All Starbucks stores in the US will be closing on May 29th to spend the day training baristas to be non-biased about the race and appearance of their customers. This decision was made after two black men were arrested at a cafe in Philadelphia for supposedly “loitering without making a purchase”.

On April 12th, two black men were waiting in a Starbucks for a friend to arrive, and a white store manager decided to call the police after one of the men asked to use the restroom and was turned down for not buying anything. Both men reported that they were not doing anything wrong, and the arrest resulted in extreme backlash against the coffee company.

The decision to train employees has been viewed in both positive and negative ways by baristas. Some believe that this will be beneficial to the company, while others think they should not be held responsible for the actions of their manager and the issue is too vast for the company to approach.”I personally think that it’s almost Starbucks trying to save their a–es, which makes sense since it’s such a huge corporation,” said Celine Serrano, a Filipino barista in Virginia.

A protest arose from the incident when people of all races surrounded Starbucks stores to show their indignation towards the situation. Many believe that the problem of discrimination in business is being approached far too late and deserves more than a day of training. Others believe that it is shameful but not surprising, and they are disappointed by how normal these occurrences are. Still, the idea that the company is taking action and addressing the issue is being admired by those who want closure.

Starbucks representatives have announced their decision to train all employees and treat this issue seriously, and have been speaking to experts on racial bias in order to make the correct moves.