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True North Ale Company, a Massachusetts craft brewery, and Dedication to Community (D2C), a national non-profit that educates and empowers communities on diversity, belonging, and equity, today announced a partnership to work together to help to end systemic racism. D2C’s founder, M. Quentin Williams, is a former Boston College (BC) football player and BC grad whose work is growing in New England as well as other parts of the country.
Earlier this year, True North Ales participated in the Black Is Beautiful Project, initiated by the founder of Weathered Souls Brewing Company, a black-owned business from San Antonio, Texas. True North Ales, along with nearly 1,200 other breweries around the world, brewed a specialty beer called Black Is Beautiful and agreed to donate the proceeds from the sale of the beer to a local organization that supports equality and inclusion. D2C was identified as a powerful ally working to improve community relations with law enforcement.
“We were extremely impressed with the programs Dedication to Community has developed and implemented in numerous states, including Connecticut and Florida. D2C’s leadership team is committed to their mission and we are pleased to play a role in helping to bring them to Massachusetts,” said Gary Rogers, Founder & Chief of Business Operations at True North Ales.
“Our goal with this relationship, as it is with all of our partnerships, is to continue to amplify the message of listening, learning and working together as a community to educate and include different voices for the purpose of improving the lives of all,” M. Quentin Williams said. “True North Ales embodies that position in their culture and we are looking forward to finding creative ways to work together in this effort.”
To date, D2C has worked with law enforcement agencies in several states across the U.S., including Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Missouri, Michigan, Ohio, the Carolinas, and at the FBI National Academy in Virginia, where Williams is an instructor. In September, D2C expanded its reach to involve professional, collegiate, and K-12 athletes, adding former NFL executive Lamonte Winston (former Director of Player Engagement and Development, Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Donnie Shell (Pittsburgh Steelers).
Williams also announced in September a historic partnership with the Miami HEAT and the City of Miami Police Department. More locally, former BC football and basketball players Troy Stradford and Troy Bowers, as well as former CEO of Metro Lacrosse and former Executive Vice President of the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau Aaron Jones, have joined D2C among a growing number of partners and staffers.