My latest article for The Bulletin out this week tackles the Black is Beautiful beer and movement. It started with Weathered Souls Brewing in Texas, and has gone worldwide with over 1000 breweries participating. Naturally my article focuses on the Central Oregon locals.

As the Black Lives Matter protests in response to the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others have made apparent, there is still much work to be done in the name of equality and diversity in this country. The craft brewing industry is not exempt, though this summer has seen many breweries joining in an effort to support people of color and raise awareness of social justice issues.

It started when Weathered Souls Brewing Company of San Antonio, Texas, launched Black is Beautiful, both a beer and a movement. The mission statement says, “The Black is Beautiful initiative is a collaborative effort amongst the brewing community and its customers, in an attempt to bring awareness to the injustices that many people of color face daily. Our mission is to bridge the gap that’s been around for ages and provide a platform to show that the brewing community is an inclusive place for everyone of any color.”

As with many efforts originating in the brewing industry, it starts with a beer. Weathered Souls brewed a stout, befitting the name of the movement, and made the recipe freely available along with label artwork for others to follow. It donated proceeds from the sales of the beer to the Know Your Rights Campaign and asked participating breweries to donate to local foundations that support police brutality reform.

The brewery encouraged others to embrace creativity and put their own spins on the beer, and at the time of this writing, over 1,000 breweries have brewed or committed to brew versions of Black is Beautiful, including 36 in Oregon.

I just checked, and the number in Oregon is now 37 on the website, though it doesn’t count Deschutes Brewery, which partnered with The Ale Apothecary (as I mention in the article), so really it’s 38 in Oregon.

This is a vitally important project that shouldn’t be ignored. If you see a Black is Beautiful beer on tap, or available in cans, buy it—your dollars will help to fund the necessary change we need to see right now.