With a rainbow heart, and Harriet Tubman greeting customers, Prison City Brewing is no stranger to taking a stand against hate in any form.

What You Need To Know

  • Auburn-based brewing company joins more than 900 breweries across the country in “Black Is Beautiful” Collaboration Brew

  • The Imperial Stout Beer is raising funds for local Black-women owned initiatives

  • Co-owner of Prison City Brewing says they want to use their business and platform in every way they can
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Co-Owner Dawn Schulz says while there is a risk, they'd rather lose customers than tolerate hate, knowing silence isn’t the answer.

“We’re realizing by us not saying something, it wasn’t enough; we needed to say something, “ said Schulz.

The Auburn-based brewing company joined more than 900 other breweries across the country in a collaborative brew organized by Weathered Souls, a Black-owned brewing company in San Antonio.

“The guidelines were to use their recipe an imperial stout and they ask that everyone use the same label.”

They were also required to donate a portion of the proceeds to a local Black-owned organization. Prison City Brewing chose to donate 100% of the proceeds to two Black female-run programs. They chose The Beverley L. Smith Empowerment initiative.

“We work with inner-city young women of color specifically, and exclusively to help provide foundations for success,” said Melody Smith Johnson, founder of the initiative.

Smith Johnson says the funds will provide a scholarship for an Auburn native who will come back to Auburn upon graduation to practice clinical social work. They also chose a local television show, "Behind the Woman."

“[It's] a 30-minute show that shows you who this woman is, what she’s doing, and the impact she has on the community, mostly predominantly all women of color,” said show creator Juhanna Rogers.

Rogers says the funds will be used toward season two of the show. Prison City Brewing owners say they’re dedicated to using their platform in the community, and they’ve only just begun.

“I think right now we’re learning if there’s more we could be doing, but this is our first step, “ said Schulz

The beer will be sold at Prison City Brewing later this week.