>> OVER THE WEEKEND A VIDEO WENT VIRAL ON SOCIAL MEDIA FEATURING
TWO BLACK MEN WHO GOT ARRESTED AT A STARBUCKS.
THIS STORY BEGAN WHEN THE TWO HAD GONE TO THIS PARTICULAR
STARBUCKS IN PHILLY AND THEY WERE WAITING FOR A REAL ESTATE
DEVELOPER IN ORDER TO HAVE THIS MEETING ABOUT POSSIBLE
INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
THE TWO HAD NOT PURCHASED ANYTHING AT THE STARBUCKS.
AT ONE POINT ONE OF THESE MEN WENT UP TO A WORKER AND ASKED
FOR THE BATHROOM KEY.
AT THAT POINT THE EMPLOYEE DENIED ACCESS TO THE BATHROOM
AND TOLD THEM THEY NEEDED TO
LEAVE.
WHEN THE TWO REFUSED TO LEAVE THIS WORKER CALLED 911.
I AM NOT KIDDING.
NONE WHEN ONE IS SUPPOSED TO BE RESERVED FOR EMERGENCIES BUT SIX
POLICE OFFICERS SHOWED UP.
THE TWO GOT ARRESTED.
WE WILL SEE THE VIDEO THAT WENT VIRAL, IT HAS RECEIVED UP TO 9
MILLION VIEWS THIS MORNING ALONE.
WITH THAT SAID TAKE A QUICK LOOK.
>> WHAT DID THEY GET CALLED FOR?
BECAUSE THEY ARE TWO BLACK GUYS?
WHAT DID THEY DO?
>> THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING.
I SAW THE ENTIRE THING.
>>WHAT DID THEY DO?
>> THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING.
>> THE TWO UNIDENTIFIED MEN WERE TAKEN OUT IN HANDCUFFS.
THEY WERE HELD FOR NINE HOURS BEFORE BEING RELEASED.
NO CHARGES WERE FILED.
AND STARBUCKS IS KNOWN AS THE COMMUNITY HUB.
THEY WANT PEOPLE TO COME THERE AND HANG OUT.
I HAVE DONE IT 1 BILLION TIMES.
I HAVE LITERALLY WALKED INTO A STARBUCKS WITHOUT BUYING
ANYTHING JUST TO USE THEIR BATHROOM.
I ALWAYS GET THE KEY WITH A SMILE.
IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THESE INDIVIDUALS WERE TREATED
COMPARED TO THE VAST MAJORITY OF PATRONS AT STARBUCKS.
>>I BELIEVE ORDERING IS THEIR BUSINESS MODEL.
THEY WANT PEOPLE TO COME AND HANG OUT.
IT WAS A UNIQUE THIS MODEL WHEN THEY STARTED.
PEOPLE THOUGHT YOU ARE CRAZY.
STARBUCKS SAID NO WE HAVE A REVOLUTIONARY NEW IDEA, WE ARE
NOT GOING TO KICK THEM OUT, UNLESS THEY ARE BLACK.
>> THEY CALLED 911.
>>TO BE FAIR, STARBUCKS DID NOT DO THIS FROM CORPORATE
HEADQUARTERS.
THE STORE MANAGER IN THIS CASE HAPPEN TO DO IT.
STARBUCKS IS OVER THE TOP APOLOGETIC.
ANDREW YAFFE WAS THE REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO
MEET WITH THEM.
HE SAID WHY WOULD THEY BE ASKED TO LEAVE?
IT IS ABSOLUTE DISCRIMINATION.
DOES ANYONE ELSE THINK THIS IS RIDICULOUS?
>> YOU CAN SEE HIM IN THE VIDEO.
REGARDLESS OF WHAT HE HAD TO SAY THE OFFICERS WERE PRETTY DEAD
SET ON ARRESTING THESE TWO GUYS.
>> PART OF WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE CALL IN THE FIRST PLACE.
THE SECOND THING, NO ONE IS EVER ALLOWED TO DE-ESCALATE THE
SITUATION.
LUCKILY NOTHING PHYSICAL HAPPENED OTHER THAN PUTTING THEM
IN HANDCUFFS.
IF IT HAS TO BE DONE TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITY WE ALL UNDERSTAND
THAT.
BUT IF IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE DONE THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT
ACTION.
IN THIS CASE CUP SAY WE WENT IN AND THEY WOULDN'T LEAVE.
BUT WERE THEY DOING ANYTHING WRONG IN THE FIRST PLACE?
WERE
THEY BREAKING ANY LAWS?
NO.
DO KNOW HOW LONG THEY SPENT IN JAIL?
NINE HOURS.
NINE HOURS FOR SITTING IN A STARBUCKS.
HAVE I DONE THEIR DRUG AND YOUR DRUG?
YES.
I DON'T LOVE THE TERM WHITE PRIVILEGE BUT WE TALK ABOUT
THIS A LOT ON THE SHOW.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IT MEANS.
IT DOESN'T MEAN IF YOU ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF KENTUCKY YOU ARE
A WHITE PERSON YOU ARE RICH.
IT MEANS YOU WALK INTO STARBUCKS AND DON'T GET RANDOMLY ARRESTED.
BUT FOR BLACK AMERICANS IT HAPPENS FAR TOO OFTEN.
>> I THINK THE PROBLEM WITH WHITE PRIVILEGE IS THAT IT IS
HARD FOR SOME PEOPLE TO
COMPREHEND SOMETHING THEY HAVEN'T EXPERIENCED.
WHITE PRIVILEGE IS SOMETHING PEOPLE DON'T EXPERIENCE.
IT IS SOMETHING THEY DO EXPERIENCE.
