In the Spring of 2018, a downtown Philadelphia Starbucks made national news when two black men were arrested and escorted out by police. They’d been sitting in the Starbucks but refused to make a purchase, which is technically a violation of the company’s rules. When they refused to leave, the store manager had them arrested. The manager who made the call was fired, and so was her boss. For the public, this is how the drama ended: two white employees fired for flagrant racism.​

​

One of those fired employees responded by suing Starbucks, claiming she was a public relations sacrifice. And she ultimately wins a massive, multi-million dollar decision in federal court.

This isn’t a one-off: it’s a glimpse into the future.