For the past several months, Coffee Review has been intensely focused on helping small coffee roasters survive the coronavirus crisis. We rolled up our sleeves, put down our heads, and continued to pursue our mission of helping consumers find superior quality coffees, while recognizing and rewarding the roasters and farmers who produce those coffees.
However, as we reflected on the tragic events of the past several weeks and the ongoing broader impacts of systematic racism, we realized that our mission, words, and actions have failed to promote the level of racial equity, inclusion, and recognition we must demand of ourselves and others. Going forward, we aspire to do better in our business and publishing efforts.
As a first step, we’ve changed the topic of our August tasting report to focus on recognizing the coffees, communities, and contributions of Black-owned coffee companies. We will source samples and review coffees as we normally do but we also intend to provide a platform for a conversation about race. We’re working out the details and will share them with you as we make progress.
In the meantime, we will reach out to black-owned coffee companies for coffee samples but we would appreciate nominations from readers and roasters themselves to make sure we are as inclusive as possible. Please send your ideas, recommendations, and comments to Ron Walters at [email protected].
Thanks in advance for your contributions and assistance.
