Starbucks Reverses Stance, Allows Baristas to Wear Black Lives Matter Attire

Starbucks employees will be allowed to wear Black Lives Matter T-shirts and accessories after all, CNBC reports.

The coffee company changed its decision on whether baristas would be allowed to wear attire supporting the movement after it faced criticism on social media.

On Wednesday, BuzzFeed News reported that the company prohibited employees from wearing anything related to the movement while at work. People have been calling for racial justice across the country in the wake of the death of George Floyd, a black man, who was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis on May 25.

An internal memo obtained by BuzzFeed News, indicated that upper management was against employees wearing any movement affiliated attire because it could possibly incite violence. And while Starbucks has a policy against employees wearing personal, political or religious clothing or accessories while on the job, workers told BuzzFeed that the company hands out buttons and attire celebrating LGBTQ rights and marriage equality.

After BuzzFeed reported on the policy, people began calling for boycotts of the coffee company.

Now, the company has changed course and will be providing 250,000 shirts supporting the movement to workers in company-owned cafes throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Until the shirts arrive, employees are allowed to wear pins or other Black Lives Matter shirts to show support.

Starbucks also pledged $1 million to organizations that promote “racial equity and more inclusive and just communities," according to CNBC.

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