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Why Is There No Starbucks Coffee House in Selma? [or Ferguson, or many other black cities]
cnsnews.com ^ | March 19, 2015 | Jen Kuznicki

Posted on 03/19/2015 7:46:24 PM PDT by grundle

Starbucks executive Corey duBrowa recently deleted his twitter account, after what he said were abusive comments as a result of his push for a campaign in which his baristas were to engage with customers about race relations.

"I was personally attacked through my Twitter account around midnight last night and the tweets represented a distraction from the respectful conversation we are trying to start around Race Together," duBrowa said. "I’ll be back on Twitter soon."

But the whole point of the conversations he promoted, was to get people talking about what is uncomfortable, and controversial. It seems childish to delete his own twitter account over it.

A story from fastcocreate.com showed just what happens when you walk into a Starbucks wanting to engage in a discussion on race. Pretty much nothing. The baristas are young kids, just trying to do their job and get through the day, and are kind of embarrassed to even bring it up. I kind of feel sorry for them.

It is the fault of the mindless executives who put the Starbucks’ employees through this, which is why I’m not a big fan of boycotts. It’s not the employee’s fault, they just have a job to do, and the money at the top is usually not as hurt as the kids making coffee.

But a friend of mine named Paul made a brilliant point.

If Starbucks wants us to talk about race, let’s start with why they don’t have Starbucks Coffee Houses in some of America’s cities that are mostly black, or have had a racially charged history?

My friend looked up various cities, and found that there are no Starbucks Coffee Houses in many of them.

Places like Highland Park, Michigan, which is at the center of Detroit, is inhabited by a population that is 94 percent African-American. Or in Benton Harbor, Michigan, which is almost 90 percent African-American. There is not a Starbucks in either town.

There is not a Starbucks in East St. Louis, Illinois, in which 98 percent of the population is African-American. Nor is there one in Gary, Indiana, whose population is 85 percent African-American.

The recent remembrance of the march on Selma, Alabama had the president walking down the street with many people who fought for civil rights, but once again, Selma doesn’t have a Starbucks. Neither does Ferguson, Missouri.

Here is the point, if Starbucks wants to have a conversation about race, perhaps they should explain why they are not accessible to most of those they claim to advocate for and champion. If being of a different race than white is higher on their list of desirables, why isn’t Starbucks putting their money where their mouth is?


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; US: Missouri
KEYWORDS: ferguson; missouri; starbucks
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To: grundle

Does Starbucks take ebit?


41 posted on 03/19/2015 8:55:45 PM PDT by right way right
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To: Oberon
It's not race that's keeping them out of places like East St. Louis, it's class.

Nice try, but I see Starbucks joints in various downscale communities that happen to be mostly white.

More to the point though is, the social commentary on the hypocrisy of the left wingers: They insist on defining "racism" by means of "disparate impact," I.e., if the effect is different on different racial groups, that's racism, no matter what the obvious rationale might be. By left wingers' own criteria therefore, Starbucks is indeed "racist."

42 posted on 03/19/2015 9:03:49 PM PDT by hinckley buzzard
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To: grundle

Does Starbucks take EBT?


43 posted on 03/19/2015 9:06:46 PM PDT by Kickass Conservative (Advertising Space Available here.)
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To: Balding_Eagle
Oh, I get it... it's desirable to believe that Starbucks is racist because they're leftist.

Sorry... I work in an industry where race comes WAY behind profit as a consideration for how to do business. In fact, as far as I can tell, it's not part of the picture at all at the company in which I work. Because that's not part of my world, it didn't occur to me that I should prefer to believe that Starbucks is racist.

Sorry about that. I'll mend my thinking.

44 posted on 03/19/2015 9:07:24 PM PDT by Oberon (John 12:5-6)
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To: Nifster

Can you use an EBT card at Starbucks?


45 posted on 03/19/2015 9:07:43 PM PDT by Kozak ("It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal" Henry Kissinger)
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To: GOPJ

#BlackCoffeeMatters


46 posted on 03/19/2015 9:09:52 PM PDT by Kozak ("It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal" Henry Kissinger)
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To: right way right

Didn’t see your Post before I Posted.

You beat me to it. LOL


47 posted on 03/19/2015 9:10:17 PM PDT by Kickass Conservative (Advertising Space Available here.)
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To: Oberon

No, it has nothing to do with them being Leftist, it has to do with their decision not to locate any stores in Black areas. The decision is clearly based on race.

