Dear Mr. Howard Schultz:
Last week, I was excited about your “Race Together” initiatives encouraging your customers to have conversation about race at 12,000 Starbucks locations. Many were puzzled by this initiative but I understood it especially after I read the Starbucks’ mission statement – “To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.”
Then I was sad that you ended this local initiative a week later. Race is a hot topic and many are fearful of what might happen if they really talk about it. Perhaps this fear is the reason for the negative reactions to this movement. In support of your effort, I have invited the readers of my blog ( http://ehflaw.typepad.com/blog/) to continue this initiative as a grass-roots movement but in ways that would create a safe-space in which constructive dialogue can take place. I encouraged my readers to go to their neighborhood Starbucks and propose setting up a dialogue space, perhaps a circle of 5 to 6 chairs, designated as the “Race Together Place.” They would function as facilitators at certain hours of the day. Interested customers are invited to read and sign a statement of respect before joining the conversation.
Constructive interracial dialogue does not happen naturally; it requires careful framing of the process in a gracious environment in which people know that they are safe and respected and that they are supported in speaking truthfully about their experiences and listening empathetically to others’ stories and experiences. I was doing a Gracious Leadership Training last week and invited my students to design creative ways to help Starbucks to engage customers in constructive dialogue. They came up quite a few good ideas ranging from giving customers an card with a gracious invitation to join the "Race Together Place," to designing a simple card with guidelines and a discussion topic to give to the drive-through customers fostering personal reflection if they are alone and constructive conversations with their friends in their cars.
I was encouraged to know that you have not given up but started a partnership with USA Today to develop tools and resources to provide information and education to the readers of USA Today and customers of Starbucks. And I would like to help.
I am the founder and executive director of the Kaleidoscope Institute for Competent Leadership in a Diverse Changing World. My network of associates and I had extensive experiences in creating gracious space and processes for interracial/interreligious/intercultural dialogue in the last 30 years. For example, after the 1992 Los Angeles Riots, I was charged by the Interreligious Council of Southern California to create and facilitate an interracial dialogue program involving over 400 participants from 9 major religious groups in 50 locations for two years. Subsequently, my associates and I were involved in facilitating neighbor-to-neighbor dialogues that often involved two or more racial and language groups. The venues in which we have been doing this work have been faith communities and I would love to explore how we can create resources and training of employees to create gracious space for dialogue in your many Starbucks locations.
I appreciate your passion and courage for challenging America to face this historically divisive issue. This is an opportune time because of events in this past year that put interracial tension and inequality in the forefront of our consciousness. As many in religious circles say, “Racism is one of American’s original sin.” And we, as a people in this nation, must work through this issue with courage, honesty, integrity, and grace. If there is anything my Institute, my network and I can do to support you in this initiative, do let us know.
Meanwhile, many blessings on your endeavor to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.
Sincerely yours,
Eric H. F. Law
The Rev. Dr. Eric H. F. Law, DD
Executive Director
Kaleidoscope Institute
for competent leadership in a diverse changing world
www.kscopeinstitute.org
760-409-2635
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Upcoming Opportunities to Study with The Sustainist and learn more about Holy Conferencing: April 21-25, 2015 July 20-25, 2015 August 6-11, 2015 November 1-5, 2015 |
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Reflection Questions for 4th Palm Sunday (Year B) Mark 11:1-11 Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 Isaiah 50:4-9b Philippians 2:5-11 |
Eric H. F. Law
Kaleidoscope Institute
For competent leadership in a diverse changing world
www.kscopeinstitute.org
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