“Black lives matter,” Starbucks wrote on social media last week, amid widespread anti-racist protests in the United States and across the world.
“We are committed to being a part of change.”
“We will continue to work to confront bias and racism,” the statement adds.
But Starbucks is curtailing its employees’ ability to be a part of that work. The company has banned workers from wearing clothing or accessories that support the Black Lives Matter movement, according to an internal memo seen by Buzzfeed News.
That memo cites the company dress code, noting that workers cannot wear accessories that “advocate a political, religious or personal issue.”
“Clothing and accessories highlight Black Lives Matter do not currently adhere to policy,” the memo adds. “You can show support for black partners by wearing the Black Partner Network’s ‘Keep It Brewing’ t-shirt.”
Employees who spoke to Buzzfeed News noted that the company gives workers clothing and accessories that advocates for queer rights.
The memo adds that, according to Vice President of Inclusion and Diversity Zing Shaw, “there are agitators who misconstrue the fundamental principles of the Black Lives Matter movement — and in certain circumstances, intentionally repurpose them to amplify divisiveness.”
Isaac Scher – Insider – June 11, 2020.
