Starbucks to keep 800 stores closed in the US on May 29 for anti-racial training
Los Angeles, Apr 18 (IBNS): American coffeehouse chain Starbucks will keep its 800 stores in the US closed on May 29 to give anti-racial training to its employees, media reports said.
Starbucks's announcement came following the protest over the arrest of two black men at the coffee shop.
About 175,000 workers will be given the training on May 29.
Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson was quoted by CNN as saying, "I've spent the last few days in Philadelphia with my leadership team listening to the community, learning what we did wrong and the steps we need to take to fix it."
"While this is not limited to Starbucks, we're committed to being a part of the solution...Closing our stores for racial bias training is just one step in a journey that requires dedication from every level of our company and partnerships in our local communities" he said.
Former Attorney General Eric Holder will guide the training session.
The incident occurred on Thursday when two black men were denied access to washroom inside the coffee shop by an employee.
The employee told them the washroom can be used only by paying customers.
When the two sat in the coffee shop without ordering anything, the manager called the police. The police then arrested the two for trespassing but did not charge them.
Johnson later met the two men and apologized for the incident.
Image: facebook.com/Starbucks
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