Starbucks Nixes Handwritten Barista Notes About Race, Ending National Nightmare

Starting today, Starbucks baristas will no longer write “Race Together” on your cup of latte.

The handwritten notes were part of the coffee chain’s much-maligned initiative to start tough conversations by having your coffee cup be the catalyst for complicated questions about race.

According to the Associated Press, the company’s chairman Jim Olson claims the phasing out of the handwritten notes was part of the plan since the beginning of “Race Together.” He also asserted that the changes are not a response to public mockery and outrage over the concept.

Per the AP:

A recently released memo from CEO Howard Schultz says the cups were always “just the catalyst” for a broader conversation, and the company will still hold forum discussions, co-produce special sections in USA TODAY and put more stores in minority communities as part of the Race Together initiative.

The initiative has, thus far, provided Mediaite with plenty of content: For instance, you may want to check out the time an MSNBC panelist informed his colleague he is black during a heated discussion on Starbucks; or the company’s “Race Relations Reality Check” questionnaire form.

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