Taylor Bg Cxffeeblack Tee
Cxffeeblack t-shirt currently in pre-order. (Background pattern illustrated by Taylor McManus @tmcmanusillustration)

Many readers have reached out via email and social media, requesting a resource to support Black-owned coffee companies in today’s historic moment for civil rights in the United States.ย In response, the last week has been spent reaching out and calling in to Black-owned coffee businesses across the United States, speaking directly with owners, founders, and members of various leadership teams. The goal was to provide a working, updating list of Black-owned coffee businesses across the country while prioritizing consent and permission from every included company.

Consent to being included is incredibly important, for reasons both obvious and subtle.ย This list is not perfect or fully authoritative and will be updated with additional information in the hours and days to come as we continue to gather consent and input from Black-owned coffee companies.

Alongside their own work, each owner and business leader was welcomed to spotlight an organizationโ€”be it local or nationalโ€”that they wanted to amplify at this moment. Join us in donating to these organizations, and please see yesterday’s feature for an additional list of organizations and educational resources to support. Most of these are outside of the sphere of coffeeโ€”this is a moment that’s bigger than coffee.

If buying a bag of coffee is the beginning and end of your activism, that’s not enough. Donโ€™t let it be where it ends.

This story is updatingโ€”we will continue adding businesses to it in the hours and days to come. Want to get in touch? Reach out via the contact form.

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When we started collecting links to tip jars in mid-March, we were thinking about an immediate reaction to the COVID-19 crisis. At that time, collecting and signal boosting virtual tip jars seemed like the best way to support the baristas and other coffee professionals that depend on tips as a means of survival. โ  โ  Over the past few months of this project, we've come to realize that the issues within coffee, like much of America, are systemic. There is no real safety net to help the hourly coffee professional and the COVID-19 crisis just illuminated that. With that in mind, weโ€™ve incorporated as a non-profit so we can continue our work beyond tip jars into the immediate future. Weโ€™ll be detailing more of our plans for GFB soon, but right now weโ€™re sharing our new logo designed by @hi.pripri. โ  โ  For now, you can continue to support the hourly coffee professional by being kind and tipping well. There are tip jars that are still active in our database to support coffee professionals who are still financially hurting because of the pandemic. See them at the link in our profile.

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GoFundBean โ€” Washington, DC

Coffee industry leader and Black Coffee panelist Adam JacksonBey is the founder of GoFundBean, a nonprofit organization that supports, uplifts, and protects the hourly coffee professional. Originally launched as a collection of staff “tip jars” at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Go Fund Bean is now a registered non-profit, and has a range of exciting plans for its growing platform. Give them a follow on Instagram and watch for much more in the coming weeks.

Adam JacksonBey would like Sprudge readers to consider supporting Fair Fight, a voter protection resource working to “ensure that every American voterโ€™s voice is heard.”

JNP Coffee โ€” Shrewsbury, Massachusetts

JNP Coffee founder Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian is a graduate from the Kellogg Business School at Northwestern University whose two decades in the corporate world brought her to coffeeโ€”specifically the coffees of Burundi. Now a licensed Q Grader, Niyonzima-Aroian started JNP Coffee to highlight the then little-known coffee origin, where she not only brings more awareness to many of the excellent coffee coming out of the East African nation but also works to empower Burundian women coffee producers. In fact, per their website, JNP Coffee represents “the majority of coffee grown by women members of the Burundi chapter of the International Womenโ€™s Coffee Alliance (IWCA).”

Niyonzima-Aroian tells Sprudge she would like readers to consider supporting to the NAACP and The Bail Project Bond.

circle house coffee ft lauderdale florida

Circle House Coffee โ€” Ft Lauderdale, Florida

Community has always been at the heart of what Circle House Coffee is all about. Started in 2018 by former NFL linebacker Stephen Tulloch,ย Circle House started as an extension of the community-driven work he was doing with the Stephen Tulloch Foundation. Born in Florida, Tulloch uses his foundation to help underprivileged children and those fighting cancer, and with Circle House, Tulloch is expanding that mission, donating each month to a rotating list of charities.

Tulloch and Circle House would like to amplify the ongoing work of his own organization, the Stephen Tulloch Foundation.

