There wasn’t any ‘danger’. They wussed out...
They were being blackmailed. The usual scenario is to request ‘donations’ to the local black leaders’ causes. If no donations are forthcoming the company is told in no uncertain terms that they will be boycotted. It’s a model perfected by Jesse Jackson who managed to get ‘donations’ from every large company, newspaper, tv station, etc. That’s the reality of race politics.
Trader Joes was smart enough to not even get into that dance.