Starbucks anti-bias training (5/29/2018)
photo by Josh Trujillo / Starbucks Newsroom
On April 12th, 2018, two Black men were racially profiled and arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks, sparking widespread protests and a global conversation about systemic oppression. In response, I helped design a transformative 4-hour interactive experience implemented simultaneously across all US Starbucks locations. The program aimed to reconnect employees with the company's core values through an immersive approach. I developed the narrative and experience design, user interactions, and 24/7 trauma-informed psychological support. The experience included a 68-page workbook, self-reflection journal, iPad, commissioned documentary detailing the history of black American expulsion from spaces of public accommodation, and transmedia content.
Photo by Ida Benedetto
SELECTED MEDIA:
NYTimes article
“Starbucks’s Tall Order: Tackle Systemic Racism in 4 Hours”
This American Life
648: Unteachable Moment. All the Caffeine in the World Doesn’t Make You Woke. Kelefa Sanneh. This American Life. June 8, 2018.
Starbucks review of the moment:
“Beyond May 29: Lessons from Starbucks anti-bias training — and what’s next” Linda Dahlstrom, Starbucks Newsroom. July 02, 2018.
One Year Later
“One year later: A timeline of controversy and progress since the Starbucks arrests seen ’round the world” Anna Orso, The Philadelphia Inquirer, PBC. Updated: April 12, 2019
DEMOS review and recommendations
Toward a Vision for Racial Equity & Inclusion at Starbucks: Review and Recommendations
Photo by Ida Benedetto