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From our original little corner of Kisimenti in Kampala, to as far away as Aurora, Illinois Endiro Coffee is now brewing all the good we can in nine locations in Uganda and the USA. Perhaps you've become a regular at Kisimenti, Aurora, Mbale, Naguru or Iganga. But have you checked out the Endiro TrailHead in Moroto at @karamojasafari or the new Endiro Bugolobi at @ultimatefitness_kla or the Endiro Coffee bar at @stanchart on Speke Road in Nakasero. Whichever location is your choice, you will always find Uganda's very best coffee grown by Uganda's highest paid coffee farmers. Lives are being changed with each and every delicious cup. #coffee #Uganda #coffeeshop #africa #coffeehouse #coffee_inst

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Endiro Coffee โ€” Aurora, Illinois

Hailing from Illinois via Uganda, Endiro Coffee’s mission is simple: “to end child vulnerability globally through coffee.” Started in 2011, Endiro has blossomed into a multiple-national brand, with a cafe in Aurora, multiple storefronts in Kampala and other Ugandan cities, and certified B Corporation status all being achieved in those nine years.

Endiro would like Sprudge readers to consider donating to the 40 Days Over 40 Smiles Foundation in Uganda, a Kampala-based organization “helping vulnerable children and communities to access quality, all-round education support and entrepreneurial training aimed at self-sustainability.”

MochaBox โ€” Washington, DC

MochaBox is Floyd Sartin and Harlin Thomas II. Originally from Detroit, the duo now finds themselves in the nation’s capitol, splitting time between the corporate world and the coffee world. MochaBox is focused on the intersection of convenience and quality, operating primarily in the e-commerce and subscription space.

We recently dedicated a promotional campaign geared towards fighting against systematic racism and injustice. The campaign was called ‘FLOYD’ in honor of George Floyd,” Sarlin tells Sprudge. “Although the campaign has ended, MochaBox Coffee Company will continue to fight for these causes and ensure that Black culture is perpetuated in our coffee products and the coffee industry as a whole. Lastly, weโ€™re donating our proceeds to the Black Visions Collective.”

Circadian Coffee โ€” Indianapolis, Indiana

In northern Indianapolis, Circadian Coffee began with the simple idea that coffee doesn’t have to be complicated to be good. Beginning in 2016, Circadian stayed true to this mantra by starting out with an offering sheet consisting of three blends meant to “serve as staples for the everyday coffee drinker.” Since then, the brand has expanded their line-up to include single origins, an espresso blend, and cold brew, for which they took home third in Coffee Fest’s 2019 America’s Best Cold Brew competition. Now, Circadian Coffee can be found at cafes across the greater Indianapolis area.

Circadian Coffee would like readers to learn more about the KHEPW Institute. “They’re a local Indianapolis organization that started with school programs. Eventually, this evolved into an organization supporting entrepreneurs, addressing food insecurities, and a host of other initiatives meant to empower communities and create grassroots solutions to community challenges spanning race and identity.”

Equiano Coffee โ€” Eugene, Oregon

Okon Udosenata is the co-founder of Equiano Coffee, a roaster and cafe located in the Whiteaker neighborhood of Eugene, Oregon, about 90 minutes south of Portland. Udosenata is a national roasting competition finalist and his built his brand on the philosophy of “Making Specialty Coffee Approachable…And Exciting.”

“The organization I like to send support is CAHOOTS,” Udosenata tells Sprudge. The organization is focused on mental health crisis intervention; the acronym stands for Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets. “With the current environment of police brutality Cahoots is an amazing model of an organization that the police and city planners can learn from. “

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"COFFEE against COVID" We canโ€™t thank ALL the doctors, nurses and hospital/clinic staff members enough for the selfless sacrifices they make daily during this horrible pandemic! Call to actions: As an act of appreciation and gratitude, The Station would love to build partnerships and collaborate with coffee shops, coffee roasters and hospitals around Seattle! We are not certain how to make this possible and would appreciate guidance if you know people. The Station would like to donate coffee to our incredible heroes starting with Swedish Medical Center First Hill and Harborview Medical Center. We are hoping other coffee shops will join us in solidarity. Hopefully other coffee shops and roasters will do the same in other cities around the country!? Please tag your favorite coffee shops, roasters and hospital staff members. Also if youโ€™re willing to procure donations, please let us know. LaMarzocco Lamarzocco Fulcrum Coffee Herkimer Coffee Starbucks Starbucks Reserve Caffe Vita Victrola Coffee Roasters Lighthouse Roasters Caffรจ Umbria Uptown Espresso Seattle Stumptown Coffee Roasters Caffe Ladro – Ladro Roasting (Boon Boona cafe, hood famous, cafe avole, resistencia cafe,cortona cafe, tougo cafe, central cafe) Thank you so much let's make this happen! The Station Coffee Shop Luis Rodriguez- owner Leona Moore-Rodriguez- owner Jennifer Johnson- Marketing Coordinator "COFFEE against COVID" #stayhome #coviฬ‡d19 #corona #virus #heroes #hospital #doctor #nurse @lamarzoccohome @fulcrumcoffeeroasters @herkimercoffee @starbucks @starbucksreserve @victrolacoffee @lighthouseroasters @uptown.espresso @stumptowncoffee @boonboonacoffee @hoodfamousbakeshop @cafeavole @resistenciacoffee @cortonacafe @tougocoffee @centralcafe_seattle

