(AllHipHop News) Rap star T.I. is calling for a boycott of Starbucks, after a video went viral showing to black men being arrested, just for sitting inside of a Philadelphia location.
Protesters are currently picketing a Center City Starbucks at 18th and Spruce Street after the two men were arrested last Thursday (April 12), while waiting to meet with a white colleague.
A manager at Starbucks called the cops on the men, claiming they were trespassing in the venue after they asked to use the bathroom instead of making a purchase.
Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson has apologized and is seeking to meet the victims face to face.
“The circumstances surrounding the incident and the outcome in our store on Thursday were reprehensible,” Kevin Johnson said. “They were wrong,” Johnson said. “For that, I personally apologize to the two gentlemen that visited our store.”
T.I. felt that Starbucks needs to do more than host meetings and give apologies.
“We should reserve our right to stop spending our money places that don’t respect us equally. Until they have made some progressive steps to let us know how they plan on rectifying the situation. I don’t see any other answer. If there’s one thing that America has shown us there’s only two ways you can get their attention. The loss of life and the loss of finances.”
Starbucks should not doubt T.I.’s clout.
Owners of the chain felt the backlash the rapper’s boycott caused and invited him to help the company with diversity training.