Starbucks Employee Calls Police on Two Black Men Waiting for a Meeting

A Starbucks employee in Philadelphia has led to an arrest that many are describing as racially motivated after they called the police on two black men who were waiting for their friend to meet them before ordering something. The two men were arrested as caucasian customers were telling the police the two men were not doing anything, as their friend spoke to the police in their defense, and pointing out the racism inherent in the situation.

The footage of the arrest is below.

This is a hideous situation that is another example of the constant abuse that our society inflicts on the black community. Melissa DePino, the woman who originally posted the video, followed up with some more information, writing that the two men were released at 1:30 AM and were real estate brokers there to meet a family friend.

Starbucks has released an apology about the incident that many have called insufficient, and the hashtag #BoycottStarbucks has spread on Twitter, encouraging people to boycott the massive coffee shop chain until they can do right by the two men arrested.

Here are some responses to the incident.

And finally a word to you, the person who might be reading this. Most people minding their own business are not out to hurt you. If you’re afraid of a black person hanging out or reading a book or sitting in his car or walking down the street, the person with the problem is you, not him or her or them. If you are having a sincere problem, talk to them, don’t call the police. That’s it.

This situation was caught on video, but it’s repulsively common. I see it happening in Los Angeles more than I would like. So you, reading this, if you ever feel weird about seeing a black person near you, know that the person causing the problem is probably you. You can talk to the person, you might be in the right or you might be a jackass, but at least the police won’t be involved.

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