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The Station โ€” Seattle, Washington

Located in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood, they write, “We are home to artists of all disciplines, youth workers and advocates, elders and children, up and coming and seasoned activists.” You can read more about the story behind founders Luis and Leona Rodriguez in this feature on Forterra,ย “The People-Powered Coffee House.”

The Station would like Sprudge readers to consider supporting Abundance of Hope Center.

 

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Reveille Trading Company โ€” Atlanta, Georgia

Reveille is a Black-owned coffee company, and “a platform that allows for small coffee producers and roasters to sell their products directly to their customers.” Founder Calvin Harris shares some of his journey here on the official Reveille website, writing, “Reveille is a veteran and minority-owned company that is committed to having a positive impact both socially and environmentally.”

Harris’ work supports a number of organizations. He tells Sprudge: “We are ย a service-disabled veteran-owned business. Disability:IN is a great organization that works exceptionally close and helps in more ways than I can count; they play a very active role in all of the companies that they have certified.[We also support] Black Economic Council of Massachusettsย (BECMA); they put on events all of the time to help black businesses connect.”

Bright Land Coffee โ€” Philadelphia, PAย 

advert but first coffee cookbook now available

 

Gary Lambert’s Bright Land Coffee was born out of a long-delayed dream. After years of ongoing cancer treatments, Lambert drew on the support of his friends and family to open Bright Land, achieving his goal of creating a coffee company and leaving a legacy for his children.

Lambert would like Sprudge readers to consider supporting the Amistad Law Project. He writes: “Because of my background, born in Jamaica but a US Citizen and worked in the criminal justice field, I believe there needs to be a criminal justice reform in Philadelphia and obviously nationally as well.ย  Iโ€™ve seen it firsthand, there isnโ€™t equal justice for all.ย  If the facts are the same, the system will give one the benefit of doubt and the other is setup for failure. Itโ€™s heartbreaking to see how the system is used as a tool to oppress.โ€

Black Acres Roastery Coffee โ€” Baltimore, Maryland

Located in the Highlandtown neighborhood of Baltimore, Black Acres is a small, artisan coffee roasting company offering weekly subscriptions, single origins, blends, nitro cold brew cans, merch, and much more. With online brew methods and a growing wholesale presence, the Balitmore brand has all your coffee bases covered, under the motto “more COFFEE more LIFE”

Black Acres would like Sprudge readers to consider supporting Baltimore Action Legal.

Sip & Sonder โ€” Inglewood, California

Sip & Sonder are a roaster/retailer located in Inglewood, launched in 2017 by Shanita Nicholas and Amanda Jane-Thomas. The duo launched this brand from a platform as succesful attorneysโ€”their About Page goes into more detailโ€”but it’s a story coffee is lucky to have, in which driven professionals see the cafe space as a springboard for culture, connectivity, and oppotunity, then build the space of their dreams around it.

The space is a hybrid: a coffeehouse, events space, gallery, and creative studio. Here’s more from their official website: “Son – der (n.): The realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your ownโ€”populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries.ย Established in 2017, Sip & Sonder is an entrepreneurial and creative hub that houses a Coffee House and Creative Studio.ย Sip & Sonder is the premier destination for creatives, entrepreneurs, freelancers, curators, and everyone in between to simply exist, grab a cup of coffee, connect, create, and put sonder into action.”

The team at Sip & Sonder would like Sprudge readers to consider supporting @ourown.life, a multi-faceted charitable organization creating “access to resources for mental, physical, and emotional health to support the underserved.”

Kahawa 1893 โ€” San Francisco, California

Kahawa 1893 is Margaret Nyamumbo’s coffee brand, and the work they’re doing is of generational importance. Nyamumbo is third-generation coffee farmer; her mission involves sourcing directly from coffee farmers in Kenya and roasting that coffee in California. This work allows Kahawa 1893 to create direct impact with farmer partners, while offering a range of roasted coffees for sale in the United States, including dunkable single-serve coffee bags.

