ACTIVIST
FROM STARBUCKS TO #SHOWUP
After her 2018 viral video of two Black men unjustly arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks sparked an international conversation and prompted the coffee chain to close 8,000 stores for implicit bias training, Melissa dedicated herself to activism. She co-founded a national movement to desegregate the public conversation about and racism, writes extensively about the individual’s role in antiracism work, and has spoken to hundreds of audiences globally to create awareness and inspire action toward equality and justice. Her activism has been featured on NPR’s Radio Times and Code Switch, Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien, AM Joy, Red Table Talk, and in numerous television, print and online outlets. She is at work on a forthcoming book, UNCOMFORTABLE.
