How the Black Is Beautiful Initiative Is Fermenting Social Change | Imbibe Magazine

Marcus Baskerville couldn’t sleep in San Antonio. His mind weighed heavy and restless with the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality, against the longstanding injustices levied on Black, indigenous, and people of color. Instead of tossing and turning into the morning of June 1, Baskerville rose at around 3 a.m. and drove to Weathered Souls, the Texas brewery he cofounded, eager to implement a plan.

In his office, the head brewer started typing up the collaborative Black Is Beautiful initiative, his brewery’s effort to inspire social change. The call to action was concise: Weathered Souls would ask fellow breweries to brew variations on its imperial stout, then donate 100 percent of sales proceeds to organizations supporting police reform and legal defenses, while also donating to local organizations that support equality and inclusion, and committing to long-term work on equality.

Early that afternoon, Baskerville announced the project via a Facebook video and post. “As someone who has personally dealt with abuse of power by the police, this recent turmoil the country is facing has hit home for me,” Baskerville wrote in the announcement, adding that the collaboration is about “understanding, inclusion, and supporting people of color.”