Starbucks is backtracking just days after it sent out a memo to store managers barring baristas from wearing Black Lives Matter pins or clothing.
The coffee giant sent a letter to employees on Friday saying they can now wear Black Lives Matter apparel until new, branded shirts containing the phrase are given to its 200,000 workers.
“This movement is a catalyst for change, and right now, it’s telling us a lot of things need to be addressed so we can make space to heal,” Starbucks said in the letter, according to CNN.
Starbucks elaborated in a Friday statement, saying that it is “critical to support the Black Lives Matter movement as its founders intended and will continue to work closely with community leaders, civil rights leaders, organizations, and our partners to understand the role that Starbucks can play, and to show up in a positive way for our communities.”
The reversal comes after an internal memo was sent to managers saying that Black Lives Matter apparel was included in the “political, religious, or personal issue” topics that workers were not allowed to wear or promote while on the job and because “there are agitators who misconstrue the fundamental principles of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement — and in certain circumstances, intentionally repurpose them to amplify divisiveness.”
Starbucks employees expressed frustration with the initial order, with some pointing out that the company encourages workers to express themselves during June’s Pride Month to support gay and transgender customers.
The Black Lives Matter movement has gained considerable momentum in recent weeks. The movement and slogan have been at the forefront of protests that began after the death of George Floyd. Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died in police custody after a white police officer was filmed pinning him to the ground for nearly nine minutes while he pleaded for his life. Protests calling attention to systemic racism and police brutality have sprung up across the country .
