Thandie Newton received an apology from Starbucks after voicing her displeasure in the racially insensitive nature of a piece of decoration displayed at one of their stores.
On Jan. 4, the English actress tweeted the picture of the figure at a local Starbucks location. It was a black child wearing what appeared to be a safari hat and a loin cloth and holding a bowl of coffee beans. Along with the picture was Newton’s message: “Seriously @Starbucks? At the counter – Loin cloth and Safari hat on a black child. Happy New Year circa 19th century.”
The coffee chain responded on the same day with an apology to the actress: “@thandienewton we are very concerned to learn of this incident & we can’t apologise enough. We have removed the figure & are investigating.”
Some people understood Newton’s concerns, but many thought she was being a little too sensitive.
Do you think Thandie Newton’s Starbucks complaint was unnecessary?
