A Message from the Leadership Council

The Barista Guild leadership would like to express its support of everyone working towards equality and justice, protesting against systemic oppression, and continuing the fight for racial equality. Our membership is global and in representing that membership, we aim to be a voice for inclusion, accessibility, and resources for all.

We want to acknowledge, however late, that the history of coffee is inextricably intertwined with that of colonialism and the enslavement of Black and Indigenous People of Color. This cannot be ignored and needs to be addressed in our industry’s understanding of current inequalities and unequal value distribution that continues to this day. 

We are heartened that the specialty coffee community has galvanized around anti-racist efforts in these last few weeks, though we want to acknowledge the damage our collective inaction has caused to Black coffee professionals in particular. We see now that there is so much more we could have been doing to center this dialogue, champion diversity-building initiatives, and address our own biases. 

We as a leadership council are determined to evaluate and encourage widespread change to address disparities such as lower average wages/salaries for Black employees, lack of Black representation in management and ownership, and the inaccessibly high cost to participate in professional development opportunities. We feel it is our responsibility to center this work going forward, to educate ourselves, and amplify voices working towards justice.

Black Lives Matter.

The Barista Guild Leadership Council