Editors note:
“The Time Is Now” is an in-depth, three-part series dedicated to the struggle for racial equity within the beer world. From exploring the economic underpinnings of the beer world’s homogeneity to spotlighting the bias deep within its workplace culture, this series depicts an industry that has unilaterally failed to create space and support for Black entrepreneurs, creators, brewers, and drinkers. It also offers concrete next steps for anyone in beer—from drinkers up to owners—who wants to change that status quo, and create a better and more equitable future for the industry.
Today, journalist Mike Jordan discusses the problems facing Black-owned small businesses, and traces the history of those barriers to the country’s beginnings. Tomorrow, equity advocate and former brewery analytical chemist Toni Boyce describes the ways that bias and racism manifest in beer’s workplaces. And on Thursday, Dr. J. Nikol Jackson-Beckham, the Brewers Association’s diversity chair and founder of Craft x EDU, makes the economic case for pursuing equity, inclusion, and justice.
Check in with Good Beer Hunting on Twitter and Instagram to hear first-hand accounts from Black voices across the beer industry. And tune in on Saturday, 10 August for a follow-up podcast conversation featuring contributors Mike Jordan and Toni Boyce, hosted by writer and consulting editor Beth Demmon and Editor-in-Chief Claire Bullen.