20 January 2020
Today the United States celebrates one of its only national holidays to celebrate a single individual. On the third Monday of every January, the USA honors the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1968.
But did you know that not only did he regularly drink coffee, but also one of his sermons implores his audience to appreciate coffee farmers!
“We are everlasting debtors to known and unknown men and women. We do not finish breakfast without being dependent on more than half of the world. . . at the table we drink coffee that is provided for us by a South American, or tea by a Chinese, or cocoa by a West African. Before we leave for our jobs we are beholden to more than half the world.”
~Martin Luther King, Jr.
As a special to Barista Magazine online, I summarized some highlights from the legacy of Dr. King, sharing why he consistently reminded his American audiences that before we finish breakfast, “we are dependent on more than half of the world,” and how we might apply these principles as members of the global coffee value chain. Read the full essay here!