Conversations Of A Sistah, Tracy L. Bell, Tracy L. Bell - Blog Talk Radio, Tracy L. Bell Host Conversations Of A Sistah

We’re Talking a Starbucks Boycott, Tonight on “Conversations Of A Sistah”

The ReadyWriter

Starbucks “mutually parted ways” with the manager, named only as Holly, who called 911 to report that two men refused to leave the 18th and Spruce Street location on last Thursday. Another patron uploaded cell phone video of the men being arrested, saying the two men were racially profiled.

Starbucks, is facing fierce criticism after two black men were arrested at a Philadelphia store, sparking accusations of racial profiling over what the company’s chief executive now calls a “reprehensible” incident.

In a statement, their CEO Kevin Johnson gave his deepest apologies” on Saturday to the two men who were taken out of the store in handcuffs by at least six officers on Thursday. SIX!!!! A store manager had asked the two men to leave after they attempted to use the bathroom without purchases. The men said they were waiting for a friend, their attorney later said. The manager then called 911 for assistance.

The police confrontation was captured on a video that has been viewed more than 8 million times on social media, fueling a backlash and drawing responses from the city’s police commissioner and mayor.

This is about racism and racial profiling.

Join our Host Ms. Tracy L. Bell at 6:30 p.m. EST on “Conversations Of A Sistah“ as she discusses boycotting the chain and will closing all stores on May 29 for bias training be enough to fan the flames of a racially charged manager.

Follow “all links” in this post to access the show.

Published by The ReadyWriter

Writer, Published Author, CEO of ReadyWriter Production Company and Blog Talk Radio Host.

170 thoughts on “We’re Talking a Starbucks Boycott, Tonight on “Conversations Of A Sistah””

  1. 8000 stores are being closed for training, which probably will be for a few hours. Wonder who is doing the training? They also need training on white privilege, now that is some powerful training. I took it, and you should have seen the white people, who were shock by the results. SMH!

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      1. Why should Starbucks suffer because of the stupidity of one manager? They parted ways with the woman and the CEO called calm to the situation almost immediately. So why boycott them?

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      2. Why should Starbucks suffer because of the stupidity of one manager?
        ————
        Because that manager is the face of their brand. Had her actions not reflected such the CEO would’ve never rushed to Philly. He went into damage control quick!! So yea the black $$$ should be withheld

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      3. 1I read she was not fired, she quit because no store wanted her as a transfer. Companies have the right to transfer you at their discretion, within whatever travel limits outlined in employee policies. I don’t assume she got anything other than an opportunity to start fresh elsewhere as we don’t know her name or image, nor was she fired. And rumor had she was a sistah

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      6. I’m curious to know if the employee was actually paid a severance. If she acted within policy as she knew it, they would have had an unlawful termination case on their hands. I assume they asked her to resign quietly and Sign a NDA. I also assume she received a nice little payoff, to go a way.

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      7. I’m curious to know if the employee was actually paid a severance
        *****
        Yes she will get a severance with vacation days and 401 and stock options because she was a manager and bonus as well as a cobra.

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      8. I’m curious to know if the employee was actually paid a severance
        *****
        at the end of the day who cares!!! who GAF?

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      10. So she was fired for starting the ruckus?
        ***********
        She was let go because she lied during the 911 call to get the police there, she said they were creating a disturbance and loitering. They didn’t disturb anyone and there were several ppl there that hadn’t purchased anything ( white ) that’s why so many cops responded

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      11. Nah @Coco,
        starbucks will not give this bitch a dime. just letting her quit instead of being fired was enough goodwill. everything i’ve heard about the CEO is good. he wouldn’t risk that by actually paying her for her actions.

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      12. Who cares if she got paid as long as they got rid of her racist ass. Lying to the 911 operator on those 2 men in order to escalate a situation. 😡 that was just WRONG!!!

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      14. And rumor had she was a sistah
        *******
        Nah the manager was white; they found her online somewhere.

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      15. Adam
        Where is her photo published and what’s her whole name?…. assuming “Holly” is her real first name….I agree Q, she isn’t getting and dime. Plus I’m certain Pa is an “at will” state where employers can fire you without just cause, anyway.

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      17. I googled Holly and she is as white as snow. Her name and picture is plastered all over the internet, saying her life will never be the same. It also stated the black guys are college grads who majored in finance. That’s why you NEVER judge a book by its cover, always always check it out.

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    2. Tracy I don’t believe Starbucks should lose business over this.
      *****
      better that they loose business than we lose our self respect as black people!!! you need to buck up

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  3. It took five days of protests and sit-ins for him to come up with this bull-shyt plan??? How about changing the policy? How about not having peaceful customers arrested. Hell — how about free coffee for life??? I hope these guys sue and win! Apology not accepted…

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  6. Tracy not that many black folks go to Starbucks so this boycott should not be a permanent boycott. Besides, not many blk people go to Starbucks….we go to Dunkin or McDs.✊

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      2. Maybe they shouldn’t lose money but it is green and this situation alone should be a wake up call as to where we spend our dollars$$$

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      3. Starbucks will at always be watched now.
        If the video of the men being arrested had not gone viral I wonder if the CEO would’ve done damage control so quickly? Hm?

