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Starbucks Campaign Already Inspiring Awkward Conversations About Race
National Public Radio ^ | March 18, 2015 | Kat Chow

Posted on 03/19/2015 10:53:15 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

"It's also interesting because I'm actually black, but you assumed otherwise," Jay Smooth told Nancy Giles.

Starbucks' campaign to get people talking about race has already birthed a very public, very cringeworthy conversation about race. Jay Smooth, a radio DJ and video blogger, was on MSNBC's All In With Chris Hayes Tuesday night, discussing the coffee company's "Race Together" campaign with fellow guest Nancy Giles, a contributor to CBS Sunday Morning.

As they discussed the efficacy of a campaign like Race Together — with Giles defending it and Smooth pushing back — Hayes played one of Smooth's most popular videos, "How To Tell Someone They Sound Racist."

"It's another interesting, funny thing about race," Giles said, after the clip ran. "There would be some people that feel that you co-opted something like that, and other people might feel like that's his background and that's really cool, too."

(VIDEO-AT-LINK)

Giles playfully needled Smooth for being a white guy imitating a black guy.

Except.

"It's also interesting because I'm actually black, but you assumed otherwise. And this is the sort of awkwardness that we can look forward to at Starbucks across America," Smooth said, dropping the mic. (Metaphorically, of course, since they were all wearing lavaliers.)

All right, folks. We've asked you in the past about your Starbucks names. But what was the most memorable experience you've had where someone has mistaken you for a different race or ethnicity, or you've mistaken someone for being something he is not? Holler at us in the comments.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Chit/Chat; Food; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: coffee; conversation; ilikemineblack; race; racism; starbucks; whites
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1 posted on 03/19/2015 10:53:15 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Best idea since #askhamas


2 posted on 03/19/2015 10:57:01 AM PDT by Genoa (Starve the beast.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

It seems like some black folks have a burning need to scold white people.


3 posted on 03/19/2015 10:57:29 AM PDT by skeeter
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Does Starbucks have any coffee where you have to say Whipped ?


4 posted on 03/19/2015 10:57:45 AM PDT by molson209 (Blank)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I firmly believe that white people have moved on since the 50s and race is not a problem. I can’t speak for any other ethnicity.


5 posted on 03/19/2015 10:59:23 AM PDT by DonaldC (A nation cannot stand in the absence of religious principle.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Do I have to say “straight” instead of “black”? Or is that homophobic? Maybe “unsugared and uncreamed”?


6 posted on 03/19/2015 10:59:26 AM PDT by Genoa (Starve the beast.)
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To: molson209

I will have a Venti Don’t-Loot Mocha Java, please.


7 posted on 03/19/2015 11:00:22 AM PDT by petercooper ("How To Destroy The Country In 6 Short Years" by Barack Obama & the Democrats)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

This will end with Starbucks being sued by a minority claiming to have been racially offended. Well, the actual ending will be myself, laughing.


8 posted on 03/19/2015 11:00:25 AM PDT by ryan71 (Bibles, Beans and Bullets)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Knew a white family from South African. Family line dated back well over a 100yrs. They emigrated to the US. Self-identified as “African-American,” because, well, because they were.

When their daughter first selected that ethnic identifier on a school form, the teachers told her “no, you are not.” Daughter resisted and was sent to Vice Principal’s office where she refused his direction. . .parents called and they set the school straight, there were born and raised in South Africa, they were now American citizens and therefore, were now African-Americans.

They won that battle.

9 posted on 03/19/2015 11:00:50 AM PDT by Hulka
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To: Hulka

Yep, and I’m native American.


10 posted on 03/19/2015 11:02:47 AM PDT by Genoa (Starve the beast.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I am itching to go into SB to discuss the rebel flag or affirmative action.


11 posted on 03/19/2015 11:02:55 AM PDT by The_Media_never_lie (The media must be defeated any way it can be done.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

If I were an employee, and Schwartz ordered me to do this, I would look him in the eye, and ask him why he doesn’t hire black people?

He doesn’t.

POS hypocrite.


12 posted on 03/19/2015 11:03:53 AM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (My Batting Average( 1,000) (GOPe is that easy to read))
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To: Hulka

Science says we all came from Africa, so we should all identify that way, right? That should throw them for a loop. LOL


13 posted on 03/19/2015 11:04:27 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.)
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To: The_Media_never_lie

Or maybe discussing that rat faced bigot Al Sharpton.


14 posted on 03/19/2015 11:07:00 AM PDT by tom paine 2
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Ask the Starbuckers who should pay the property owners reparations for their $250 million loss because of the racist thug who started all this violence when he robbed a convenience store and then came after a cop in a violent fashion.

The thug's family?
Eric Holder?
Al Sharpton?
The dimwit's in the media hungry for a race war?

Ask political questions back if the Starbuck folk pester you about race.

I would begin a discussion about the Global Warming Scam if they want to talk politics.

A very good answer posted here yesterday was:

“They have a better deal down at the mission. You get a free cup of coffee after you listen to their sermon.”

15 posted on 03/19/2015 11:09:07 AM PDT by PATRIOT1876
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To: stephenjohnbanker

And you might also ask him to tell you the number of Starbuck’s in ghettos and barrios. I’ve never seen one.

Schulz is a putz.


16 posted on 03/19/2015 11:09:20 AM PDT by txrefugee
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
My story on race.

I made a good living selling computer equipment in the late 80’s and early 90’s in a call center at an early superstore.

One of my biggest customers was an AA district south of Dallas.

I finally met a coach and tech director in ‘92. Found out that they all thought I was black. To them I look fairly white.

Sales died out within a week.

I am as mixed race as any mongrel in the pound, but just wasn't the “correct” race.

17 posted on 03/19/2015 11:10:56 AM PDT by texas booster (Join FreeRepublic's Folding@Home team (Team # 36120) Cure Alzheimer's!)
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To: skeeter
It seems like some black folks have a burning need to scold white people.

Some do have a chip on their shoulder. I used to manage a business in a mostly black part of town. For a time I thought every one of our customers was a raging black racist. But over time I figured out that it was the same two to three dozen idiots who kept coming in all the time.


18 posted on 03/19/2015 11:12:46 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

ping


19 posted on 03/19/2015 11:13:55 AM PDT by SWAMPSNIPER (The Second Amendment, a Matter of Fact, Not A Matter of Opinion)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

This obsession on race is damaging to the United States. Obozo has set us back 20 years, minimum.


20 posted on 03/19/2015 11:14:06 AM PDT by cld51860 (Volo pro veritas)
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