SACRAMENTO — Since George Floyd’s death, breweries all over the country are trying to bring awareness to Black Lives Matter through a new collaborative craft beer called "Black is Beautiful."
One brewer, Rodg Little, is standing in solidarity with the movement and practicing his activism with each glass of dark stout beer that he pours.
Black is Beautiful is a new beer that raises awareness for the injustices against people of color and the need for police brutality reform.
Little has been making beer for over a decade and he says that supporting this cause is what the Oak Park Brewing Company is all about.
“We want to be a hub for everybody. Diversity, when you come here, everything is diverse. Front of the house, back of the house,” Little said.
The idea for Black is Beautiful came from a Sacramento native who currently runs a brewery in Texas. Now, over a thousand breweries are participating from Maine to Hawaii.
“It just snowballed, it had a snowball effect. So, this is a world-wide solidarity act. There’s over 13 countries involved,” Little said.
Black is beautiful isn’t just a phrase for Little, he says it hits close to home.
“Me and my two buddies we were walking back from the community center and these two cops drove past us, stopped and got out and they just gave it to us,” Little said.
One hundred percent of the proceeds from the beer go towards organizations fighting for racial justice. The Oak Park Brewing Company is donating to I Am Sac, a local foundation supporting police brutality reform, which is run by Stevante Clark, the brother of Stephon Clark who was shot and killed by police officers in 2018.
“It means a lot because what it says is that we stand up for the community, we stand up for local nonprofits, businesses and I Am Sac is that,” Clark said.
After Stephon’s death, Stevante has been doing all he can to keep his brother’s memory alive. He believes that the Black is Beautiful campaign is one beneficial way to keep the conversation going.
“This is commemorating the life and legacy of Stephon in a positive light, not by looting, not by divisive rhetoric, not by anything violent by any sort of nature. This is positive right here,” Clark said.
Both Little and Clark are doing their best to keep up the momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement in their community.
“Everybody’s got to be held accountable. You think you get away with stuff, but you don’t,” Little said.
Little hopes that every time he pours the Black is Beautiful beer, people will be reminded of the value of black lives and the ongoing efforts for police brutality reform.