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      4. If the video of the men being arrested had not gone viral I wonder if the CEO would’ve done damage control so quickly?
        *******
        Exactly. He knew the stores reputation was on the line. And he also phoned and met with the police to calm the situation. But I knew whoever the employee was that started the shit storm., oh I knew he would fire her. She was a liability to them.

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      6. Tracy I don’t believe Starbucks should lose business over this..
        *********
        They will the CEO knows he can’t afford to loose that black$$$$

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  7. After this incident Starbucks is not seen or viewed in a good light. It puts a stain on their business either way you spin it. That store manager made them now look bad. In this Trump America shit like this should not be tolerated. Period

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  8. Starbucks was never intended for us. McDonald’s is the poison that was intended for us. That’s why we’ve been all over their marketing ads! White people make it very clear what’s for us and whats for them. Yet we are determined to be where they are. Smh😏

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  9. The CEO of Starbucks went out of his way to apologize personally for what happened he’s now going to implement training and revamp policies. I don’t know if it’s good enough but I do know I have never gone there and never will.

    Looking 4ward yo tonight’s show.

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  13. Lol! 😂😂 Well okay then…. come through Starbucks with your racial equality public customer service re-training aka let’s fix this so we can get them “black” $$$’s back asap. I can count on 1 hand though how many times I have drank coffee from them. The smell of that strong ass coffee damn near over doses me every time I have walked through their door. Love the Vanilla Frapps though. But I haven’t been to a Starbucks since the early 2000’s and it was not by choice.

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  15. It is liberal pandering, however, the manager is wrong in that her discretion and enforcement is selective not universal. The problem with liberal pandering is that it is hypocritical in that Starbucks has no real intent of eradicating racism at its stores.

    Starbucks problem is that the company is a corporate concept that appropriates the casual laid back hang out vibe of a local coffeehouse and thereby has sent its consumer base mixed signals. The coffeehouse culture has always fostered people to meet and gather and exchange ideas without requirement of purchase.

    People, especially tourists, use Starbucks as a rest stop, pit stop, public restroom, meeting location, business center and people are accustomed to this. Yet these two black men are the only ones selected for loitering arrest.

    Free Wifi, open accessible tables, no signage mandating purchase. Starbucks can change this if they want but they will lose millions in passive purchases of “loiterers”.

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    1. “Loitering is ongoing problem”, so Holly chose this day to enforce the no loitering policy? GTFOH! WE all know why she called the police!

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  16. White ppl have to be trained to treat people like human beings…to treat ppl like they are someone….to treat people with respect? FOH. These are things that you teach a child when they first start walking and talking.

    If you have to be trained to treat people with respect and to treat ppl they way you want to be treated, there’s something really wrong with you. And, none of these ppl should have a job if they can’t figure out how to treat other humans.

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    1. 1). White ppl. have to be trained to treat people like human beings 2). If you have to be trained to treat people with respect and to treat ppl. they way you want to be treated, there’s something really wrong with you.
      _____________________________________________

      good point!!!

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  17. I personally do not get coffee or tea from any of these franchises so I’m already boycotting because I support my own morning drink.🤗 we should all do the same.

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  18. I had to boycot my bacon and gouda cheese sandwich today.

    2. I don’t remember seeing a black female manager in the original footage.

    3. Are they just saying the manager is a black female to soften the experience and lessen the impact?

    If so, they are still racial profiling.

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    2. I feel you Henrietta I was sooo upset that I had to drive right on by Starbuck’s at breakfast. I tried to reason with myself having my sandwich for lunch but ended up at Chick Fil A instead.😏

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  20. Starbucks is a franchise and just because of the actions of one manager in Philly, why boycott the entire chain? I was discriminated at a DD I didn’t stop going, I just started going to another one. Why? Because it’s a franchise. At the new spot, my presence is welcomed and my ass is kissed accordingly so that is where I go for my breakfast sandwich. Case closed.

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  22. I would go to Starbucks for my latte but not since this happened and I don’t live in Philly. But the incident don’t sit well with me which is why I have not been back.

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    1. I don’t go either and in a country where DD seems to be King the CEO better do damage control to recoup that $$$$

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  24. I still don’t understand this situation. This is how all public places of business operate. Either buy something or get out. Those men had several opportunities to buy something, yet chose not to. Talking about them being “real estate agents”, okay so why couldn’t they buy a $2 cup of coffee? The manager was not in the wrong for calling the police, especially if loitering is a frequent issue at that location.

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    1. It wouldn’t be that big of a deal if that treatment were for everybody. Other white patrons admitted they too were there without buying anything and were not asked to buy or leave. Several were even given the code for the rest room and were not buying.
      You don’t find that strange?

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  25. When you single out some and not the rest that’s discrimination.
    When you call the cops and lie in order to exasperate a situation that’s discrimination.
    Period!😡

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  26. I stopped visiting my local starbucks, one creep there sits in the corner with magazines and his laptop for hours and hours, one of the employees said he was looking at “porno”.
    I thought they had blocked most of that crap, If he’s using a VPN he got through though.
    Point being, he’s never been asked to leave, ever..