Kahawa has been featured in a broad range of publications, including Forbesย and the Boss Barista podcast, and as a speaker Margaret Nyamumbo has appeared at events including the Africa Diaspora Investment Symposium and the Africa Business Forum at Berkeley Haas School of Business. She is a graduate of Smith College and has an MBA from Harvard.

Margaret Nyamumbo would like Sprudge readers to consider supporting the National Bailout Fund, organized via the hashtag #freeblackmamas. Learn more about Kahawa 1893 by following them on social media ( Twitter | IG ) and visiting the official website.

Dr. Bean’s Coffee Roasters โ€” Memphis, Tennessee

In a feature full of excellent stories this is a particularly excellent one. Dr. Albert L. Bean is an enormously accomplished emergency physician in Memphis, affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area across the last two decades, including the Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Methodist Hospitals of Memphis, and Grays Harbor Community Hospital. He is also the co-founder (with Charles Billings) of Dr. Bean’s Coffee Roasters, who developed the brand as a Memphis-based coffee roasting company serving their local communities. You can learn more about this work in a feature with the Memphis-focused website High Ground, and check them out at at the Puck Food Hall in Memphis.

They are roasting some really beautiful coffees at Dr. Bean’s, including offerings like the Panama Elida Estate and this natural coffee from Indonesia. Dr. Bean himself sent along some more info on the organization they’d like Sprudge readers to support, called The Liquid Legacy.

“We are currently partnering with The Liquid Legacy to help provide safe, sustainable drinking water for communities in the rural jungle and mountain regions. These regions are the same areas in which coffee is cultivated and processed. A portion of the proceeds from every bag goes to ensuring these communities may have safe and sustainabile drinking water.” โ€” Dr. Albert L. Bean.

Black Coffee FW โ€” Fort Worth, Texas

Black Coffee is here to serve Fort Worth (and the wider Dallas Metroplex) with a location near Texas Wesleyan University. The brand’s motto is “Exclusive Eastside culture + unbeatable coffee.” You can learn more about the work that goes into making Black Coffee FW extraordinary here on the shop’s Process page, and learn more about founder Mia Moss in this article on FWTX.com.

You can support BCFW by supporting their virtual tip jar, following the company on social media (Twitter | IG ) and visiting their official website.

The team at Black Coffee FW would like Sprudge readers to consider supporting Community Frontline in Forth Worth, an organization that helps fight injustice.

Portrait Coffee โ€” Atlanta, Georgia

Southwest Atlanta’s Portrait Coffee has a motto: “Join Us In Pouring A New Narrative.” Here’s more from their About page: “Our entire team are residents of Southwest Atlanta who are deeply invested in seeing the Historic West End continue to flourish. ย Weโ€™re a diverse team with unique experiences in business operations, marketing, communications, design, and community development. Portrait Coffeeโ€™s goal is to empower and equip Atlanta natives and residents with genuine career and life opportunities in the world of coffee.”

There are many ways you can support Portrait: purchase coffee online, check out a range of merch including candles and mugs, and join their coffee club at a range of cadences, from once a month to weekly. Be sure to follow Portrait on Instagram for more details.

The team at Portrait would like to recommend Sprudge readers consider supporting Peace Preparatory Academy, an organization that “seeks to be a place that educates the whole child, supports the whole family, and provides growth and change opportunities for the whole community.”

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"Thanks to all of you speaking up and standing out for the many whom have been hurt, disadvantaged, marginalized, discriminated, and plagued by injustices during this time and many times before. I personally, am having a difficult time putting my feelings into words. There is so much sadness and hurt I feel as a Young Black Women but especially a business owner during this time. Having my own share of hurts through racist opinions, comments, generalizations, and etc. I feel deeply for the many that are hurting, enraged, or hopeless due to the constant and consistent mistreatment of people of color. For those that are learning, challenging their privilege, donating to organizations, writing to law makers, and speaking up… I'm proud of you… We all need this! All I can say is, we are grateful to all of you that have come in to support our multi-cultural small business regularly and especially during COVID. Thank you to the many that come in to encourage us, check up on us, pray with us, laugh with us, cry along side us… It's brought all of us a special sense of community during this time of social distancing and separation. While you all are navigating this changing world… we'll be here to support in whatever way's best. Just remember, history has its eye's on you. So, don't throw away your shot." -Key . . . #blacklivesmatter #georgefloyd #breonnataylor #saytheirnames #enddiscrimination #poc #specialtycoffee #blackownedbusiness #orangecounty #huntingtonbeach #california #familiaosa #occoffeeculture #womenincoffee #strongertogether @thechocolatebarista @occoffeeculture

