Every year, February 1st marks the beginning of Black History month. While it originated in the United States, it is now also celebrated annually in Canada as well as Ireland and the United Kingdom.
And every year many businesses celebrate the month long event through promotions, giveaways or other specials.
This year, Starbucks is celebrating Black History month by not only ditching its iconic white cup for a black one, but it is also only serving black coffee. Customers will not be allowed to add milk or cream. In fact, all Starbucks stores will be removing any milk or cream from its serving stations.
According to the company, the noble gesture is intended to draw attention to the historic plight of African Americans and their struggle to achieve racial equality in America and elsewhere.
Apparently, this did not sit well with one California woman. Tracy “Karen” Ward is now suing the company for 25 million dollars, claiming without any evidence that Starbucks violated her human rights and caused her severe mental anguish as well as permanent brain damage.
Her attorney, Cletus Derpfinger, a partner in the law firm of Herpfinger and Derpfinger of Yorba Linda who is representing Ms. Ward, provided the following statement:
“On the first day of Black History month my client went to Starbucks to purchase a cup of coffee with cream and sugar, as she always does after a long day of being a Karen on Facebook.
She was handed a black cup with coffee. When she asked for her usual white cup she was told that they only had black ones. She then asked her barista if she could paint the cup white. The barista refused to do so, even though there was a large container of whiteout sitting on the counter.
Disgusted, my client left the store and took her first sip, only to discover that the coffee was black.
She then returned to the store and asked for the manager to complain about the lack of milk, only to be told there was no milk because of Black History month. The manager even had the temerity to tell her that if she was really so desperate for milk in her coffee there was a grocery store across the street.
Now completely humiliated, my client had to walk across the street to the grocery store, only to find that they only had gallon jugs of milk left because of all the other Starbucks customers who wanted milk in their coffee. Finally, she had to endure the laughter of the other patrons in the store when she loudly complained to the grocery store manager that they didn’t have small bottles of milk for her now cold black coffee.
My client was not only completely humiliated by this sorry episode, but according to her personal physician, Dr. Mehmet Oz, also suffered permanent brain damage despite undergoing emergency treatment with coffee enemas.”
When asked for comment, a Starbucks spokesperson just laughed and said “What, her again?”.
