What the Starbucks Philadelphia Incident Says about Bias and Discrimination

As I write this, I am drinking my Starbucks ice brewed coffee from a Starbucks cup. And I am debating throwing both in the trash.

A mere few days ago, in my home city, the city where I was born and raised, 2 men peacefully sat waiting for their friend to arrive at a Rittenhouse Square Starbucks. For whatever reason, the manager of this Starbucks chose to call the Philadelphia Police Department which escalated into the video you see below:

@Starbucks The police were called because these men hadn’t ordered anything. They were waiting for a friend to show up, who did as they were taken out in handcuffs for doing nothing. All the other white ppl are wondering why it’s never happened to us when we do the same thing. pic.twitter.com/0U4Pzs55Ci

— Melissa DePino (@missydepino) April 12, 2018

There is so much I could say about this one brief clip, I don’t know where to start.

This happened in a city I call home. This happened to my people in my city. This happens to my people in my city doing things that I and millions of other people do and have done without thought.

This could have happened to my friends, my brothers. This could have happened to me.

I have so many questions: How many people go to Starbucks to tap away on their laptops with or without ever making a purchase? How many people go to Starbucks to meet up with friends or colleagues, to sign paperwork or simply sit alone, with or without ever making a purchase? Why were the police called by this Rittenhouse Starbucks manager? What is the crime, other than just merely being Black?

The look of self protective resignation is probably the worst part of this whole episode. The faces of these men as they are shamefully cuffed and forced to leave the Starbucks, even while so many come to their defense is disheartening.

But can you blame them for not putting up a fight? With the unresolved murders and assaults of so many Black people, typically unarmed, typically doing normal things like walking home in a hoodie, playing outside, hanging with friends at a water park, or simply standing out back of our grandmother’s home by those who swore an oath to protect and serve, it is often confusing to know how to engage them. Oftentimes, we, citizens of another shade, meet them with a mixture anger and fear, you know, like we would a gang, except this one is backed by the law.

Anyone who has ever been to a Starbucks knows that it is the meet-up place in the city. So many people come to wait for friends, work on their laptops, sit and people watch without making a single purchase at all.

Why were these two singled out then? I was waiting for some details or back story or some reason for these men to be forcefully removed, you know, other than being black.

Black people have already proven the power of our dollar. H&M’s monkey hoodie is one of the latest examples of that. And while Starbucks has since issued apologies from company and directly from the CEO, swearing there will be an investigation, the damage has already been done. There is already a call to #boycottstarbucks.

The Philadelphia Police Department is equally culpable. Philly is no utopia. There are actual crimes to be solved here. And yet a half a dozen officers converge and then proceed to arrest two Black men who have done nothing but be law abiding citizens. It’s completely disgraceful and disgusting and needs to be addressed. I have to say that I am completely disappointed in Police Commissioner Richard Ross for defending these officers. When there was probably actual crimes to solve, here were way too many officers doing the wrong thing. And this was the Commissioner's chance to calm the city.and the watching nation. But what does he do but defend the incorrect behavior of his officers.

This entire situation is disgusting, but it made us take a good look at ourselves, from the barista who saw two black men sitting in Starbucks who called the police, to the officers who removed these men, to the customers who defended the men, to the protestors who converged on that same Starbucks Sunday. I am encouraged by the latter two. May more people have the guts to stand up when they see something wrong. May more of us come to each other's aide. May more of us call out discrimination or bigotry or sexism or racism aloud, especially those of us with privilege.

Philly. We have some work to do.