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AoSA Coffee โ€” Huntington Beach, CA

AoSA Coffee owner Keyana Hill is making beautifully modern coffee in her multi-roaster cafe, a sunny California space founded in 2014 by her partner, Mike Hill (the company celebrated 6 years in April). Like many coffee shops across the country, AoSA has shifted to carryout only in response to COVID-19, and amped up their community support for homebrewing coffee options. “We are greateful to all of you that have come in to support our mutli-cultural small busiess regularly and especiallyd uring COVID,” they write. “It’s encouraging to be able to support other black owners through the time and research done by you all within our community,” AoSA continues on Instagram. “Thank you for continuing to be world changers.”

Support AoSA wherever you are by visiting their official website and social media, join their newsletter, and shop for merch, and unique kits.

AoSA owner Keyana Hillย would like to recommend Sprudge readers consider supporting National Coalition of 100 Black Women and Color of Change.

Three Keys Coffee โ€” Houston, TXย 

The top line quote just about says it all: “If Dizzy, Basquiat, & Elijah McCoy roasted coffee, it would taste like Three Keys.” Who wouldn’t want to try that!?!?

Building from a deep position of love and knowledge united the worlds of coffee and jazz, Three Keys was founded in 2019 by Tio Fallen and Kenzel Fallen, roasting coffee on a hand-built Giesen W-6 roaster. Ther brand’s whole approach to coffee roasting is like a beautiful tableau of synesthesia: coffee notes mingle with music notes, blends are paired with playlists, and design evokes the iconic jazz record covers from the golden era of 20th century jazz music.

Check out their playlists, check out their blog, and definitely go check out this coffee or pick up a gift card. You will be reading more about Three Keys here on Sprudge in the weeks to come.

Three Keys Coffee would like to recommend Sprudge readers consider supporting Jazz Houston, an organization dedicated to “nurturing and supporting a genuine passion for jazz.”

Daniel Brownโ€”photo courtesy of Gilly Brew Bar.

Gilly Brew Bar โ€” Stone Mountain, Georgia

There has been an outpouring of support and recommendation for Daniel Brown’s Gilly Brew Bar, a unique community hub and pusher of coffee drink boundaries located just outside of Atlanta, GA. “Gilly is not a coffee shop!”, they write. “We are a startup brand on a mission to balance the negative effects that occur during the influx of more affluent residents and businesses in urban neighborhoods. Our desire is to contribute to the building & improving of communities through revitalization as opposed to gentrification is how we approach every community.”

Brown is a member of the Sprudge Twenty class of 2019; he received multiple nominations for the honor, including one essay that described him asย โ€œone of the most innovative, creative, savvy interpreters of the coffee experience I have ever encountered.โ€ Read this spotlight feature to learn more about Daniel Brown’s work at Gilly.

Daniel Brown would like to recommend Sprudge readers consider supporting the AND Campaign and The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, dedicated to “eradicating the stigma around mental health issues in the African-American community.”

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On The Go Jo โ€” Chicago, Illinoisย 

Quiana DeBerry, Crystal Graham, and Toni Dale are the founders of On The Go Jo, a coffee catering company serving events big and small across the Chicago area. Their focus is “amazing coffee, unique and fun drinks, the best pastries, and unmatched customer service” and you can see this in their daily work on Instagram: from beautiful original signature drinksย to gorgeous event pop-ups and showstopping desserts.

If in the future you know anyone (or know anyone who knows anyone) in need of amazing and original coffee catering in the Chicago area, we can’t say enough about how cool this work is from On The Go Jo. Like so many in the catering and events industry, this brand has been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but co-founder Crystal Graham shares with us some news. “Theย team is excited to launch their own coffee line and simple syrups which will be available online in August 2020,” she writes. “Support [this] female produced, female roasted, and female owned coffee initiative through donation or a gift card.”

Read this spotlight interview from 2019ย and visit their official website to learn more

On The Go Jo recommends readers to support their hometown of Chicago by donating to My Block, My Hood, My Cityย small business relief.