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  27. This is their solution.

    Starbucks says it will close its more than 8,000 U.S. stores for several hours next month to conduct racial-bias training to its nearly 175,000 workers.

    The announcement comes after two black men were arrested in a Philadelphia Starbucks store, sparking protests and calls for a boycott on social media.

    Starbucks Corp. says the stores will be closed on the afternoon on May 29. Its corporate offices will also be closed at that time.

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  28. I don’t find him to be a very good CEO. Stop talking and make this go away as quickly as possible. Although I still won’t be spending my money there😡

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    2. We just need our own like the days of the Black wall street which was burned down by the way. Segregation did not work for us period

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    4. For those of you who are advocating blacks open coffee shops, did you know that you can buy Starbucks franchises
      ********
      that’s okay. Instead of building our own we will just take our dollars elsewhere.

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  32. Aint gonna lie. And I am really extra serious about my coffee. Like will pay big money for a good cup of java. But this time I am with it. This incident just rubbed me the wrong way.

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  33. smdh……wonder what is this supposed to accomplish?? Racist folks are going to act racist, regardless of what kind of “sensitivity training” bullshit class they have….period. What is this class supposed to consist of??? I’m sooo interested in what type of material this class has…..

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  34. Took my $2.41 a day from Starbucks bc of this.. I’m just going to brew my own like I should of been doing all along instead of being lazy…

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  37. I try to support as many black-owned businesses as I can as often as I can. But I’m not always aware that some of these businesses exist. Sometimes it takes an incident like this for people to patronize black businesses. So now is def the time.

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  38. Starbucks should post signs “no loitering” like they do with the corner stores. Or how about “wi-fi use is available if you are a paying customer”. I see a lot of people come into coffee shops and buy a $3 cup of coffee and use the wi-fi for hours. I have also seen signs in coffee houses that wi-fi is limited to 30 minutes (example). So Starbucks should get with the program and start posting signs with policies

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  40. Too boycott or not to boycott? That is the question.
    Technically I been boycotted them because I never go 😆
    Still tuning into tonight’s show.
    Oh I don’t miss.

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  42. I worked at Starbucks for 9 years and there isn’t a such thing as loitering there. You absolutely do NOT have to buy a single item to sit in the cafe. People can come in and sit on their laptops for hours if they want. You have to treat everyone the same because everyone that comes in there is a potential buying customer. You also do not have to purchase anything to use the restroom, this manager was making up her own rules.

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  43. I said this yesterday if I was those black brothers I would lawyer up and sue Starbucks. Its Starbucks responsibility to make sure their employees aren’t racist. That initially falls back on the CEO. So yeah an apology is good but a check is much better. Fuck you, pay me.

    And Kevin Hart just needs to be quiet. I can’t stand him.

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    10. Hello Tracy
      Good to see👀you boo
      We gotta stop this once a week shit😂😂
      I need to hear you on the regular

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  45. Here is the truth in the rawest form. When you are hired at a company you are now the face of that company and the values and policies within it. A company takes risk with hiring who they deem to be the best face of their company because the consumers don’t see the CEO everyday they see the managers and team members that were hired.

    People are good at hiding their race face for a minute but please understand this manager has had a run in before this this was the escalation of whats been happening. Most people addressed probably just got up and left. These black men decided to stay and Tadaaa…RACEFACE!!

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  46. no other Starbucks would have this b!tch. she quit. there are 28 thousand Starbucks, according to the CEO, and all i see are 2 videos going around. if people actually patronized Starbucks, they would know that you cannot sleep in there but you can pretty much do anything else–like hang out without purchasing sh!t. that’s how they roll and their wi-fi is top notch, particularly for a free service. this particular b!tch was racist and that’s really all there is to the story. i’m sure out of 28 thousand, you are gonna find a handful of racist managers/baristas but this is not indicative of the Starbucks brand.

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  48. What she did was dangerous. And she did it covertly. Surprised the police on them. She’s a real POS. These police could have hurt these men. It could’ve turned out deadly for these 2 brothaz. I want to hear the tape of her call to the police. I want to hear how she described these men. THAT tape may be why the Starbucks CEO is acting right.

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  49. I really don’t know what retraining their employees will do? And how many blacks are employed by Starbucks? Can we Google that? I never spent my money there no way. So power to the people✊ pull ya black dollars out and let’s get our own. We are out numbered in everything it’s time we get the upper hand. We don’t need their bullshit.

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    1. she did, I think the CEO’s actions impressed her.
      she said boycott and maybe we’ll revisit the situation.
      I wonder how may people will use the free coupon?

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  56. Tracy after the reopening give it a few years if not a few months and they’ll be right back where they started. It’s not the training it’s the people you hire

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  59. Well seems the manager was following whatever she had been told to I’m sure they can fall Back on Loitering which some business will have it posted No Loitering however in this situation it’s a coffee shop and generally people do go to Network its crazy how the color of yo skin still has people intimidated and scared this is all society’s fault we r divided in everything we do judged on how u look how much money u make or don’t make we need to do better

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