Ready to Solve Racism at Your Local Starbucks Franchise?

Let’s play a game of “would you rather,” shall we?

Would you rather undergo a root canal sans Novocain or engage in a discussion about race with your Starbucks barista? It’s a toughie, right?

Okay, let’s try again. Would you rather be hit by a car traveling at 35 miles per hour or be forced to suddenly discuss the fraught and sincerely messed up minefield that is modern racial dynamics with a total stranger at your local corporate coffee chain before you’ve even had a chance to imbibe your morning caffeine?

It’s really all in the phrasing, huh?

Well, if you answered the latter, you are in luck, partner! Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz decided it was a great idea to inject arguably the hottest hot-button issue in the history of man into what was once a simple morning transaction.

Via a March 16 report from Fortune’s Phil Wahba:

“Beginning on Monday, Starbucks baristas will have the option as they serve customers to hand cups on which they’ve handwritten the words ‘Race Together’ and start a discussion about race. This Friday, each copy of USA Today— which has a daily print circulation of almost 2 million and is a partner of Starbucks in this initiative — will have the first of a series of inserts with information about race relations, including a variety of perspectives on race. Starbucks coffee shops will also stock the insert.”

This is far from the only time Starbucks has waded into contentious social issues (gay marriage, guns, etc.), yet this is the first time the effort feels so…awkward? Forced? Cringey?

A company taking a stand (We support gay rights! We don’t like guns!) is one thing. Consumers can vote with their dollars. But forcing the kind of conversation most people generally spend Thanksgiving trying to avoid on customers who just want to grab a grande latte and get on with their day? Let’s just say Dunkin’ Donuts is probably very pleased with this development.

Then again, you can’t fault Schultz’s sincerity. In a video address regarding the initiative, he made his feelings clear regarding the opinion that race was a topic Starbucks should steer clear of.

“I reject that,” Schultz said, according to Fortune. “I reject that completely. It’s an emotional issue. But it is so vitally important to the country.”

I can’t say he’s wrong - I’m just not sure I want to talk about it with a stranger before I’ve had my first cup of java.

Read the full story here.