Starbucks ‘Race Together’ Campaign Mocked, Public Relations VP Deletes Twitter Account
Starbucks’ “Race Together” campaign has prompted a significant amount of backlash and sarcasm. Corey duBrowa, the public relations vice president for Starbucks, deleted the Twitter account used to promote the chat with a barista about racism campaign.
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz told his baristas to write Race Together on cups before they are given to customers to encourage a discussion about race relations in the United States. The Starbucks Race Together promotion has been mocked relentlessly online and deemed “patronizing” by folks from a multitude races and cultural backgrounds.
Starbucks’ #RaceTogether invites customers to talk about race. Uses only white hands in related photos: pic.twitter.com/GxQysqnghF via @vidalwuu
— Dina Pomeranz (@dinapomeranz) March 17, 2015
Corey duBrowa had something to say about the Starbucks Race Together campaign and the closure of his Twitter account.
“I felt personally attacked in a cascade of negativity. I got overwhelmed by the volume and tenor of the discussion, and I reacted [by closing Twitter account] most of all, I was concerned about becoming a distraction from the respectful conversation around Race Together that we have been trying to create. No matter how ugly the discussion has been since I shut my account down, I’m reaffirming my belief in the power of meaningful, civil, thoughtful, respectful open conversation ?—? on Twitter and everywhere else.”
There were also Starbucks Race Together tweets mocking Howard Schultz and debating the race relations in America promotion.
The best Twitter responses to Starbucks’ cringe-inducing #RaceTogether campaign http://t.co/uvtI21yNMo pic.twitter.com/fCFDvfE1J8
— Salon.com (@Salon) March 17, 2015
Suggest we all #RaceTogether Away from @Starbucks I am going to @DunkinDonuts today to get mine
— AppSame (@AppSame) March 18, 2015
This isn’t…what I wanted. pic.twitter.com/jQff1jvQtL
— Brianna Leigh (@raininblack) March 18, 2015
When is #RaceTogether scheduled to end? Because I’m going nowhere near @Starbucks until I know they’re not going to jump me with this crap
— Joe the Dissident (@joethepatriotic) March 18, 2015
Ask your @Starbucks barista why there are zero Starbucks in Ferguson, Missouri. Then tell them to enjoy a hot cup of STFU. #RaceTogether
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) March 18, 2015
So Starbucks wants to talk to me about this #RaceTogether thing…. OK…. fine…. but they better be ready for a non-liberal response
— Dagwood Bumstead (@Daggy1) March 18, 2015
We’re committed to doing our part to address race relations in the US. We’ll have more to say on #RaceTogether tomorrow.
— Starbucks Coffee (@Starbucks) March 18, 2015
I can’t wait to have a @Starbucks barista with a PhD in poetry hand me my coffee and talk to me about white guilt. #RaceTogether
— Nat Shupe (@NatShupe) March 17, 2015
It’s worth a little discomfort. Here’s the what and the why of #RaceTogether. http://t.co/jO56LvKeO8
— Starbucks Coffee (@Starbucks) March 17, 2015
Starbucks #RaceTogether might work better if black people were as stupid as hipster white people willing to pay 4-5 bucks for cuppa coffee
— Gary Newsom (@garynew59) March 17, 2015
What do you think about the Starbucks Race Together campaign? Does a race relations problem exist in America?
[Image via: Twitter]