BLK & Bold โ€”ย Des Moines, Iowa

BLK and Bold Founders
Rod Johnson and Pernell Cezar of BLK & Bold (Photo via BLK & Bold)

Des Moines, Iowa based BLK & Bold was founded by Rod Johnson and Pernell Cezar. A distribution deal with Target makes BLK & Bold one of the biggest national Black-owned coffee brands in the United States in terms of coffee availability and access.

Here’s more info from the official BLK & Bold website:

Our founders, Pernell & Rod, created BLK & Bold with a desire to make purpose popular. They welcome the obligation to equip young people with tools to live their best lives and overcome familiar unfortunate circumstances by turning a daily ritual, enjoying a cup of coffee & tea, into a means of giving back. BLK & Bold pledges 5% of its profits to initiatives aligned to sustaining youth programming, enhancing workforce development, and eradicating youth homelessness.

Rod Johnson of BLK & Bold would like to recommend Sprudge readers consider supporting B&B’s national and local pledge partners, No Kid Hungry and By Degrees Foundation.

Red Bay Coffee โ€” Oakland, California

red bay coffee oakland california
Photo by Amir Saadiq.

Red Bay Coffee of Oakland, California is one of the most important coffee brands in the United States right now. Founder Keba Konte has managed the brand’s growth since founding Red Bay in 2014, including a successful Series A fundraising round in 2019 and multiple successful crowdfunding campaigns. In what Red Bay calls “an evolution of coffee culture,” Red Bay’s dedication to diversity and inclusivity is dug into the DNA of the company. “Customers are looking for a coffee experience that’s more inclusive and more deeply connected to the community,” they write. “[The] specialty coffee industry presents an opportunity to correct several inequities.”

Read a 2019 spotlight feature on Red Bay Coffeeย and founder Keba Konte.

Keba Konte would like to recommend Sprudge readers support the Dream Youth Clinic in Oakland, California whose mission is “Youth informed. Youth-led. Youth engaged.”

Cxffeeblack โ€” Memphis, Tennesseeย 

Bartholomew Jones (Photo by Erin Kim)

Cxffeeblack is the work of Bartholomew Jones, a Memphis based barista, brand builder, apparel designer, and activist. “Cxffee is more than a sugar and cream thing,” he writes. “Itโ€™s more than a colonial commodity. Itโ€™s meant for the people. Letโ€™s #makecxffeeblackagain.”

Jones is a member of the Sprudge Twenty Class for 2020, with a forthcoming spotlight feature published in the coming days. He offersย a range of originally designed apparel directly via his Cxffeeblack website, including t-shirts currently in the pre-order phase and multiple prints, stickers, and music bundles. He’s also responsible for the excellent Guji Mane coffee collaborationย with Ethnos Coffee.

Bartholomew Jones would like to recommend Sprudge readers support theย BLM Memphisย chapter.

Deadstock Coffee โ€” Portland, Oregon

Ian Williams (Photo by Zachary Carlsen for Sprudge)

On experience alone, Deadstock Coffee is one of the best coffee shops on the American West Coast, a clearinghouse of information and ideas, a daily intellectual feast of creatives from around the world connected by a love of coffee and sneaker culture. Founder Ian Williams has rightly be given significant media love, profiled by publications both local, national, and international thanks to an ongoing series of collaborations with the Tokyo Coffee Festival. He’s also a gifted coffee roaster now offering national shipping in the wake of COVID-19. From the cup quality to the music to the conversation to the incredible in-store collection of sneaker and sports memorabilia, Deadstock is a complete experience, a jewel in the Portland coffee scene.

Deadstock’s official website offers a range of coffee and industry-leading merch design available, all of it created in-house by Deadstock’s team. You can learn more about this design process in our interview with Ian Williams from 2018,ย this excellent spotlight by Nike, and this episode of the podcast Racist Sandwich.

Deadstock is experiencing an outpouring of community support and some of the busiest days in the shop’s history over the last 72 hours. Ian and his team of baristas are donating funds to the Congressional Black Caucusย and have asked this to be shared with Sprudge readers looking to provide additional support.

Black & White Coffee Roasters โ€” Wake Forest, North Carolina

Co-founder Lem Butler competes in the 2016 US Barista Competition. [Photo by Charlie Burt]
Living coffee legend Lem Butler is the co-founder (with Kyle Ramage) at Black & White Coffee Roasters, serving Wake Forest and a range of wholesale partners across the country, including Hopper & Burr in California, Drip in NYC, and Brew in North Carolina. He is the 2016 United States Barista Champion (read an in-depth interview with him hereย after the big win) and a five-time champion at the regional level, making him perhaps the most awarded and accomplished barista in American coffee competition history.

