Hi Tamara,

Thanks for your response, but I think you are missing some key information that would better inform your outlook of what really happened in the Starbucks that fateful day.

You have given the conversation between the two Black men and the Starbucks manager more than actually happened. The Black men in question simply walked into the SB, asked to use the restroom, were refused because the had not yet made a purchase and, without any further discussion, chose to sit down to wait for their business partner before purchasing said coffee and using the bathroom. They were sitting there for only a few minutes before the police arrived on scene. They werent asked to leave. They were barely given time to sit down before the SB manager chose to call the police on them. You don’t have to take my word for it, here is a news story shot here in my hometown.

I have seen scenarios like this all the time. I write in coffee houses everyday, and most people who are waiting for a meeting will wait to make their purchases to keep their coffee hot and in an effort to be polite to the person that they are waiting for. The police call and presence was unnecessary. Starbucks is the national meet up spot, it is not like walking into a Chilis or Applebees and just occupying a booth just because. People do this in SB EVERY day. And if these two Black men are trespassing, then so are millions of other who do the same exact thing every single day and we should all get arrested. Because that is not the case and you don’t hear stories like this every day, then there is something unique this one can teach us.

Also, I don’t think its fair to put the burden on de-escalation on the gentlemen involved but rather on the police. Anyone (in fact the majority of the patrons there) saw that these men had created no crime and that the police’s presence was completely unnecessary. There was a more civilized and just way to resolve a matter that, in my mind and the minds of so many others, was a non issue. A properly trained officer would have saw this, made their observations, and left to go solve real crime, especially in a city as large as ours. It’s not the police’s job to be the goons for uncomfortable white people.

As far as being “raised right”, I am sure that you were also raised to be objective and look at all of the facts in the case before responding, but from your reaction, it looks like I might be wrong. And as far as your lack of understanding when it came to even reacting to my story, it shows your own implicit bias exhibited by your usage of the word “perpetrator” which is defined as “a person who perpetrates, or commits, an illegal, criminal, or evil act.” These men were arrested, yes, and detained, but charged with NOTHING, therefore they do not qualify as perpetrators of any kind, that is, unless the crime they have committed is being Black.

May I suggest you too undergo some implicit bias training.

Have a lovely day.