While Starbucks is closed, consumers can support the hundreds of Black-owned and -operated coffee shops in Philly and across the country that will be open for business.

Red Bay Coffee - a Black-owned and women-led coffee company– will convene a roundtable conversation about how to stop retail racism and support Black-owned businesses on May 29th at Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse in Philadelphia, while Starbucks is closed to conduct what is a necessary but ultimately insufficient racial bias training.

The roundtable will kick off a tour of two other Black-owned coffee shops in the city - Uncle Bobbie's Coffee & Books and Franny Lou’s Porch - with the goal of bringing attention to the larger implications of what happened at Starbucks, promoting the importance of inclusive and fair business models as a way to advance racial justice, and encouraging people in Philadelphia and on social media to support Black-owned alternatives to Starbucks.

Red Bay Coffee will be joined at the roundtable by local Black coffee shop owners, activists and innovators, including Ariell Johnson, Blew Kind, Pam Africa, Shantrell P. Lewis and Dr. Marc Lamont Hill. 

Founded by Black entrepreneur Keba Konte, Red Bay Coffee’s staff is composed entirely of women, people of color, and formerly incarcerated people. The company also uses a unique business model that invests in its employees and in their community by paying above minimum wage and using profit sharing.

Black-owned Coffee Shops #CoffeeWhileBlack Roundtable
Tuesday, May 29, 2018 at 9am ET

Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse
2578 Frankford Ave

Roundtable participants – Keba Konte of Red Bay Coffee, Ariell Johnson of Amalgam Comics & CoffeeHouse, Blew Kind of Franny Lou’s Porch, legendary human rights activist Pam Africa,  Shantrell P. Lewis, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Shoppe Black and Dr. Marc Lamont Hill of Uncle Bobbie's Coffee & Books.

More participants are soon to be announced.

Press passes for the event are free but limited, so please RSVP: hello@redbaycoffee.com

  

WHAT:
Black-owned Coffee Shops #CoffeeWhileBlack Roundtable

WHEN: 
Tuesday, May 29, 2018 at 9am ET                 

WHERE:
Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse, 2578 Frankford Ave

This roundtable will be followed by a tour of local Coffee shops:

Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse

2578 Frankford Ave

Uncle Bobbie's Coffee & Books

5445 Germantown Ave

Little Jimmie’s

6669 Germantown Avenue