Why Did This Local Business Get Uninvited From a Lubbock College Campus?
After announcing their excitement and plans to open a second location of their coffee shop, things quickly went south for Tumbleweed + Sage Coffeehouse.
They announced that they will be opening a second location inside the new South Plains College downtown location. They were excited to have the opportunity to now only expand their brand, but to serve the Lubbock community in a new way.
The plan was to open the second location by February 1st, so students and visitors could enjoy their coffee as soon as possible. As a part of the excitement, they were even opening an order for shirts with the coffeehouse logo in the SPC colors. This new location also meant they were hiring new employees to work in Wolfforth and downtown.
However, all of this excitement quickly came to a halt when SPC decided to terminate their contract, and no longer allow the shop to open their second location in their building. The reason being their volunteer affiliation with Jane’s Due Process, an organization that is “working towards a future where young people in Texas have full reproductive freedom and autonomy over their healthcare decisions.”
This includes providing a text line for young people needing information on birth control, advocating for reproductive rights, and legal support for teens obtaining judicial bypass. You can find more information about the organization on their official website.
Both the coffeehouse and many people in the community are disheartened to know that a local community college is apparently opposed to supporting women’s reproductive rights.
As mentioned in the Facebook post announcing the termination of the contract, the owner of Tumbleweed + Sage is also disappointed that the college doesn’t understand that 'plan b' is not abortion. She also stated, “We had no intention of handing out 'plan b' or contraceptives at this location.” Referring to what would have been the downtown location.
The SPC General Philosophy states: "Understanding the diverse needs of students and the community, South Plains College seeks to improve the lives of our students and prepare them for lifelong learning... This focus is based on the premise that all of college life, both in and out of class, represents a real and significant part of the student’s educational development"
Part of preparing for 'lifelong learning' is to expose yourself to a variety of views and opinions. So, an argument could be made that it was a poor choice to terminate the contract you have with a business just because their political views don't exactly line up with your own.