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Former Bloomsburg University Student’s Arrest Sparks Conversation on Campus

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY, Pa. — Rashon Nelson and his friend Donte Robinson were there for a business meeting, but what unfolded inside that Philadelphia Sta...

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY, Pa. -- Rashon Nelson and his friend Donte Robinson were there for a business meeting, but what unfolded inside that Philadelphia Starbucks has launched protests and cries for change.

A white Starbucks manager said the men were not buying anything and so she called the police last Thursday.

Cell phone video showed the two black men being arrested.

"As soon as they approached us they just said we had to leave, there was no question of you know, is there a problem here, between you guys and the manager, what's going on here,” said Nelson.

Nelson was a student at Bloomsburg University until 2016, majoring in finance.

What happened to him and his friend has sparked conversations on campus.

"There needs to be some sort of change and it starts at Starbucks but it needs to go everywhere else, I mean it's just absolutely ridiculous that that happened,” said Ethan Henschel, a student at Bloomsburg University.

"It's only when things like this happen that we get stirred up about it again, but it's as prevalent as it is in that Starbucks as it is anywhere else in the state,” said student Jeremiah Olivo.

Starbucks announced this week it will close 8,000 stores for an afternoon next month for racial-bias training.

The company's CEO apologized to Robinson and Nelson.

The men are reportedly speaking with Starbucks officials about change.

"It's not just a black people thing, this is a people thing and that's exactly what we want to see out of this and that’s true change, so put action into place and start using your words."

"It's nice to see that they're working with the Starbucks crews instead of you know fighting, it's nice to see that they're taking the higher road to make progress,” said Bloomsburg University student Rianna Daughtry.

"I hope it's going to be a conversation starter, I want to say that like with everything that has been happening, nothing has changed so far so hopefully this will change something,” said student Liana Amadeo.

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