Starbucks Is Now Encouraging Their Baristas To Discuss Race-Relations With Customers Because Apparently They Want You To Go Elsewhere

Fortune - CEO Howard Schultz has never shied away from involving his company in controversial debates, whether those debates are about same-sex marriage, or gun control, or U.S. government gridlock. But the executive, who oversees a coffee empire with 4,700 U.S. stores, has now taken on arguably the most polarizing political debate in the United States: race relations. Starbucks published a full page ad in the New York Timeson Sunday — a stark, black, page with a tiny caption “Shall We Overcome?” in the middle, and the words “RaceTogether” with the company logo, on the bottom right. The ad, along with a similar one on Monday in USA Today, is part of an initiative launched this week by the coffee store chain to stimulate conversation and debate about the race in America by getting employees to engage with customers about the perennially hot button subject. Beginning on Monday, Starbucks baristas will have the option as they serve customers to hand cups on which they’ve handwritten the words “Race Together” and start a discussion about race.

Nooo fucking thanks. This is how a trip to Starbucks works: I stand in a line for way too long, I mumble my order because I can never remember which is bigger Grande or Tall, you swipe my card, you hand me my overpriced, shitty coffee, and that’s it. I do not need to engage in a conversation with those min-wage peasants, nevermind about race relations. The last thing I need to do is to attempt talking to some fat chick with hipster rimmed glasses on about race before her shift ends so she can go to her women’s studies class at the local community college. If any one of those Starbucks assholes even tries to talk to me about the weather, never mind the political ramifications of Ferguson, I will drop a nuclear bomb on their store. Just give me my coffee and shut the fuck up.