Starbucks will close more than 8K stores on May 29 for racial bias training

Starbucks announced its closing more than 8,000 stores in the United States on May 29 to conduct racial bias training for its staff.

Training will be provided for about 175,000 employees across the country, with the purpose of preventing future discrimination in its stores after two men of colour were recently arrested inside a Starbucks in Philadelphia while waiting for a friend.

“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,” said Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson. “While this is not limited to Starbucks, we’re committed to being a part of the solution. 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.”

The curriculum is being developed by Bryan Stevenson, founder of Equal Justice Initiative; Sherrilyn Ifill, president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund; Heather McGhee, president of Demos; former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder; and Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League.

"The company's founding values are based on humanity and inclusion," said Howard Schultz executive chairman.

Schultz, Johnson and other senior Starbucks leaders went to Philadelphia to meet with community leaders and Starbucks partners.

"We will learn from our mistakes and reaffirm our commitment to creating a safe and welcoming environment for every customer."

(Feature photo by Starbucks).