Race Together is a new initiative and partnership between Starbucks and USA Today. They are hoping to get their customers talking about race.  Race Together hopes to tackle racism through conversation and there is much to talk about with the recent death of an African American Mississippi man, Otis James Byrd, the alleged assault of a African American UVA student, Martese Johnson and the death of yet another unarmed bi- cultural teenager, Tony Robinson, in Madison, Wisconsin.

All of these cases are open and under investigation.  Mr. Byrd was found hanging from a tree and while it is suspected to be a lynching, the cause of death has yet to be determined.  Mr. Johnson is facing charges of public intoxication and obstruction of justice while he is accusing state Alcoholic Beverage Control agents of police brutality.  The family of Mr. Robinson is calling for peaceful protests.

Whether with Starbucks and USA Today, in school auditoriums, places of worship or around the kitchen table, let’s talk about it. Let’s talk about race together.  Don’t allow it to keep us from speaking to each other when there is so much that is being left unsaid.