Starbucks has announced they will close on May 29 for employee racial-bias training, following the controversial arrest of two black men in one of their stores
The announcement, reported by AP, also details that the company’s corporate offices will close that day as well. According to reports, the training day will affect 8,000 Starbucks locations, and around 175,000 employees.
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“I’ve spent the last few days in Philadelphia with my leadership team listening to the community, learning what we did wrong and the steps we need to take to fix it,” Kevin Johnson, Starbucks’ CEO, said in a statement.
“While this is not limited to Starbucks, we’re committed to being a part of the solution,” he added, as reported by CNN. “Closing our stores for racial bias training is just one step in a journey that requires dedication from every level of our company and partnerships in our local communities.”
Starbucks will be working closely with former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund President Sherrilyn Ifill, and Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt to design a racial-bias education program that will be applicable to all employees.
Executives from the progressive think tank Equal Justice Initiative and Demos will also contriute to the program, and all of the experts involved will subsequently review the effectiveness of the training when applied to daily occupational situations.
The move comes after the widely reported arrest of two black men who entered a Starbucks in Philadelphia and sat down to wait for a friend. They reportedly asked to use the bathroom but were told it was for paying customers only.
After continuing to wait, an employee of the store called the police and had the men arrested for trespassing. No charges were filed and the men were eventually released from jail. The employee who called law enforcement no longer works at the store, but it was not made clear if she resigned or was fired.
A Starbucks spokesperson also revealed that Johnson met with the two men who were arrested and apologized to them in-person for the way they were treated.
In a separate statement following the arrests, Johnson said the incident had a “reprehensible outcome” and assured the public that he has “immediately begun a thorough investigation” of the company’s practices.
“In addition to our own review, we will work with outside experts and community leaders to understand and adopt best practices,” Johnson added. “The video shot by customers is very hard to watch and the actions in it are not representative of our Starbucks Mission and Values.”
