Celebrities and activists are calling for Starbucks to be boycotted after the company has reminded its employees that wearing accessories, even in support of the noble Black Lives Matter cause, would be a violation of dress code.
According to an internal memo obtained by Buzzfeed, Starbucks doesn’t want employees donning any Black Lives Matter attire — pins, buttons, t-shirts, etc. — because there are people who “misconstrue” the movement and the sight of such items could lead to violence in stores.
That report was all it took for the company to find itself the latest target of social media mobs as #BoycottStarbucks began earning thousands of tweets and trending on the social media site.
“We boycotting Starbucks,” musician SZA tweeted on Thursday, then asking her followers to share the names and locations of black-owned coffee shops to support.
Musician Katie Mowgley joined the call for a protest, as did other celebrities.
Just found out @Starbucks is catering to the comfort of their racist customers by asking their staff not to wear anything in support of @Blklivesmatter so I won’t be visiting them and I’ll be telling EVERYONE I KNOW to boycott them as well. #boycottstarbucks
Remember when they wrote "Let's talk about racism!" on the cups? Remember when they closed for half a day because 2 Black men were arrested for being Black at a @Starbucks?
Others went after the company for previously releasing a public statement showing solidarity with the Black Lives movement, as well as allowing employees to wear LGTQ attire.
Despite this post on June 4, Starbucks stated in an internal memo that Black Lives Matter attire was prohibited due to its dress code policy. But Starbucks not only exempts LGBTQ buttons and attire, it hands them out. #BoycottStarbuckshttps://t.co/KTi74mtGnZpic.twitter.com/Zzpa7xwUaw
Besides outright boycotting the company, other suggestions included forcing employees to write “black lives matter” on cups — the company writes customers’ requested names on their cups before serving.
If Starbucks is saying #BlackLivesMatter attire is prohibited, and you end up there, Make "Black Lives Matter" your name so they have to write it on the cup and shout it out loud. "Black Lives Matter! Your frappacino is ready! "BLACK LIVES MATTER! Order up!"#BoycottStarbuckspic.twitter.com/yYEnIOon61
“This is GLORIOUS. Starbucks sent an internal memo banning employees from wearing any Black Lives Matter shirts or pins because it violates their policy against advocating for a ‘political, religious or personal issue’ at work … This, after they publicly endorsed the movement! Haha,” conservative author Mark Dice tweeted.
