Starbucks Corp. ended Sunday one of the more controversial aspects of its Race Together initiative, in which baristas were encouraged to engage with customers about race relations.
In an open letter to employees, Starbucks chairman and CEO Howard Schultz said baristas could stop writing “Race Together” or placing stickers on coffee cups, which was meant to encourage conversations about race.
Schultz said the campaign was originally planned to end on Sunday. But he also acknowledged that the company had come under fire for involving workers in what many see as a complex and potentially explosive issue.
“While there has been criticism of the initiative — and I know this hasn’t been easy for any of you — let me assure you that we didn’t expect universal praise,” Schultz wrote in the letter. “The heart of Race Together has always been about humanity; the promise of the American Dream should be available to every person in this country, not just a select few.
“We leaned in because we believed that starting this dialogue is what matters most,” he continued. “We are learning a lot. And will always aim high in our efforts to make a difference on the issues that matter most.”
Schultz also pledged to continue the conversation about racial inequality with more activities to come in the weeks and months ahead, including more partner open forums, three more special sections that will be published by USA Today over the course of the next year, and more open dialogues with police and community leaders in various cities.
Schultz also hinted at new partnerships to “foster dialogue and empathy, and help bridge the racial and ethnic divides within our society that have existed for many years.”
The Race Together initiative officially launched last Friday. Throughout the past week, Starbucks dominated headlines as observers debated the controversial move.
Schultz has long said that Starbucks, with more than 14,000 locations in the U.S., should use its “scale for good.” The initiative grew out of a series of open forums the chain held for its employees, bringing them together to share and speak on the issue, after months of news reports about racial violence, protests and growing tensions in cities across the country.
“An issue as tough as racial and ethnic inequality requires risk-taking and tough-minded action,” Schultz wrote on Sunday. “And let me assure you that our conviction and commitment to the notion of equality and opportunity for all has never been stronger.”
The Seattle-based coffeehouse operator also plans to continue to focus on jobs and education for young people, including its commitment to hire 10,000 “opportunity youths” — or young people not in school and not working — over the next three years, as well as expanding new units to more urban communities.
Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected].
Follow her on Twitter: @livetodineout
