In the last two weeks, the nation has been caught up in a string of divisive executive orders that have left many in the nation feeling anxious and outraged. On January 27, Trump suspended entry into the United States for all immigrants and nonimmigrants of seven predominantly Muslim countries. Popularly referred to as the #Muslimban, the executive order is considered both immoral and illegal and has sparked a wealth of protests and legal actions.
Driving the legal efforts is the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), an organization that works “daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.” In order to better support the work of this non-partisan group, Sprudge, a website dedicated to coffee news and culture, has organized a nationwide coffee fundraiser with all proceeds going to the ACLU.
Next weekend — Friday, February 3rd through Sunday, February 5 — you can support the ACLU by simply purchasing your daily coffee from one of the participating cafes. Sprudge has pledged to match the first $500 each company earns this weekend. The most recent count shows 194 brands and 400 cafes participating, and more are actively being sought. The website has a complete list.
Over the past few years coffee has become part of the mechanics of protest. Just ask Starbucks. Outgoing CEO Howard Schultz pledged the company would hire 10,000 refugees in stores worldwide as a response to Trump’s ban. Cue outrage and Twitter activism calling for a boycott. But, this and past boycott efforts have not proven successful. Starbucks sales in the US keep rising, even in an environment of stiff competition. Hopefully, the cafes raising money for the ACLU will see the same level of patronage.
As the editors of Sprudge write: “This is a human issue, and one on which there can be no equivocation. America is a nation of immigrants and refugees, and whether your family came a year ago or 150 years ago, we are equal. All immigrants and refugees are welcome here no matter their spiritual beliefs, their country of origin, or color of their skin.”
