Why Starbucks is getting rid of the Confederate flag

Starbucks is eliminating the Confederate battle flag from its store signage, after months of criticism and boycotts by African Americans, Latinos, women, LGBTQ people and other groups.

The chain’s announcement Tuesday follows a series of events over the past month, including the killing of three Black men in Dallas and the police killing of two unarmed men in Minnesota.

The move to remove the flag from store signs came after a meeting with a coalition of black and Latino leaders, led by NAACP President Ben Jealous.

“The decision to remove these flags is deeply unfortunate and a direct consequence of the racism, bigotry and hatred that have plagued our communities for decades,” Jealous said in a statement Tuesday.

The NAACP is an organization with a history of opposing flag-related issues.

The group said in March it would no longer support the Confederate banner that hangs on the North Carolina statehouse grounds.