Howard Schultz talks presidential bid, partisanship during Topeka stop

Howard Schultz, who may jump into the 2020 presidential race as an independent, spoke to community leaders Tuesday as part of his "Heart of America" tour.

The town hall was held at Greater Topeka Partnership, 719 S. Kansas Ave.

Schultz, a billionaire, was the CEO of Starbucks, where he championed health benefits, stock options and free college tuition for the chain's employees.

Mayor Michelle De La Isla said she was excited that someone with a national chain was visiting the community and that she was interested in hearing what he wanted to learn.

Schultz shared his story of growing up in public housing in Brooklyn, N.Y.

"I did not inherit any money or resources other than something extraordinary from my mother, which was the fact that she believed very strongly that our station in life, despite the fact that they had a hard time making $96 a month rent, did not define our future, and specifically she demanded — that's really the word I'd use — that we go to college," he said.

Earlier Tuesday, Schultz toured the Brown v. Board National Historic Site and met with Katherine Carper Sawyer, who as a child testified in the historic case that ended school segregation. The experience made him realize "how far we need to go, and we've got miles to go," he said.

Schultz rebuked the two-party system, denounced President Donald Trump's tone and brushed off concerns that a run by him might help re-elect Trump.

"We are at the precipice of making a very, very big decision in less than two years," Schultz said. "And that decision's going to be whether or not we want to embrace the status quo of the two-party system that is not working and hasn't been working for a long time or whether or not for the first time, in the history of the country since George Washington, that someone can break the system, disrupt it, transform it."

Partisanship, he said, has hindered solutions on such issues as immigration and health care.

"We are at a point where, I believe, we need a significant sea change," he said. "And I'm going to do everything I can do make a thoughtful, disciplined decision and in doing so, do everything I can to try and restore faith in the premise of the country and what the American dream means."

Schultz said he would likely make a decision about a presidential bid by early summer.

After Schultz presented opening remarks, media was asked to leave for the town hall portion of the event.