article_snippet: Starbucks baristas will no longer be encouraged to write 'Race Together' on customers' cups, the coffee chain's CEO Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has said today.
article_snippet: Others questioned whether Starbucks workers could spark productive conversations about Race while serving drinks.
article_snippet: Together' on cups and to also strike up conversations with customers about Race.
article_snippet: Starbucks will still hold forum discussions, co-produce special sections in USA TODAY and put more stores in minority communities as part of the Race Together initiative, wrote Schultz.
article_snippet: Most of the customers at Starbucks probably don't want to have the customers at Starbucks political awareness challenged by the person foaming the customers at Starbucks coffee.
article_snippet: Minds are more likely to be changed by someone with some form of expertise in the subject, which baristas generally don't have.'
article_snippet: Starbucks Partners, .
article_snippet: I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to every one of Starbucks Partners for your fearless and energetic support of the Race Together initiative.
article_snippet: Our objective from the very start of this effort -- dating back to Our first open forum in Seattle last December -- was to stimulate conversation, empathy and compassion toward one another, and then to broaden that dialogue beyond just our Starbucks' family to the greater American public by using Our scale for good.
article_snippet: Starbucks' Starbucks've tried to be very thoughtful, very genuine, very authentic and recognize that by leveraging Starbucks stores, potentially, we can elevate the conversation and make a positive difference.'
article_snippet: Schultz has explained that workers do not have to participate in the campaign, and that stores can make customers another drink or cover up cups if workers don't like the message.
article_snippet: Starbucks Corp. In late 2012, the message asked workers to write 'Come together' on cups to send a message to lawmakers about stalled budget negotiations.
article_snippet: But Starbucks stopped short of an outright ban.
highlights_snippet: On Sunday, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz sent out letter saying that baristas will not  write the messages on cups after March 22 .
  