Molson Coors has taken a minority stake in TRU Colors, a startup Wilmington, N.C., brewery focusing on unifying local gangs and employing many of their members. Molson Coors will assist in distribution strategy, product formulation, supplier relationships and more. TRU Colors is set to launch its first product this summer.
The amount of the investment was not disclosed.
“At TRU Colors, we believe most street violence is driven by a lack of economic opportunity and societal exclusion, and therefore an inclusive economic solution is needed to stop it,” said George Taylor, CEO and founder of TRU Colors. “Brewed by once-bitter rivals, our beer will be a symbol of the understanding and unity that’s possible when people are open to change. Through our partnership with Molson Coors, and the incredible talent of our team, the opportunities for our business and social impact are endless.”
Taylor launched TRU Colors five years ago along with leaders of rival gangs Bloods, Crips and GD.
TRU stands for Truth, Responsibility and Unity. The company hires active gang members, two key objectives being to reduce street violence and racial divisiveness as well as providing jobs. It also has a “street intervention team.”
The company is building a 56,000-square-foot facility in Wilmington that will serve as a brewery capable of producing more than 1 million cases of beer a year. Corporate headquarters also will be located at the building along with a wellness center, recording studio, classrooms for education and coaching, and more.
Molson Coors said the investment is “the latest in a series of actions designed to foster a more inclusive and diverse culture. The company announced a goal of increasing representation of people of color in our US operations by 25% by the end of 2023 across the country and committed to donating a cumulative $3 million to 26 local and national organizations dedicated to equality, empowerment, justice and community building from 2020-2021.”
Since the brewery was founded in 2019, Wilmington has seen historic drops in crime, and Taylor believes TRU Colors has contributed to safer streets.
“There’s no question in my mind that TRU Colors plays a significant role in that reduction of violence,” he says, pointing to parts of the operation that have nothing to do with beer, including a street team that works to disrupt violence. “I know the bullets that our team has stopped from flying on a regular basis.”
There are no statistics directly tying the brewery to crime reduction, but Dr. Kimberly Cook, director of the Restorative Justice Collaborative at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, says there is anecdotal evidence that its restorative economic mission has struck a chord among rival gang members.
“The illegal markets run by gangs are often regulated by the use of violence, and now we are seeing an opportunity that encourages these young people to build a legitimate business,” she says.
The opportunities created by TRU Colors have implications far beyond the brewery, she says.
“I have heard many (TRU employees) talk about how much more involved they can be now with their children’s lives, with their families, and be the providers they have been trying to become on the street. Imagine how many children now have their parents in their lives; how many co-parents have partners they can count on; how many teachers can build relationships with the parents of the children they are teaching?
“(The) long-term generational impact should not be overlooked,” she says.