From our earliest days, diversity and inclusion have been at the heart of how we do business. It is reflected in <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2015/starbucks-mission-and-values/">Our Mission and Values</a>, which is dedicated to creating a culture of belonging where everyone is welcome. We are working closely with community leaders, civil rights leaders, organizations that promote racial equity and our partners to uphold our commitment to make a positive contribution to our communities.

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Here is a review of key milestones marking the company’s commitment to racial justice and social equity.

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Starbucks <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2022/starbucks-broadens-efforts-to-advance-racial-and-social-equity-on-behalf-of-partners-and-communities/">announces launch of a leadership accelerator program</a> beginning with BIPOC partners, focused on empowering partner capacity for self-promotion, advocacy and career navigation.

Starbucks sets goals to increase annual spend with diverse suppliers to $1.5B by 2030.

Starbucks <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2022/starbucks-selects-seven-local-lenders-for-first-round-of-community-resilience-fund/">announces it will issue $21 million</a> to seven community development financial institutions (CDFIs) as part of its Community Resilience Fund.

The Starbucks Foundation shares impact results from its more than $5 million investment in eight <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2021/the-starbucks-foundation-announces-nonprofit-recipients-of-grants-to-support-bipoc-youth/" target="_blank">nonprofits supporting BIPOC youth</a>, reported to support more than 100,000 youth across the country.

Starbucks graduates first cohort of partners in the inaugural mentorship program.

<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2021/starbucks-grants-support-equitable-access-to-food/">Starbucks donates $1.7 million to Feeding America</a> to support equitable food access grants, designed to help food banks provide nutritious food to households with BIPOC individuals residing in communities experiencing high rates of food insecurity.

March 2021

Publishes third civil rights assessment

Starbucks publishes its third Civil Rights Assessment conducted by Covington &amp; Burling LLP under the leadership of former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Jr. The report is an objective evaluation that 1) provides a factual and honest review of the company’s journey in inclusion, diversity and equity and 2) helps track progress over time to drive truly lasting change. Read the report <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/uploads/2021/03/Starbucks-2021-Civil-Rights-Assessment.pdf">here</a>.

Achieves 100% pay equity

Starbucks <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2021/starbucks-celebrates-its-50th-anniversary-and-looks-toward-a-future-of-endless-possibility/">shared</a> that last year it once again achieved and maintained 100% pay equity by race and gender for similar roles in the U.S. Learn more about reasons for the gender pay gap and the best practices and tools Starbucks uses to close the gap <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/how-starbucks-is-addressing-the-pay-gap/#:~:text=Starbucks%20is%20committed%20to%20100,equity%20for%20Starbucks%20partners%20globally.">here</a>.

Invests in BIPOC businesses and communities

Starbucks announces plan to invest $100 million to create the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2021/starbucks-expands-initiatives-to-advance-opportunity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-communities-it-serves/">Starbucks Community Resilience Fund</a> focused on advancing racial equity and environmental resilience by supporting small business growth and community development projects in BIPOC neighborhoods.

Partners with Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, Starbucks <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2021/starbucks-partners-with-national-museum-of-african-american-history-and-culture/">partners with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture</a> to share the museum’s educational resources and digital initiatives like the Freedmen’s Bureau Transcription Project.

Starbucks shares <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/our-commitment-to-inclusion-diversity-and-equity-at-starbucks/">next steps it’s taking to advance racial and social equity </a>as part of its ongoing journey to create a welcoming and inclusive Third Place.

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In addition, the company announced the rollout of $1.5 million in <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/the-starbucks-foundation-awards-neighborhood-grants-to-advance-racial-equity/">Neighborhood Grants</a> from The Starbucks Foundation prioritizing grassroots and community-based nonprofit organizations focused on local impact. These grants aim to uplift organizations led by and that serve Black communities and will support more than 400 local nonprofit organizations across the country. The Foundation will also invest $5 million to launch a two-year initiative focused on supporting nonprofits that serve BIPOC youth.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Starbucks <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/starbucks-shares-update-on-standing-together-against-racial-injustice/">stands in solidarity against racial injustice</a> with Black partners, community and customers.

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$1M in grants to promote racial equity

The Starbucks Foundation commits $1 million in <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/the-starbucks-foundation-selects-more-than-400-non-profits-in-latest-round-of-neighborhood-grants/">Neighborhood Grants</a> to promote racial equity and create more inclusive and just communities. Nominated by Starbucks partners, and with input from civil rights leaders, these grants will support efforts in over 100 cities and towns across the United States.

Starbucks&nbsp;<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/letter-to-partners-continuing-to-support-racial-justice-with-action/">recognizes Juneteenth</a>&nbsp;as an annual U.S. company holiday.

Starbucks marks the milestone of opening <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/starbucks-expands-commitment-in-underserved-communities-across-the-us/">16 Community Stores in underserved neighborhoods</a> with the newest Community Store, in the historic Anacostia area of Washington, D.C. Since launching the initiative in 2015, Starbucks has opened Community Stores in cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Dallas, and Ferguson, Mo., and has set a goal to open 100 Community Stores by 2025.

Courageous conversations

Starbucks launches an internal series of courageous conversations with thousands of partners and their families coming together virtually to join a talk about the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. These conversations will address difficult topics and help increase partners’ understanding of themselves and others.

Publishes civil rights assessment

Starbucks shares the&nbsp;<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/an-update-on-starbucks-civil-rights-assessment/">2019 assessment</a>&nbsp;on Civil Rights, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion conducted by Covington &amp; Burling LLP, under the leadership of the former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. The report, which reviews the company’s progress since the&nbsp;<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/uploads/2019/01/Covington-Report-to-Starbucks-Jan-23-2019.pdf">2018 report</a>, evaluates Starbucks ongoing efforts to promote equity, diversity and inclusion in support of the company’s Mission and Values.

