What is in the sights of cancel culture today you ask? If you’re thinking, it’s time for department stores to get rid of the horrid separation of the gender separate departments, we aren’t there yet. Quite honestly, I am surprised that has yet to be questioned. Well, it’s coffee. Yes, friends, coffee has now been deemed as racist by the “woke” 19-year old’s that have completed 1 semester in college and now have ALL of the life experience they will ever need. Their point is that coffee has roots in the slave trade and has been marked detrimental to the advancement of the black community.

According to Cory Gilman of Heifer.com, the history of coffee production shows an oppression of color people for profit, the Atlantic Slave Trade was intertwined with coffee and we are heavily exploiting these coffee farmers who can barely make a livable income. This great coffee oppression is due to taking advantage of the natural coffee supply in Ethiopia since the 1500’s and have not shared our wealth with the people who source and live near it. What I implore these masters of life and equality to do is take a trip around the United States and visit the farmers of America. The farmers who can barely make ends meet because they are taken advantage of by large corporations. The same farmers that every season are on the verge of losing a farm that has been in their family for decades but are at the mercy of the rains and fruits of their work.

What’s the remedy to this? It’s for coffee companies to not only admit their wrongdoing in making a fortune on what they are acting like is blood money but to also reach into their pockets and pay reparations to those they have made money off of. If you think I am full of it and just trying to rustle feathers, look at what President of BD Imports, Phylis Johnson had to say in an open letter written in Roast Magazine and DailyCoffeeNews.com;

“Now is the time the industry needs to come together and take immediate action. Our credibility is at stake when asking coffee producers to create greater social and equitable programs when we in the U.S. are silent on blatant injustices at home.”

What I would like to know, Phylis is exactly what you have done to combat these injustices. It truly feels like reverse racism in full swing with her company being an exception because she is a person of color. What furthers the backing of this outlandish push is not only that Phylis published this personally on DailyCoffeeNews.com, but at the end of the article where you’d normally see the disclaimer of “these are the viewpoints of the author and not the *company x*”, you will see the following;

“Roast Magazine and Daily Coffee News stand in full support of this effort. If you’re a coffee professional interested in learning more about how you might join a broader coalition to combat systemic racism in the coffee industry, or you simply want to share your story with us, please use the contact form below. All information will be kept private without explicit consent”

So as the owner of a small Law Enforcement apparel and coffee company, and just all-around shit kicker, I decided to shoot them a message to inquire about the coalition to better stand behind our Police Officers, since they are a large part of the coffee industry and putting blame on one group of people would be discriminatory. I still have yet to hear back from them but as long as it fits the narrative, discrimination is completely acceptable.


Gilman, Cory. “Rooted in Racism: Coffee's Bitter Origins.” Heifer International, Heifer International, 30 July 2020, www.heifer.org/blog/newsworthy/rooted-in-racism-coffees-bitter-origins.html.

Johnson, Phylis. “An Open Letter to the US Coffee Industry on Racism.” Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine, 29 June 2020, dailycoffeenews.com/2020/06/11/an-open-letter-to-the-us-coffee-industry-on-racism/.