Starbucks Reverses Earlier Policy and Will Allow Employees to Wear Black Lives Matter Clothing | Eater
"After employee backlash and a #BoycottStarbucks movement, executives reversed an earlier restriction and announced that employees may wear a BLM pin or t-shirt, saying “We see you. We hear you. Black Lives Matter.” The company plans to print 250,000 shirts created with its Black Partner Network that include slogans such as “Black Lives Matter” and “No Justice No Peace.” Critics note that this follows an internal memo that limited employees to company-issued buttons and discouraged items that ‘advocate a political, religious or personal issue,’ instead steering staff toward a pre-approved Black Partner Network shirt that reads “keep it brewing” with a steaming cup overlaid by a map of Africa. Observers and employees argue that branded apparel and a $1 million commitment to racial-equity organizations are insufficient, especially given the company’s prominent and recurring Pride merchandise (rainbow mugs and tote bags) and reports of partners facing harassment for wearing supportive pins. A now-deleted internal video from the VP of inclusion and diversity warning that “agitators” could amplify divisiveness, along with feelings among managers and baristas of being muted or ignored, have intensified criticism and fueled public boycotts despite public statements from leadership about empathy and inclusion." - Elazar Sontag
