Starbucks' Schultz in emotional address on Charlottesville

Howard Schultz, the politically progressive — and famously outspoken — founder of Starbucks Coffee Corp., weighed in on the rally and violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, and its aftermath in an emotional speech to company employees.



Speaking at a standing-room only employee forum, Schultz did not specifically blame or criticize the President, saying he would let his (the President’s) actions speak for themselves. But the legendary retailer left little doubt of how he felt.



"What we witnessed this past weekend … is against every sense of what is right," Schultz said. "My fear is not only that this behavior is being given permission and license, but its conduct is being normalized to the point where people are no longer hiding their face. We’ve all seen pictures of the KKK in the South … they were hiding because they were afraid to be outed. People are no longer afraid."



The forum, titled "Hate Has No Home Here" and held at the Starbucks Support Center in Seattle, was designed as a space where employees could share their thoughts on the tragedy in Charlottesville, Virginia. More than 500 associates attended, with an additional 1,000 people in overflow areas.



In his remarks, Schultz invoked the Holocaust, and passed around a rock that he brought back from his visit to the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland some 17 years ago.



"I come to you as an American, as a Jew, as a parent, as a grandparent, as an almost 40-year partner of this company," Schultz said in opening remarks at the event. "I come to you with profound, profound concern about the lack of character, morality, humanity and what this might mean for young children and young generations."



Schultz went on to say that "the moral fiber, the values, and what we as a country have stood for is literally hanging in the abyss. We are at a critical juncture in American history."



Schultz told employees that it was hard to maintain an optimistic view about the future in light of the current storm, but he still is.



"I raise my hand, and I say I am optimistic about our country and the true promise of America," he said.



Employee forums are a tradition at Starbucks. Schultz and Kevin Johnson, Starbucks' new CEO, hold them quarterly at the company’s headquarters and regularly in regions around the world.



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