Lem Butler was a Black Coffee panelist at the Black Coffee event in New York Cityโ€”watch this panel here. He has become a kind of “most likely to be mentioned” source of inspiration for baristas in the Sprudge Twenty and across the industry, serving as a much-loved MC at the Coffee Masters events and performing as an in-demand DJ at coffee social events around the world.

Like so many coffee businesses around the country, Black & White have struggled with the effects of COVID-19 but “we have a great staff and community support has been incredible over the last couple months,” Butler says.

Buy coffee, merch, and gear from Black & White Coffee Roasters today, shipping nationwide.

Lem Butler would like to recommend Sprudge readers consider supporting the Freedom Fighters Bond Fund.

Bloom & Plume โ€” Los Angeles, California

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Just in case you missed it… I have a show coming out Monday!!! Say whaaaaat. Itโ€™s called centerpiece and i have the privilege to interview amazing creatives of color where I explore the core of there creativity and then synthesizing our conversation into a floral installation that i present back to each guest. It was such a moving experience on every level!! I am so excited to share…. so go download @quibi and watch my show, comes out Monday, with a new episode everyday. The show is pretty magical and I have poured so much love and creativity into this show, down to fixing some of the hair follicles that were out of place in this poster… #likeandsubscribe #centerpiece #anewwaytolookatflowers #anewwaytogiveflowers #anewwaytoshowlove #anewwaytoseeoneanother

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Maurice Harris is the founder of Bloom & Plume in Los Angeles, a unique coffee shop and floral design studio hybrid located in Echo Park. Harris’s list of clients reads like a who’s who of creative LA, from Goop to Gucci to MOCA and LACMA and dozens more, and in 2020 Harris has parlayed this work into a series of hosting gigs for programs on Quibi and HBOMax.

The coffee portion of Harris’ mission is styled as “your favorite neighborhood coffee shop… where everyone belongs and becomes a better version of themselves – One Cup, One Person, and One Neighborhood at a Time.” B&P Coffee has its own Instagram, and online they offer very good merch (look at this beautiful tote), gift cards, and pre-order for pick-up.

Visit the official Bloom & Plume Coffee website.

Bloom & Plume Coffee GM Andru Jones would like to point Sprudge readers interested in donating to The Okra Project, and included this statement on the organization’s work:

They are an organization that supports folks of the Black trans community who experience food insecurity, paying Black trans chefs to cook free meals for black trans individuals. In wake of the murder of Tony McDade and Nina Pop, The Okra Project started a Mental Health Recovery Fund, those donations go toward providing free therapy sessions with black therapists for trans-Black folks.

Vagrant Coffee โ€” Baltimore, Maryland

Vagrant Coffee is a Baltimore brand, founded by Joshua Dewย (with Jared Cate) in 2017, with the goal of “taking quality coffee everywhere through retail stores, specialty coffee catering, and small-batch, craft coffee roasted in Baltimore, Maryland.” In addition to offering online roasted coffee sales, original merch,ย and online ordering, Vagrant publish a blog, podcast, and video channel under “The Hustle Club” brand umbrella.

In lieu of supporting one specific organization, Vagrant has asked to share the following message: “We would encourage the involvement in the many local grassroots organizations that bring about change in urban centers.

Southeastern Coffee Roastery โ€” Baltimore, Maryland

Candy Schibli
Candy Schibli (Still from Black Coffee DC)

Southeastern Coffee Roastery is the work of Candy Schibli, whose title is “Founder/Head Roaster.” The brand offers a broad range of services, from one-time online coffee purchasing to subscriptions, local delivery, bespoke blending, food, tea, wholesale, and toll roastingโ€”a full suite of coffee options and many ways to support their work.

Candy Schibli was a panelist at the Black Coffee DC event, and here’s a little more about their work form the official Southeastern Roastery website: “Beautifully southern, it is committed to promoting the cultural exchange, open dialogue, andย collective creativity that coffee communion has historically and internationally nurtured. Southeastern Roastery unabashedlyย continues in this warm tradition by offering fresh, high quality, specialty coffees and sharing inspiring roasts in love.

Candy Schibli would like to recommend Sprudge readers support theย All African People’s Development and Empowerment Project.

