SPOKANE, Wash. — The owners of two coffee companies in Spokane are responding this week to controversy over racially-charged posts on their Facebook pages.
The founder of Tom Sawyer Country Coffee in Spokane apologized on Thursday after sharing a Facebook post that said, "White lives matter. Let's see how long it takes for Facebook to take this down." He also shared a post that said, "I will never kneel down and apologize for being white."
My Fresh Basket, a grocery store located within Kendall Yards that usually carries the coffee, quickly pulled the brand from its shelves. The grocery store has partnered with Tom Sawyer Country Coffee for years, and its one of the top 10 items sold, Sawyer said on Thursday.
Sawyer's personal Facebook page and the page for his company have since been deactivated.
Some Facebook users expressed that they would boycott the business and encouraged people to do the same, while others have voiced support for Tom Saywer Country Coffee.
Sawyer said the coffee company has seen an outpouring of support, with more than 200 people who have stopped by on Thursday. The supporters have included countless churches and more than 50 police officers, he added.
In a phone call with KREM on Thursday, Sawyer said he wanted to apologize to those who were offended or hurt by his posts and insisted that he is not racist "in any way, shape or form."
“I’ve obviously caused some damage and hurt some people, and you have my sincere apology for that," he said.
Sawyer also invited anyone who wants to talk to him to stop by his business.
“The thing that I really would like to do, if anybody would like to come down and have a cup of coffee with me, be my guest, and we can agree to disagree and just talk things over," he said.
Occupy Spokane posted on Thursday what it called the "boycott business of the day," sharing posts from The Wake Up Call co-owner Christi Walsh with "All Lives Matter" messaging.
The post from Occupy Spokane garnered hundreds of comments, reactions and shares.
The Wake Up Call has since released a statement on its Facebook page, saying it "does not believe in nor condone racism of any sort." But some customers say it was too late, adding that they will no longer support the business.
Others on Facebook have said they will continue to support the business.
Walsh said in a statement released to KREM on Friday that she loves the Spokane community, where she has lived for more than 20 years.
Her statement reads:
As a business owner, I have always tried to be a positive element in our society; I would never intentionally harm our community or hurt our community members. I have never and will never support racism of any sort. I'm very sorry that my Facebook posts have caused offense and controversy. I am committed to learning about diversity. My dedication to and love for my employees and community is steadfast. I am determined to learn from this experience.
The Wake Up Call said in a statement that the business has always done its best to "treat everyone equally and with respect, from the customers we serve to the people we hire."
"We are re-evaluating what the correct path forward is and what we can do to grow and learn...we are not experts on racial injustice or inequality, so we will seek to educate ourselves and learn how we can address these concerns," the statement reads.
While some local businesses are facing backlash, others are giving back to the community.
Baristas at Ladder Coffee and Toast are donating all tips, cash and electronic, to nonprofits that support the Black community in Spokane in honor of Juneteenth. The company will match all tips and double whatever is donated.
"For me, this is one of those things that came out of a genuine desire in our hearts to bless our community and to stand with what is a very small percentage of our community and say 'Hey, we're here for you, we support you,'" said Ladder manager Emily Ramirez.