Here at Cleveland State University, we are required to take multiple diversity classes. When I was a senior in high school looking at the gen ed requirements for CSU, I thought that it was stupid and just a waste of my time for having to take so many classes that didn’t even, in my mind, pertain to my major. I knew about diversity and segregation and the rights and wrongs of the world, I don’t need a class specifically for it.
Oh boy, was I wrong.
I had to write a lengthy research paper my first semester about some current urban issue. My professor urged all of us to somehow relate it back to our majors. Naïve younger me thought that there was really nothing to talk about relating to nursing other than the Obamacare debate.
Again, I was very wrong.
The more I dove into the topic of healthcare in urban settings, the more disparities that I came across. The structural racism that defines our healthcare system is a raging monster that kills thousands a year. And the worst part of it all? Nine times out of ten, we don’t even know we’re doing it.
Even minority health care professionals were found to be participating in this terrifying trend.
A great portion of the structural racism that is experienced today is subconscious in the way that these ideas have been beat into our heads through media and stereotypes throughout our entire lives. Most times, this is the only way that we know how to think. We don’t even understand we are doing it until we are called out, caught in the headlights with our pants down.
I didn’t even know that this could be a thing until it was brought to my attention, and oh shit!!! I am so guilty! Everyone around me is guilty too! We are all guilty!
We all know the situation that has been going on in terms of Starbucks and the police and that whole big mess. Starbucks announced on April 17th that they would be closing all corporate stores on May 29th in order to complete racial-bias training.
People are freaking out and honestly, it’s pathetic.
Oh no, you’ll have to go one day without coffee. How will you ever survive?! It’s not like there’s you know, Dunkin Doughnuts, Tim Horton’s, or your neighborhood Mom & Pop coffee shop. Or, you could make your own coffee at home.
If your need for coffee is more important to you than the right for the equality across the country and working to fix our MASSIVE structural racism problem, you are selfish, pathetic, and downright a racist.
Oh, I don’t want to hear about how you actually are not racist, that you have friends that are minorities and that you would never discriminate against. You are putting your needs over the importance of someone to have an equal life to that of yours. It doesn’t matter if you “don’t believe in” the fact that segregation and racism still exists today (which it does, don’t even try to say that it doesn’t), it is a proven problem that won’t go away if you say that it doesn’t exist.
I applaud Starbucks for taking the actions that it has. They have taken blame for the situation, apologized for it, and then implemented a program to try to ensure that this situation will never happen again. They are taking the fall for this. It was just one manager that caused this whole problem, but the entire company as a whole is taking responsibility.
Starbucks understands that they are going to be losing and entire day’s profit and that those selfish, shallow people will be upset, but they understand that providing a solution for this problem is much more important. They understand that this is a nationwide issue and are doing their part to try to fix it. Shame on you if you think that’s wrong.
You can survive one day without your coffee, I promise. Get over yourself.