Starbucks is closing about 1,100 Canadian locations for anti-bias training Monday afternoon in a bid to make its stores more inclusive after the April arrest of two black men at one of its Philadelphia locations.
The four-hour training sessions that begin at 3 p.m. involve sharing experiences, listening to experts, reflecting on the realities of bias in society and talking about how employees can create public spaces where everyone feels like they belong.
In a media sneak peek of the training, the Seattle-based company said the sessions will begin with a video message from Starbucks Canada president Michael Conway, where he notes that the exercises were triggered by a B次元官网网址渧ery regretful event.B次元官网网址� The April incident in Philadelphia B次元官网网址� in which two men were arrested after a Starbucks employee called the police on them B次元官网网址� prompted the company to close its 8,000 U.S. locations for training last month.
B次元官网网址淵ou may think this does not relate to us in Canada, but it does,B次元官网网址� Conway said in the video. B次元官网网址淭he world is changing and we are not immune to the complexities or biases and neither are our customers or our communities.B次元官网网址�
Conway said Starbucks locations grapple with issues around homelessness, language barriers and B次元官网网址滳anadians that simply appear very different from one of us,B次元官网网址� but he believes the training will B次元官网网址渙nly strengthen our resolve to make sure every customer feels welcome every time.B次元官网网址�
Following his introduction, employees will break into groups of between three and five people to go through a 68-page book of exercises.
The materials ask employees to discuss the first time they noticed their B次元官网网址渞acial identity,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址渉ad a friend of a different race who regularly visited your home,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址渇elt distracted at work because of external events related to race,B次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址渨ent to work with your natural hair without comments or questions from others.B次元官网网址�
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The booklet references biases that negatively impact African American customers, but also asks broad questions around inclusion and diversity. It does not include direct references to issues faced by customers and employees of other races, of Indigenous backgrounds or those identifying as LGBTQ or having a disability.
The workbook is supplemented with videos from Starbucks executives, including board members and founder Howard Schultz, rapper and diversity advocate Common and inclusion experts.
Tomee Elizabeth Sojourner-Campbell, a Toronto-based consultant focusing on human rights compliance, diversity and inclusion, reviewed the materials Starbucks provides its stores with and said she thought it should be more tailored to Canada because the country has its own history of anti-black racism and challenges faced by stores are not uniform throughout the country.
She also wanted to see more acknowledgment of not only race, but issues around appearance, perceptions around mobility and ability to pay for goods.
B次元官网网址淚 would have expected them to actually address issues related to consumer racial profiling,B次元官网网址� said Sojourner-Campbell, noting that the term is not even included in the glossary or list of themes the workbooks have, but was at the heart of the incident in Philadelphia.
B次元官网网址淭hat seems very odd to meB次元官网网址� I think they could have directly responded to it with a series of scenarios about what to do if there is consumer racial profiling. Bias training only gets people to point A, understanding that they have some semblance of a bias.B次元官网网址�
She chalked StarbucksB次元官网网址� training up as a B次元官网网址減ublic relations response,B次元官网网址� but said it is a good way for the company to take stock of what it happening in its stores.
B次元官网网址淒o I think four hours and this commitment will prevent a future complaint about consumer racial profiling? It is unlikely,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭he complaints are not driven by the intent of the business or the employee, but the experience of the individual.B次元官网网址�
She said she expected that the training would create B次元官网网址渢he Starbucks effect,B次元官网网址� where other companies assess how they can be more inclusive and consider measures like Starbucks.
In the wake of the Philadelphia incident, Starbucks said it is providing all locations with lists of ways they can access mental health, substance abuse and housing services and committing to ongoing education and development for staff.
It also promised to tackle the circumstances that led to the training.
B次元官网网址淲hether a person makes a purchase or not, they are welcome in our spaces,B次元官网网址� said chief operating officer Roz Brewer in training videos.
B次元官网网址淭his includes the use of restrooms, cafes and patios B次元官网网址� regardless of whether a person makes a purchase, they would be considered a customer.
The Canadian Press
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