Political vlogger Bryan Sharpe, AKA “Hotep Jesus,” filmed himself walking into a Starbucks and demanding free “reparations” coffee from a white barista in light of recent allegedly racist incidents involving black men at two of the company’s stores. Sharpe did indeed receive the free coffee and the video quickly went viral online. In Twitter postings, Sharpe implored other black folks to tape themselves demanding free coffee, too, as part of the “#StarbucksChallenge.”
Sharpe’s stunt, however, was not done to get free things by virtue of his skin tone and encourage others “entitled” to do the same, but to highlight how “white guilt” and “black privilege” got him free coffee, which, he says, is actually racist.
He also noted the potent “business” aspect to modern ostensibly anti-racism movements.
“Racism is a business,” Sharpe told The Blaze. “Thanks to the ridiculousness of BLM activists, it’s the new publicity stunt — and I think I just proved it.”
Prefacing the event, Sharpe says at the top of the video that he’s about to go inside the Starbucks located behind him and get his “free coffee.” He was apparently confident the white guilt at any liberal Starbucks would be abundant.
“I heard y’all was racist, so I came to get my, um, free coffee,” he tells a white barista named Amanda.
“I saw that!” says the young Starbucks employee, quickly adding that it was “not our store!”
“Yeah, I heard you guys don’t like black people, so I came to get my Starbucks reparations voucher,” Sharpe tells her.
Of course, the white Starbucks worker happily complies. “I’ll give you a free coffee,” she says.
“That’s what I’m talking about! This is justice,” Sharpe rejoices. “This is justice. This is what I’m talking about.”
“Black lives matter,” he says, clearly now just trolling the hell out of her.
“Yes, they do!” she predictably responds.
“Black privilege gets me free coffee. I love racism. Only in America,” posted Sharpe, adding a #StarbucksChallenge hashtag to another tweet.