One simply has to look at the outcome.

That charge is so serious no other evidence should be considered.


48 posted on 03/19/2015 9:16:04 PM PDT by Balding_Eagle (The Gruber Revelations are proof that God is still smiling on America.)
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To: grundle
There may be a reason.

Does Starbucks take EBT cards?

49 posted on 03/19/2015 9:16:45 PM PDT by Gritty (Between Iran and ISIS, the enemy of my enemy is ... my enemy! - Benjamin Netanyahu)
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To: Oberon

Upscale?

Picky?

The one in my town must be bizzaro world Starbucks.


50 posted on 03/19/2015 10:11:26 PM PDT by lacrew
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To: Balding_Eagle

You’re good at hitting all the hot buttons... good enough that you really ought to get out your /s for “sarcasm.”

Nice work.


51 posted on 03/19/2015 10:20:19 PM PDT by Oberon (John 12:5-6)
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To: Oberon

Twenty miles away, east...there are five Starbucks in Birmingham. I would agree...they only put them in places where people with cash hang out and would pay $4 for a cup of coffee. Gadsden has yet to get a franchise. Guntersville has yet to get one. Generally, it’s hard to convince a guy from Alabama (I’m one) to pay $4 for coffee. My max is generally $1.25 and then things top out.

When I worked at the Pentagon, I tried the Green Tea at Starbucks...which I agree is four-star. However, when you start talking of four bucks for a medium-sized cup of ice tea....something is wrong. If Starbucks ever made a grilled cheese sandwich....I’d take a guess that they’d charge a hefty seven bucks for it.


52 posted on 03/19/2015 10:53:58 PM PDT by pepsionice
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To: justa-hairyape

“Actually for 2 bucks you can get a tall blond at Starbucks”

Wow! That’s much better than the price just outside Reno!


53 posted on 03/19/2015 10:58:22 PM PDT by VanShuyten ("a shadow...draped nobly in the folds of a gorgeous eloquence.")
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To: grundle

they don’t sell ‘foty’ ounce of Cobra’s there.. they’d have to change their whole marketing strategy....


54 posted on 03/20/2015 12:32:38 AM PDT by 22ndMEUMarine
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To: grundle
Never been to a Starbucks in my life and this just reinforces to me why. Ain't no way, no how I'd ever consider going to one of these liberal enclaves. Ever.

A bunch of looney-bin leftists pushing their agenda off on to their customers? Sounds like a recipe for a punch in the face to me.

55 posted on 03/20/2015 3:08:20 AM PDT by HotHunt
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To: GOPJ
I think the black community should sue Starbucks

You're probably being sarcastic, but you know what? Starbucks wants us to talk about race, but they haven't done anything to have their brand succeed in any but the neighborhoods that meet their image expectations.

Can't you just see that new Starbucks in the same strip mall as Rally's, White Castle, and that convenience store selling junk foods, beer, tobacco, and marijuana-related products? Will those folk have to say "grande" to get a 20oz coffee?

I love it when Starbucks gets tripped up in their own prejudices, of which they seem to have no self-awareness.

56 posted on 03/20/2015 4:35:02 AM PDT by grania
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To: MeshugeMikey

That would be “needs me a”


57 posted on 03/20/2015 4:37:23 AM PDT by DungeonMaster (No one can come to me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.)
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To: grundle

Like all smart sales businesses, they do demographic studies when determining whether or not it is worth while to put a business somewhere. If the numbers don’t add up, the business doesn’t go up.


58 posted on 03/20/2015 5:25:12 AM PDT by trebb (Where in the the hell has my country gone?)
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To: grundle
But the whole point of the conversations he promoted, was to get people talking about what is uncomfortable, and controversial. It seems childish to delete his own twitter account over it.

You can't be a liberal unless you're childish.

59 posted on 03/20/2015 5:29:16 AM PDT by Colonel_Flagg (You're either in or in the way.)
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To: grania
Can't you just see that new Starbucks in the same strip mall as Rally's, White Castle, and that convenience store selling junk foods, beer, tobacco, and marijuana-related products? Will those folk have to say "grande" to get a 20oz coffee?

Starbucks - like most white liberal elites - are clueless about race - and about themselves...

60 posted on 03/20/2015 7:15:19 AM PDT by GOPJ (Gore: Punish those who buck 'accepted science' as was done to Galileo Galilei -freeper Darksheare)
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