re: A black man's thoughts on the Starbucks fiasco

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Why does shite like this always have to be about race? Why does the black community get outraged and call for boycotts when something like this happens? Why can't it simply be handled by the two gentlemen who were wronged by the manager at the Starbucks?
T-Bird is right in so many ways....if you not feeling love at a business, then get the frick out of there and don't go back. We will never unite as a people as long as hate-mongers exploit every little situation like this one.
Here's hoping for a united America, where all races are equal.

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The emotions of being slighted are still being carried and passed on. The energy they are exerting isn't be put to good use, it's being wasted terribly. I know because I have wasted tons a time and energy when a clearer, better answer was there the whole time. Until the philosophy of self accountability and growth is instilled from birth, you won't see change and a truly beautiful potential come to be.

I challenge each and everyone of you on this board to find a common ground with a black youth and encourage and inspire him/her to be strong, independent and purposeful.

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Our coffee is colored white.

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See, this is the type of vital information we failed to uncover in the "Ask a black dude" thread.

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I challenge each and everyone of you on this board to find a common ground with a black youth and encourage and inspire him/her to be strong, independent and purposeful.

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How would an older white guy do this? Serious question.

I feel like the fringe movements of society are running the country. I'm sick about it.

You'll be accused of trying to destroy their culture by indoctrinating their youth with white male colonialist ideals.

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How would an older white guy do this? Serious question.

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Adoption.

OK seriously, do you live close to any local co-ops, or is there a predominately black church that has youth ministries that you can be involved in?

I know what MontyFranklyn is saying might sound a little cliche but it’s 100% true. There is a lack of vision and aspiration among a pretty large segment of black young people, which has been caused by a vicious cycle of fatherlessness generation after generation.

Nothing you personally can do to fix that, but connecting with a kid as mentor of some type would go a long way for that kid.

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Honestly, maybe the manager was racist.

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Almost certainly wasn't. Merely being influenced by the race of the gentlemen in this case does not equal racism. Racism is elevating (or lowering) one race above (below) the others on a relative value scale.

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But if I go to a business and they act funny about allowing me to use their restroom, and then they start telling me I'm not welcome there and to leave their establishment. Well, at that point I would be like "forget you too then, you will not be receiving any of my business again, ", and walk out.

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Which is sort of how America is supposed to work - we have these grainy images in our minds of segregated bathrooms, "colored" water fountains, the lunch counter, "back of the bus", etc., from ~50 (closer to 60) years ago. You know that's not happening. I know that's not happening. Al Sharpton knows that's not happening - at least not in any appreciable way.

Certainly it isn't Starbucks policy. And this does seem to be a situational deal - if they were paying customers, does anyone think for a second any of this would have gone down? I don't think so. She was trying to enforce a policy, they may or may not have gotten their backs up - it escalated (probably unnecessarily, and probably from both sides) and the cops got involved.

It's possible that nobody was "right" - and that communication would have been better than confrontation. But this is one of the silliest kerfuffles I've seen in a while. If anything Starbucks' clientele is already too white (and maybe Asian) - they probably WANT more black and latino customers to expand their share of the market.

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MontyFranklyn

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This dude gets it.

Watch out, Monty F! People will start to claim that you have “privilege”.

I agree.

I just wish that people would stop dictating what areas are socially acceptable to grow.

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I agree.

I just wish that people would stop dictating what areas are socially acceptable to grow.

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I don't think they want to dictate which areas are acceptable to grow, but they want more opportunity to grow them themselves. Too much corporate influence is bad imo, because it really doesn't reinvest in the community like it should. Instead of having the newly built structures or renovated structures be leased out to a corporate box, we should encourage a small independent owner to take the spot. Less chains and more local flair is better for thriving communities imo. Take for example downtown Tuscaloosa. It has been getting gentrified for years now and is strong with small business owners. The same can be done anywhere, but you have to have the right people doing it.