Can a Brother Just Get a Soy Milk Latte at No Extra Charge?

If y’all don’t know by now, white supremacists actually use cow’s milk as a symbol of their alleged “superiority”

Editor’s note: this op-ed comes from a staffer at PETA, the animal rights organization currently campaigning for Starbucks to drop the surcharge for plant-based milks. He explains his perspective on the issue for Tenderly.

There are two things I absolutely love doing on this Earth — ending the exploitation of animals and infuriating white supremacists. Dear Starbucks, you have a prime opportunity to assist with both.

If y’all don’t know by now, white supremacists actually use cow’s milk as a symbol of their alleged “superiority.” They share photos of themselves chugging milk and include milk emojis in their tweets to celebrate their “whiteness.” This corny nonsense is fueled not only by the color of milk but also by their hatred of those with darker skin.

Some 70% of African Americans are lactose intolerant, and in general, people of color are less likely to have the genetic mutation that allows digestion of lactose. These racist white people somehow feel that being more likely to be able to digest another species’ breast milk makes them “superior” — Lord help us.

Starbucks doesn’t help by charging those of us who choose plant-based milks — such as almond, coconut, and soy — an extra fee. So, Starbucks, I’m asking you to help a brother out by dropping your surcharge. As the leader of all things coffee, shouldn’t the chain be encouraging customers to choose animal-friendly, vegan milk rather than the stuff meant for a baby cow? Many other chains — including Tim Hortons, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Noah’s New York Bagels, Philz Coffee, and Costa Coffee — already offer dairy-free milk at no extra charge. Boss up and start running the coffee game again.

From wage discrimination to racial profiling, black folks already pay a “black tax” every waking moment of our lives. The last thing we need after a long day of eye-rolling at “Proud Boys” is to pay a surcharge for soy milk in our Frappuccinos. Let’s knock racists down a peg by bringing a little equality to Starbucks’ milk options. (I can already imagine those…