Getting kicked out of restaurants for being black was common in the 50s, but some suggest this still happens in 2018. It is the reason why coined terms like "Shopping While Black" or "Dining While Black" are still relevant; after a video of two black men being arrested at Starbucks recently went viral, some have suggested that this was exactly what was going on, while others propose that these black men were actually in the wrong here. Keep reading to learn about what really happened and why it was so controversial.

Long Story Short:

Two black men were arrested and escorted out of Starbucks by cops after the manager called the police station and stated,

"Hi, I have two gentlemen in my cafe that are refusing to make a purchase or leave."

Cops later arrived and arrested Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson.

Soon after, #BoycottStarbucks trended by social media users who saw this as modern day racism.

The CEO of Starbucks later apologized and reached out to the men arrested. Additionally, Starbucks will be closing all stores nationwide for Racial-Bias Education on May 29.

The Story According to the Men Arrested:

ABC News interviewed Rashon Nelson (left) and Donte Robinson (right) to get insight as to what really happened. Here is what went down:

Interviewer: […] Donte, you both walk in, you get a table Rashon, how long was it before you asked to use the restroom?

Donte: Immediately, as soon as I walked in, and uh, she stated that they were for paying customers only, and I just left it at that, at that moment.

Interviewer: [...] Then you go and find [Rashon]. You're at the table. What happened next?

Donte: Um, we're at the table. We sit down. We're just talking amongst each other. Um, she then comes from around the register, as, you know, walks up to us, asks if, you know, she can help us with anything. "Can we start with some drinks or water", or something like that. You know we have bottles of water with us, so you know, we're fine, we're just waiting for a meeting, we'll be out really quick, type thing, um, and that was it.

Interviewer: So, approximately 4:35 [PM] you arrive for a 4:45 [PM] business meeting. According to 911 accounts, a call was placed at 4:37 [PM], approximately 2 minutes after you arrived, to 911. What did you think when you saw police arrive, Dante?

Donte: It can’t be here for us.

Interviewer: So, when they do approach you, what do they say and how do you react?

Rashon: Well initially, um, as soon as they approach us, they say we have to leave. There was no question of, you know, “Was there a problem here between you guys and the manager?” You know, “What happened?”

Interviewer: When you were arrested, did they tell you what you were being arrested for?

Donte: No, not at the time. We wasn’t read any rights, nothing. Just double locked, handcuffs, behind my back, escorted out and put into the squad car.

According to a recordingof the officers' transmissions, the officers were "on route...with two arrests," at 5:00 PM.

Questions:

How long were they there before being arrested? Were they rude to the cops? Did they actually have a business meeting? Why didn't the two men leave when the cops asked? Have white people been arrested in this kind of circumstance before? Doesn't a business have a right to kick people out if they don't buy anything?

I do not have the answers to all of these questions, but I think it is important for everyone to reflect on them because maybe they spark thoughts on this that some have not considered before.

Consider the following Tweets to see what people are saying.

"This was not discrimination." :

Larry Elder, a political radio commentator who is

Here is one take on it by political commentator Matt Walsh:

Mr. Walsh has been particularly vocal on the matter and got a lot of flack for what he said. He responded to critical Tweets every once in a while. Here is one of his responses:

Jesse Lee Peterson, a political commentator, activist and author, stated:

"This was discrimination."

This is what political activist and writer Shaun King thought about the whole ordeal:

Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Lee from California expressed these emotions upon hearing about the incident:

Dr. Eugene Gu, a practicing physician who is very politically active on his Twitter posted this:

Conclusion:

What I presented is just a glimpse into what happened and the conversations surrounding the event, but fear not: there are ongoing investigations which will hopefully reveal the whole picture. Regardless, it is better to hear all of the facts first, but we must have empathy for everyone who thinks there is no need for further evidence too because, let's face it, the video looked bad. Whatever the case, let's make this a learning experience for everyone; we need to learn how to debate on things like this with peaceful dialogue. That's how we can get the other side to see our perspective and that's how we can bridge the divided America we live in. God knows this country needs it.