SA breweries resolve dispute following social media backlash over proceeds for ‘Black is Beautiful’ campaign

SAN ANTONIO – Two San Antonio breweries have resolved their dispute following social media backlash that stemmed from questions being asked on where proceeds from a social justice initiative were sent earlier this month.

The owner of Back Unturned Brewery, Ricardo Garcia, was accused of not disclosing where the proceeds from its Black is Beautiful beer were going, which was part of Weathered Souls Brewing Company’s Black is Beautiful Campaign.

As of Friday, the brewery announced on social media that the situation has been resolved and that 100% of the profits from the Black is Beautiful beer sales have been donated to The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

“Back Unturned Brewing Co. and Weathered Souls have been communicating directly with each other to resolve the situation at hand. We had a great meeting yesterday (Thursday) at Weathered Souls to make amends and move forward,” the brewery said on social media.

The Black is Beautiful Campaign was launched last summer by Marcus Baskerville, the co-founder and head brewer of the Weathered Souls Brewing Company.

Baskerville created the stout beer recipe for Black is Beautiful and gave permission to other breweries to use the recipe to brew and sell the beer, with their own name and packaging. In return, he asked for the breweries to donate 100% of the proceeds to local organizations that support police brutality reform and equality and inclusion.

However, the backlash began after Baskerville shared a text message exchange on social media between himself and Garcia, showing that Garcia wouldn’t disclose or show proof of where the proceeds from the Black is Beautiful beer were going.

Garcia had claimed he was working with a “Black business owner” and he “didn’t feel the need to disclose” the information.

That prompted a heavy social media response with many publicly calling for the brewery to share its proceed plans.

As of Friday, Garcia said on social media that he takes “full responsibility” for how he handled the incident and that the staff at Back Unturned was unaware of his plans for the proceeds.

“I ask that you please not take my transgression out on them or allow this to be a reflection on their reputation,” Garcia said in a statement. “My lack of transparency and response to Kim and Marcus regarding our BIB donation was unprofessional and came from a place that had nothing to do with the initiative itself.”

An individual with the handle @coachjt247 said on Instagram that he received proceeds from Garcia, and as of Friday, Garcia confirmed it.

Garcia said he initially shared a portion of the proceeds with Coach JT, who told him of his dream to begin a non-profit to provide athletic training for underprivileged youth in the community, according to the social media post. However, Garcia and JT both said the funds have since been redirected to the NAACP.

“When JT told me of his dream to start a non-profit to provide athletic training for underprivileged youth in the community as an outlet and mentoring opportunity, I instantly wanted to help. That is why I chose to work with JT and learning from all this, I should have involved Weathered Souls from the beginning on the idea,” Garcia said. “After talking it through with JT, these funds have been rechanneled to the NAACP.”

Garcia has since issued an apology to his staff, the brewery’s patrons and the BIB initiative.

More on KSAT:

• San Antonio brewery faces social media backlash for not disclosing proceeds for ‘Black is Beautiful’ campaign
• San Antonio’s Weathered Souls brewery named best in US for more than just craft beer