YOU STILL HAVE TO WORK HARD AND STRUGGLE.
NO ONE IS GOING TO HAND YOU ANYTHING.
YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET THESE INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITIES
HANDED TO YOU LEFT AND RIGHT.
JUST MEANS THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS YOU DON'T HAVE TO DEAL
WITH THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE TO
DEAL WITH.
ONE HAS ANYONE EVER WALKED INTO A STARBUCKS WITHOUT SEEING A
ROOM FULL OF DOUCHE BAGS ON
THEIR MACBOOK PROS?
BY THE WAY I AM ONE OF THEM.
I HAVE NEVER HAD TO WORRY ABOUT AN EMPLOYEE AT STARBUCKS TELLING
ME I NEEDED TO LEAVE.
FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF STARBUCKS PATRONS THEY ALSO
HAVE NOT HAD TO DEAL WITH THAT TYPE OF HARASSMENT.
THE FACT THAT SOMEONE WOULD CALL 911 ON THESE GUYS IS INSANE.
>> ONE OF THE EXCUSES THAT WAS USED LATER WAS THAT THERE WAS AN
ARMED ROBBERY AND STARBUCKS NEARBY ñ WAIT, SO WHY DIDN'T YOU
CALL THE COPS ON ANYONE ELSE AT
THE STARBUCKS?
WERE YOU REALLY WORRIED THAT HE WENT TO THE
BATHROOM AND WAS ABOUT TO DO AN
ARMED ROBBERY WHEN HE WAS OUT?
WOULD HE HAVE GONE THE GUNS IN THE BATHROOM?
NONE OF IT MAKES SENSE.
>> HAVE TO MAKE ONE OTHER POINT BECAUSE I THINK IT IS SUPER
RELEVANT AND NO ONE IS TACKLING THIS.
THESE ARE TWO GUYS WHO ARE MEETING WITH SOMEONE IN REGARD
TO REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
WHICH MEANS THEY HAVE MONEY.
OFTENTIMES WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DISCRIMINATION OR THE WAY PEOPLE
ARE TREATED IN THIS COUNTRY, THE ISSUE OF RACE MAKES PEOPLE
REALLY NERVOUS.
THESE GUYS HAVE MORE MONEY THAN I DO.
THEY ARE TRYING TO INVEST IN PROPERTY.
BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCH MONEY THEY HAVE.
ALL THAT MATTERS, ACCORDING TO SOME PEOPLE, IS WHAT THEY LOOK
LIKE AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY POSE A THREAT BASED ON
STEREOTYPES.
>> WITH GET TO SOME OF THE FALLOUT FROM THIS.
THERE IS A DECENT AMOUNT OF GOOD NEWS.
FIRST OF ALL PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS VERY
PROGRESSIVE AND HE SAID WE ARE NOT KEEPING THEM.
HE SAID THERE IS NOT SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO CHARGE THE MEN SO
THEY ARE FREE TO GO.
IN TERMS OF STARBUCKS, THEIR CEO IS FLYING INTO PHILADELPHIA TO
MEET WITH THOSE TWO GUYS AND OTHERS AS WELL AND LET THEM KNOW
THIS IS NOT OUR POLICY AT ALL.
NOT ONLY IS IT NOT OUR POLICY WE ARE NOW GOING TO DO TRAINING
ABOUT UNCONSCIOUS BIAS SO ALL OF HER MANAGERS REALIZE THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT IS PERVASIVE
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
THE POLICE COMMISSIONER THAT IS DEFENDING ALL OF THIS IS ALSO
AFRICAN-AMERICAN.
I READ SOMEWHERE THAT THE MANAGER IN QUESTION MIGHT BE
LATINO.
THE POINT IS THAT IS WHAT YOU DO FOR UNCONSCIOUS BIAS TRAINING.
IT IS IN ALL OF US.
>> I THINK ONE OF THE MOST COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS IS IF YOU
ARE ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHITES THEN YOU ARE UNABLE TO HAVE ANY
TYPE OF BIAS.
IT DOESN'T MATTER, EVERYONE HAS ISSUES THEY NEED TO WORK OUT.
I DON'T CARE IF THE WORKER WHO CALLED THE COPS IS LATINO.
>> ONE OF THE POSITIVE REACTIONS FROM STARBUCKS COMES FROM
ROSALIND BREWER.
SHE IS THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, BASICALLY SHE IS THE
NUMBER TWO PERSON IN CHARGE AND
ALL OF STARBUCKS.
SHE SAID THIS IS A TEACHABLE MOMENT FOR ALL OF US.
SHE ALSO HAPPENS TO BE AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND SAYS SHE
HAS A 23-YEAR-OLD BLACK SON AND THE VIDEO WAS PAINFUL TO WATCH.
PEOPLE'S FRUSTRATIONS IS VERY UNDERSTANDABLE BUT LIKE WHEN
THEY DID THE CRAIGSLIST KILLER
THING AND THEY SAID IT IS ALL CRAIGSLIST FAULT, IT COULD'VE
BEEN THE YELLOW PAGES KILLER.
THIS PROBLEM DOES HAPPEN IN OTHER STARBUCKS BECAUSE YOU HAVE
INDIVIDUAL HUMAN BEINGS DECIDING WHO WAS ALLOWED TO SAY IN WHO
IS NOT.
WHO WAS A DANGER, AND WHO IS NOT.
AND SOMETIMES YES THEIR UNCONSCIOUS BIAS.
I'M SURE IT HAPPENS ALL ACROSS THE DIFFERENT RESTAURANTS IN
DIFFERENT VENUES.
IN THIS CASE IT LOOKS LIKE STARBUCKS IS TAKING EXCELLENT
MEASURES TO COMBAT IT.