. When people discuss racist acts, they usually refer to blatant acts of racism. Micoraggressions tend to come across in a much more subtle and implicit way. Microaggressions also involve individuals to address their own implicit biases, which is a step many individuals do not want to take.

By: Kyle Watkins

Kyle Watkins — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 20:35:41 +0000

Something I find interesting is that Starbucks are generally set up in a manner that is inviting people not only inside but to stay, chat, work, draw, etc. That is part of their pull. I have never thought anything of my welcome inside a Starbucks as a white man – however I have often stopped at a city Starbucks to bide time, work, use a bathroom with no problems. I do agree that the problem here was very easily the manager’s bias, however the whole situation – especially with demonstration of complacency is particularly interesting due to the police response and backup by the Commissioner. I think people are so easy and quick to recognize these acts as bias rather than their own and others’ microaggressions is because of the actual documented events. Police did enter and handcuff the two men. It is easy to point at that picture and say “Racism!” than to acknowledge the actual unease and discomfort of the store manager. To identify these microaggressions , people must first acknowledge their own potential for implicit biases, and that is its own learning process.