Months ago a Starbucks employee was accused of racism and the accusation became a highly publicized issue. In response Starbucks closed its cafés for a day and all employees were required to attend a social justice training session. This reaction by the company was publicly criticized by conservatives who included criticism of the coffee along with their criticism of Starbucks’ response. In that context, I suspected that criticism of the coffee was a reaction to the politics of the situation.
A number of years ago Starbucks was encouraging their coffee servers to write messages on their coffee cups inviting their customers to have a conversation about racial issues. Conservatives reacted critically to this practice and again added criticism of the coffee to their criticism of the policy. Once again, I presumed that criticism of the coffee might be politically motivated.
My introduction to Starbucks coffee occurred when I read an article in our local newspaper about a new Barnes and Nobel book store that had opened in our community. Of course I had to pay them a visit. I noticed that in one corner of the store there was a café. I also noticed that they had placed comfortable living room style chairs among the book shelves. Now who could resist a cup of coffee, a comfortable chair, and a good book in a brightly lit bookstore on a chilly gloomy day? When I tasted the coffee I noticed that it was different from the typical “office coffee” that I was used to. To me it tasted like the perfect “book coffee.” I had never heard of Starbucks before that time. Although the book store café was serving Starbucks coffee, our community did not have an actual Starbucks café. More recently Starbucks opened a café inside of a Target department store. That is the only Starbucks within forty miles.
Recently a local convenience store began offering a Columbian roast that is at least as good as Starbucks if not better and at less than half the price. Since it is located on the way to the book store, I usually stop and pick up a mug at the convenience store on my way to the book store.
Around here, I’ve never seen anyone walking down the street in a KKK hood or displaying a Nazi Swastika. Neither would be well received. I see a few MAGA hats here and there and they are fairly well accepted. I live in a Trump county, in a Hillary state, with an anti-Trump governor. As a result, this county sometimes loses out on state funding. Oh well, that’s politics. American flags fly freely in this community.
When I encounter extremists I like to ask them questions. I ask questions, the answers to which require them to think outside of their scripted ideology that normally provides all the answers. Asking those kinds of questions causes them to think independently.
I don’t necessarily expect them to answer my questions. My hope is that they will remember the questions and that it will influence their thoughts. If I plant a seed of thought in the fertile soil of a curious mind I can walk away having faith that it will grow, even if I am not there to see it.
I am familiar with the name Bell Hooks through excerpts and quotes from her work that have been published in articles and comments. She is often recommended to people who are both curious about Feminism and critical of it. I imagine she is one of Feminism’s friendlier faces. However, I would also imagine that she practices traditional Feminist ideology and participates in movement Feminism, albeit in a manner that is friendlier than most.
I have written a concise (one minute long, according to Medium) summary of my general understanding and perspective regarding Feminism. You can find it here if you are curious:
The next time I find myself in the book store sipping a mug of hot Columbian roast “book coffee”, I will consider scanning the shelves for some Bell Hooks books.
