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What Should Starbucks Look For In Anti-Bias Training? A Lot Of Talking, Says One Trainer

Ron Todt
/
AP Photo
Protesters gather outside a Starbucks in Philadelphia, Sunday, April 15, 2018, where two black men were arrested three days earlier after Starbucks employees called police to say the men were trespassing.

Starbucks is planning to close 8,000 of its U.S. stores for an afternoon next month to conduct racial-bias training.

Company executives hired an all-star lineup to advise the development of the training after two black men were arrested this month at a Starbucks in Philadelphia. the men were waiting for a friend and were later released with no charges. 

Many American workers may roll their eyes at the thought of corporate anti-bias training. But some say if done well, it can actually help.

A Seattle native and former KNKX intern, Simone Alicea spent four years as a producer and reporter at KNKX. She earned her Bachelor's of Journalism from Northwestern University and covered breaking news for the Chicago Sun-Times. During her undergraduate career, she spent time in Cape Town, South Africa, covering metro news for the Cape Times.