“No woman has won the World Barista Championships - that sucks.”
Becca Woodard will be the first one to tell you that winning the 2018 US Brewers Cup Championship was nothing but a simple surprise. From the preliminary qualifiers to the celebration in Seattle, her journey has been filled with a wide range of emotions. However, making the best cup of coffee in the country was never the ultimate goal. No, Becca’s dreams are much bigger than that.
@bosintersectionalcoffeecollective - Kristina Jackson & Becca Woodard
The coffee industry has marginalized voices. We know this. We want to change. However, individuals like Becca aren’t settling for industry norms. From the minute we met Becca and asked her about her experience at the Brewers Cup, she immediately told us her focus - shine a light on those who've been pushed backward. “I’m not going to have a voice on this stage and not use it. I hope to help with more baristas of color, more women, more LGBTQ, and everybody doing it so they can be included. Move forward,” says Becca.
Becca is not alone in her mission. Teaming up with Kristina Jackson, founder of the Boston Intersectional Coffee Collective (BICC), and fellow George Howell employee, Rob Rodriguez, Becca recently hosted an event at Wired Puppy Cafe in Boston, MA. She had the chance to sit down and take questions on her experience in Seattle. While most wanted to know what it’s like pouring coffee in front of judges and an audience filled with the best baristas in the country, Becca reminded us what truly matters - exposure. “I am queer myself and I decided to use the competition as a platform to talk about those things.”
Becca is working on creating more events that put forward conversations on intersectionality. We know that there is a lot of work to be done to provide access to all members of the coffee community but we feel a little bit better knowing a leader like Becca is at the helm. Thank you for all you have given us at The Pour, Becca. You have no idea how lucky we feel to have captured a glimpse of your journey and to learn from you. We know there is a lot more to come and we commit to continue covering your message going forward.
Next BICC Event: CounterCultureCoffee - Somerville, MA
June 24th: Panel Discussion on "Being Queer + Coffee + Boston"