Hires company’s first chief inclusion and diversity officer

Starbucks appoints Nzinga “Zing” Shaw to serve as the company’s first chief inclusion and diversity officer.

Equal pay for people of color

Starbucks shares its median pay gaps by gender and race in the United States. In the U.S., the median pay ratio is 100 percent for people of color. <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/how-starbucks-is-addressing-the-pay-gap/">Here’s how Starbucks is working to address pay equity</a>.

$10M to Chicago neighborhoods

Starbucks announces&nbsp;<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2019/investing-in-chicago-how-10m-starbucks-loan-helps-underserved-areas/">it will invest $10 million</a>&nbsp;to support entrepreneurs, small business owners and nonprofits in Chicago. The loan will be distributed by a network of mission-based lenders called community development financial institutions, which work to revitalize struggling neighborhoods on the city’s south and west sides.

Free anti-bias curriculum

Starbucks launches its&nbsp;<a href="https://tobewelcoming.com/">“To Be Welcoming”</a>&nbsp;Curriculum, in partnership with Arizona State University. The free 15-course online curriculum addresses bias and encourages more meaningful conversations around our shared human experience.

‘The Story of Access’

The company shares publicly on its website Stanley Nelson’s film, <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2019/the-story-of-access/">”The Story of Access,”</a> which explores the history of people of color in public places.

Zero-tolerance for discrimination

Starbucks publishes its principles on&nbsp;<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2019/starbucks-principles-for-upholding-the-third-place-for-our-partners-our-customers-and-our-communities/">upholding the third place</a>. This public statement describes the key principles and responsibilities of creating a welcoming space for all, including our zero-tolerance position on discrimination.

Closing stores for bias training

The company&nbsp;<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2018/closing-stores-opening-hearts-starbucks-partners-share-their-responses/">closes 8,000 stores</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. for company-wide implicit bias training and&nbsp;<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2018/curriculum-for-the-third-place-our-commitment-renewed/">makes the curriculum publicly available</a>.

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Starbucks announces its <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2018/use-of-the-third-place-policy/">Use of the Third Place policy</a>, defining a customer as anyone who enters a Starbucks space regardless of whether they make a purchase.

Two African American men are arrested in a Starbucks Philadelphia store. Kevin Johnson, Starbucks chief executive officer,&nbsp;<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2018/starbucks-ceo-reprehensible-outcome-in-philadelphia-incident/">calls the outcome “reprehensible”</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;publicly apologizes, saying, <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2018/a-follow-up-message-from-starbucks-ceo-in-philadelphia/">“This is not who we are.”</a>

Starbucks announces it has reached&nbsp;<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2018/starbucks-pay-equity-for-partners/">100 percent pay equity</a>&nbsp;across race and gender for U.S. partners performing similar work and sets a global goal.

Expands hiring of underserved youth

After reaching the initial goal of 10,000 hires by 2018, Starbucks expands its&nbsp;<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2017/starbucks-expands-hiring-goals/">Opportunity Youth commitment</a>&nbsp;to 100,000 &nbsp;hires.

Starbucks supports the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, with events in Oakland in July and Detroit in November focused on creating coalitions and hiring and creating pathways to opportunity for Black men.

Signs White House Fair Chance Business Pledge

Starbucks helps eliminate barriers for those with a criminal record by signing the Obama administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/04/11/fact-sheet-white-house-launches-fair-chance-business-pledge">White House Fair Chance Business Pledge</a>.

Opens first Community Store

Starbucks opens its&nbsp;<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2016/starbucks-opens-in-jamaica-queens/">first Community Store in Jamaica, Queens, N.Y.</a>&nbsp;with a commitment to open at least 15 stores with the aim of creating new jobs, engaging local women and minority-owned vendors and suppliers and collaborating with local nonprofits to support training opportunities for youth in diverse, underserved U.S. communities.

Commitment to acting with courage

Starbucks updates <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2015/starbucks-mission-and-values/">Our Mission and Values</a>, with focus on inclusion and action. It states, “With our partners, our coffee and our customers at our core, we live these values … Acting with courage, challenging the status quo and finding new ways to grow our company and each other.”

<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2015/just-mercy-available-in-starbucks-stores/">Starbucks stores in the U.S. carry Bryan Stevenson’s book</a>, “Just Mercy”, donating 100 percent of the profits from the book sales to the Equal Justice Initiative.

Opportunity Fair &amp; Forum

Starbucks supports the launch of the first-ever&nbsp;<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2015/chicago-opportunity-fair-and-forum/">Opportunity Fair &amp; Forum</a>&nbsp;in Chicago, and would go on to host events in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLWNknKdv8E">Phoenix</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEVNVejpzFU">Los Angeles</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdUu-ruwToY">Seattle</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZeDpGj0PkY">Dallas</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES9NHs4I4Ro">Washington, D.C.&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLL7MaAlPtw">Atlanta</a>, resulting in more than 5,000 on-the-spot job offers. The event also marks the official launch of the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2015/top-us-based-companies-launch-100k-opportunities-initiative/#:~:text=About%20the%20100%2C000%20Opportunities%20Initiative,to%20employment%20for%20young%20people.">100,000 Opportunities Initiative</a>, a coalition of Starbucks and leading companies committed to engaging 100,000 young people in jobs, internships and apprenticeships.

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Milestones: Starbucks efforts to support racial equity and justice

From our earliest days, racial justice and equity have been at the core of our mission and values. Here’s a look at Starbucks commitment to creating a culture of belonging where everyone is welcome.

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Milestones: Starbucks efforts to support racial justice and equity

https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/milestones-starbucks-efforts-to-support-racial-justice-and-equity/

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