HBCUs—or Historically Black Colleges and Universities—have long been important institutions in the Black community. The first HBCUs were established before the Civil War to provide higher education opportunities to Black high school graduates, and since then have continued to grow. Today, there are 101 HBCUs in the nation.
Over the years, HBCUs have graduated many prominent leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr; US Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall; Oprah Winfrey; Toni Morrison; and the first female, first Black, and first Asian-American vice president, Kamala Harris. HBCUs have given birth to many leaders across society, including the beer industry.
This is the landscape in which Atinuke Akintola Diver’s recent piece is set. “‘A Black Woman Made This Beer’ — How Historically Black Colleges and Universities Shaped a Generation of Black Women Brewers” was published on May 11, 2022 as part of our Next Germination series (made in partnership with Guinness). Tinu’s story draws a connection between the many Black women brewers working today and the HBCUs they attended, and explores the role of these institutions as essential incubators of Black brewing talent. She noticed this connection after researching her feature-length documentary “This Belongs to Us.” (If you want to learn more about her documentary, I recommend listening to the podcast she recorded with her main subject, Briana Brake, and host Bryan Roth.)
In this episode, we talk about the importance of giving Black women their flowers, our love of storytelling, why a complete beer history includes the contributions of Black people, and where Tinu’s beer journey has taken her so far.