National Black Brewers Day is an annual celebration of Black brewers and breweries in the United States. It is celebrated on October 10th, the anniversary of Theodore “Ted” Mack Sr.’s purchase of People’s Brewing Company in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, making him the first Black brewery owner in the country. Recently the California State Senate, led by Senator Steven Bradford, voted unanimously to approve a resolution to create a National Black Brewers Day.
The day was created by the National Black Brewers Association (NB2A), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the Black brewing community and increasing the number of African Americans in the brewing industry at all levels.
National Black Brewers Day is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of Black brewers to the craft beer industry, and to raise awareness of the challenges that they face. It is also a time to come together as a community and enjoy some delicious beer!
Black people have been brewing beer in the United States for centuries. In fact, some of the first commercial breweries in the country were owned by Black people. However, due to racism and discrimination, Black brewers have historically been marginalized and excluded from the brewing industry.
In the early 20th century, many Black breweries were forced to close during Prohibition. After Prohibition, Black brewers faced continued discrimination from banks and other financial institutions, making it difficult to start and maintain a brewery. There are over 9,000 breweries in the USA and less than 1% are Black-owned.
There are many ways to celebrate National Black Brewers Day, such as visiting a Black-owned brewery, attending a beer festival featuring Black brewers, or simply enjoying a Black-brewed beer at home. Spread the word about Black brewers and National Black Brewers Day. Talk to your friends and family about Black brewers and the importance of supporting them. Share information about Black brewers on social media. By supporting Black brewers, we can help to create a more diverse and inclusive craft beer industry for everyone.
Look for National Black Brewers Day celebrations including a scroll presentation and community event at the future Crowns & Hops Brewing Inglewood location on October 10th and Peoples Beer Fest in Sacramento October 12-15.
