Thank you for standing with us in our mission to assist the disenfranchised achieve social and economic equality.

The Black is Beautiful initiative is a joint effort between the brewing community and its customers to highlight the injustices, past and present, that people of color grapple with daily. Spearheaded by Marcus Baskerville, Head brewer and co-owner of Weathered Souls Brewing Company in San Antonio, Texas, the initiative seeks to bridge the prevalent inequality gap in America – one that has disproportionately affected people of color since the country’s inception.

Like so many of us, Marcus has been unsettled by the recent turmoil affecting the nation. Eager to use his platform to spread awareness of racial injustice and obtain funding for social justice causes, he hatched an idea.

Marcus and his team at Weathered Souls opted to create an imperial stout beer, dark in color, to highlight the different hues and shades of black, aptly naming it “Black is Beautiful.” To increase engagement, Baskerville has made the recipe available to craft brewers worldwide, encouraging them to add their flavorful creative spin to his base recipe, further showcasing the many ways in which black is beautiful.

Breweries participating in the initiative are asked to do the following:

• Donate 100% of the beer’s proceeds to local foundations that support police brutality reform and legal defenses for those who have been wronged

• Choose their own entity to donate to local organizations that support equality and inclusion

• Commit to the long-term work of equality

The initiative began early last month, and the support thus far has been staggering – 972 participating breweries in all 50 states, plus 19 countries! To learn more about the initiative, visit https://blackisbeautiful.beer/. 

To learn more about the Urban League’s history, mission, and programs, please visit https://www.urbanleagueok.org/. To donate, please visit  https://www.urbanleagueok.org/donate/ or contact the Urban League at 405-424-5243.

*************** PRODUCT RELEASE INFORMATION ***************

Elk Valley plans to release their “Black is Beautiful” rendition – a coconut molasses imperial stout, at noon on Saturday, July 18; it will be available in the taproom and online.

Core 4 Brewing Company is aiming for a July 31 release date at an art event called The Final Friday Art Hop. They plan to deliver an imperial stout with vanilla.

To stay up to date with news from the breweries, follow them here on Facebook and at their other social media accounts below!

https://twitter.com/ElkValleyBrew     https://www.instagram.com/elkvalleybrew/

https://twitter.com/Core4brewing     https://www.instagram.com/core4brewing/