NEW YORK – Starbucks has come up with an official statement has come out announcing that it will close its 8,000 company-owned stores in the United States for one afternoon to educate employees about racial bias. The racial bias training will be provided on May 29 to about 175,000 workers.
Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson said in a statement, “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.”
This announcement came in after two black men being arrested in Philadelphia Starbucks while they were waiting for a friend, reported The Washington Post.
Kevin met the arrested on Monday and apologized for the ordeal they had to go through. It has also been reported that the manager who prompted the arrest is no longer working for the company.
“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,” added Kevin Johnson.
