“I am not collateral damage” (Fadwa and an honest conversation about racism in beer)

On this episode, I welcome the very brave and amazing Fadwa Bouziane! Originally from Quebec, Fadwa moved to BC to attend Emily Carr University. While studying to complete her Masters of Fine Arts, Fadwa moved up to Squamish to live and play and eventually work for Backcountry Brewing. While with Backcountry, Fadwa was met with racism both from fellow staff and customers. When she decided to disclose the acts of racism to the owners and management nothing was done and Fadwa was forced to quit. 

While we do discuss her experience at Backcountry, this episode is more than that. Fadwa and I had a real honest conversation on how breweries can be genuinely anti-racist. It’s more than just saying you have policies or “zero tolerance” - you have to back it up with actions. If your space only feels safe for white-passing, cis-gendered able-bodied people; you are doing something wrong. Take a real hard look at yourself - if you aren’t actively working in anti-racism work, you are part of the problem. I hope everyone who listens takes away some concrete ideas and messaging for making all spaces safe for our BIPOC friends and family.

Follow Fadwa on Instagram @farfadois