BD Imports โ€” Atlanta, Georgia

Phyllis Johnson speaks at the SCA Coffeewoman Panelย in 2017 (Photo by Zachary Carlsen for Sprudge)

Coffee buyer, roasting company owner, and origin expert Phyllis Johnson is the founder of BD Imports, a coffee company dedicated to gender equity across the supply chain. BD offers a diversified range of services, crafting custom blends for roasting partners and roasting their own coffees targeted at the hospitality sector. Johnson is also a very accomplished and gifted public speaker and communicator, appearing on a range of panels and interviews across the specialty coffee industry over the last decade. Her landmark feature Strong Black Coffee: Why Arenโ€™t African-Americans More Prominent in the Coffee Industry? is the winner of the Maggie Award for magazine journalism. For more on Phyllis Johnson and her mission, read this interview feature from 2017.

Phyllis Johnson would like to recommend Sprudge readers consider supporting the Equal Justice Initiative.

BeanFruit Coffee Company โ€” Jackson, Mississippi

beanfruit coffee company roaster jackson mississippi good food awards sneaky beans cafe sprudge
Paul Bonds (from BeanFruit Coffee: The Best Dang Coffee Roaster In Mississippi by Evan C. Jones)

BeanFruit Coffee founder Paul Bonds fell in love with coffee at a public cupping; today he owns one of the most decorated coffee roasting brands in the American south, winner of the Good Food Awards honor for coffee roasting and home to a fervent fan base stretching from Farmer’s Markets to high-end restaurants and online shopping. On BeanFruit’s website, you can purchase coffee, coffee subscriptions, crucial gear, and nice merch, plus learn from a range of brew guidesย and discover more from their vendors.

You will love this coffee! And while sipping, check out a feature on Paul Bonds and BeanFruitย from 2016.

Paul Bonds has passed along the following note to Sprudge readers: “Please support your local public broadcasting system. Our current focus is on the protests, as it should be. However, we are still experiencing a pandemic, and children are relying on these free, accessible educational tools more than ever.” To find a list of public broadcasting stations to donate near you, click here.

Photo courtesy of LaNisa Williams for Sprudge 20, nominated by Michelle Johnson.

Barista Life LA

Barista Life LA is the full service training, education, consulting, private event, and home demonstration brand from Los Angeles barista LaNisa Williams. On Instagram BaristaLifeLA is a strong must-follow, profiling Williams as she works with a broad range of cafes and consulting clients around the LA area, making beautiful drinks and educating along the way. A newly launched initiative called #BlackInBrew highlights Black excellence across the specialty coffee industry.

LaNisa Williams is a member of the Sprudge 20 class of 2020 and you can read more about their work here. If you’re interested in supporting BaristaLifeLA, contact BaristaLifeLA directly via Instagram.

LaNisa Williams would like to recommend Sprudge readers consider supporting Pink Money Powerhouse, “aย female-owned and operated space for women to work and grow.” BaristaLifeLA’s forthcoming coffee kiosk will be located at PMP. Look for more on this on Sprudge in the coming weeks.

Drip Coffee Makers โ€” Brooklyn, New York

drip coffee makers brooklyn new york
Nigel Price (from Build-Outs Of Summer: Drip Coffee Makers In Brooklyn, NY)

One of the most dynamic and interesting coffee brands in the country right now, full stopโ€”Drip Coffee’s Nigel Price is a coffee name you should know. Start with this recently released promo on IGTV to learn more about Drip and the work they’re doing, then follow them on Instagram for updates and hit their online shop to support (including gift cards). We’re thrilled to see the ongoing growth of Drip, whose transition to brick and mortar in 2020 follows their earlier work as a coffee cart, profiled as part of the 2019 Build-Outs Of Summerย series.

Drip Coffee founder Nigel Price would like to recommend Sprudge readers consider supporting theย ACLU.

Getchusomegear โ€” Durham, North Carolina

Getchusomegear founder Chris McAuley is dedicated to passing on support to marginalized baristas. Their project compiles used and no longer needed coffee gear and gifts it to baristas around the country, a laudable action that feels increasingly essential in the current shared moment. Learn more about this project in Chris McAuley’s guest spot on @FullBodiedSweetFinish and click here to learn moreย on how to support Getchusomegear’s mission, including donating gear.

This feature is incomplete, imperfect, and updating. Additional businesses and business owners will be added to it in the hours and days to come.ย 

Top image features background pattern illustration by Taylor McManus @tmcmanusillustrationย on Instagram. It frames an original t-shirt design by Bartholomew Jones, currently in pre-order via the Cxffeeblack website. This image is presented with permission and in collaboration with the artists.ย 

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