Starbucks Arrests Two African-American Men

Natalie Valiente, Staff Writer

Public outrage over the arrest of two African-American men at a downtown Starbucks in Philadelphia sparked a corporate crisis that led the company to take the step of announcing it would close many of their stores in May to train employees on racial biases.

Two men had walked in to use the restrooms, but were told that they were for customers only. They then proceeded to sit at a table without ordering anything. The manager then called the police to remove the men from the premises. According to CNN, the phone call made to the police said the following: “Hi, I have two gentlemen at my café that are refusing to make a purchase or leave. I’m at the Starbucks at 18th and Spruce.” This occurred last Thursday shortly after 4:30 p.m.

The incident led to protests at the Rittenhouse Square location and a lot of criticism on social media. The arrests sparked accusations of racial profiling by both the company and the police.

According to The Post, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson met with the two men the following Monday and apologized for how they were treated. The manager who called the police is also no longer working.

ERHS senior Stephanie Reyes, who is a frequent Starbucks buyer, said that “there was no need for anyone to be arrested. There are many people who just come in to Starbucks to sit and work on their laptops.” Senior Jasmine Johnson, who works at the Starbucks in Greenbelt, said that there was definetly prejudice because no arrest would be made if the same thing happened at [her] store.”