Karyl with a 'K' (That's Spelled Like 'Daryl')

I want to take a moment to share a five-minute conversation I had today with Karyl on Facebook. That's Karyl with a 'K' (and spelled liked 'Daryl'). Who’s Karyl? Karyl is a white woman who responded to a white friend of mine sharing his thoughts on how Starbucks refuses to let their employees show any solidarity with Black Lives Matter, out of fear that customers will try to harm their employees. Yes, there's a lot to unpack there. A whole lot. Especially when this is a company that backs LGBTQIA+ pride, a polarizing statement unto itself that likely has angered folx who are at the intersection of racism and homophobia (you know there's a Venn diagram for that). But I'll scratch at that some other time (that's a chat unto itself). Let's get back to Karyl with a 'K'.

So Karyl responds to my white friend stating that he's waiting to see how many white people who are suddenly all about Black lives mattering will stop their Starbucks runs or even call Starbucks out for this. Karyl's response?

"I disagree. I would not want my employees making political statements while wearing a shirt with my name on it. It would not matter if I passionately agreed with them, but then I'd have to allow those I passionately disagreed with.

You can't demand others agree with your politics. I'm happy to hire people who disagree with me politically if they are honest and do a good job.

I don't want employees wearing VOTE whatever 2020 buttons when they rep my company, etc. I believe in the divide between business and personal. Black lives may matter to me, I may prefer this or that agenda, but what if an employee has a different perspective? I did not ask them how they were voting in the interview."

Ooooh, the whiteness of it all y'all. Whew!

White people in the thread call Karyl (with a 'K' and spelled like 'Daryl') out on her racist nonsense. She proceeds to call Black lives mattering a political statement.

Yee-ep. She went there.

So white people in the thread continue to call Karyl out. I'm sitting in my dining room, sipping a LaCroix, watching this unfold with a smirk on my face. I mean, after the past two weeks racism like this is almost comical. And when white people call out other white people who are perpetuating mess like this? I like to just sit back and let it burn. I wasn't planning on jumping into the conversation; I really wasn't. But then Karyl threw this gem out there when informed that Black lives aren't a political statement:

"At work it is. One employee comes in with a Black Live Matter tee, another comes in with a confederate flag tee.

AT MY COMPANY. What do I do as the owner?"

Oh, Karyl. You went all the way there. You got a one-way ticket to there.

So I got involved. How could I not? I quickly realized I would be the only person of culture, the only Black person, posting in response to Karyl in this thread but I went for it anyway. And Karyl with a 'K'? She pulled out the "Good White Person Handbook" and turned right to chapter two: fighting off challenges to your status as a "good" white person.

I captured the thread for posterity; you can view it below. White people? I'd like to ask y'all to read how white folx who are doing the work on themselves to mitigate their contributions to white supremacy address these issues with other white people. I also want you to note how Karyl responded. Look at her arguments. Peep her frustration. Then do us all a favor.

Don't be Karyl.

Definitely don't be like Karyl with a 'K' and spelled like 'Daryl.' Not only is being like Karyl not a good look it's also likely to make a Black man spill their LaCroix.

And that sh— ain't cheap.