Last week, Starbucks started a new campaign called ‘Race Together’, where local Starbucks baristas write “Race Together” on coffee cups to start race relations conversations.
Some critics questioned the ability of the baristas to have a productive conversation about race while continuing to serve coffee. LSU’s Black Student Union President Nygel Anderson has his own opinion on what this campaign will do for race relations.
“I think it’s comical at best,” Anderson said. “I think that it shows what privilege is, and what being rich allows you. You’re gonna make these workers who make minimum wage somehow have a discussion on race.”
Chairman and CEO of Starbucks Howard Schultz says that their commitment to equality and opportunity is stronger than ever. They have planned a number of race together activities that will show up in the coming months.
LSU students see race relations as a serious issue, and some think that simply talking to their barista would be impersonal. 
“I don’t know if it’s necessarily Starbucks or any large corporation’s job to bring up this issue to people on the street,” psychology freshman Mary Love said. “I don’t know how they exactly could bring up the issue without being intrusive or invasive into your personal opinions and views.”
Starbucks is now pulling back on this portion of the campaign saying that this was never meant to be permanent, but just the beginning of a much larger push for race relations from Starbucks