 In May 2015, Starbucks launched a doomed campaign called Race Together to encourage baristas and coffee drinkers around the country to have a conversation about race. Although many might have mistaken the campaign for a satirical entry on The Onion, Starbucks announced that its employees had the option of arbitrarily writing the hashtag Race Together on a random customer's cup. Aspiring coffee drinkers minding their own damn business would then be obliged to say something to the barista about race.