Activist Calls Prov. Restaurant Racist for Selling Malt Liquor in Paper Bag
Wednesday, January 04, 2017
A Providence activist has called a local restaurant racist for selling malt liquor in a brown paper bag -- for $6.
Mike Araujo, who is the Executive Director of Rhode Island Jobs with Justice posted the following on his personal Facebook page about Brass Monkey, which opened at 800 Allens Avenue in the fall of 2014.
"In the list of calling s--t out I'm calling out the Brass Monkey bar in Prov. This local outlet for US Food, and Sid Wainer products serves up 40oz Olde English in bag. Boycott this deep fried racist hole," wrote Araujo.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe restaurant lists the offering under "Brass Monkey" in the cocktails portion of its menu, writing (see below):
"Olde English 800 poured out to the label, topped with OJ. Served in a Comfy Brown Bag. $6. Stay classy Providence!"
Araujo on the Record
Araujo spoke to the call for a boycott on Tuesday.
"So it's a traditional tool, it's a good tool for changing behavior," said Araujo. "It's a relatively easy thing to alter, and my desire is they alter their behavior."
"A few people contacted me in the last month -- I get a dozen calls a day about various places, but when something starts to repeat, then there's a call to action," said Araujo.
Araujo's post on Facebook sparked a debate as to whether the practice was racist - nor not.
"There's a lot of problems with how it gets framed. There is a capitalizing on black culture that's very much there. The restaurant name comes from hip-hop, but the drink itself has its own connotation, which by Miller was designed for sale in black communities," said Araujo.
"The brown paper bag has connotations of poverty, it smacks of the uglier aspect of a culture. It's playing at something that's harmful to a community. If it were a different stereotype, the calling out would be different. But this feels like a different level of ownership," said Araujo. "The behavior has a connotation that's specific -- I'm trying to assume the people are unaware of the effects of the behavior or are unwitting. There's a benefit of the doubt, but people have to be educated."
Araujo said he reached out to owner Oscar Worthington on the issue, and has shared his phone number for him to call him.
Owner Response
"As you can see in his post, the responses from almost everyone in the community have been overwhelmingly supportive of us," Worthington. "Our direct response to his post explains our position. Mike has reached out to us in the last couple of hours and we're planning to meet with him in the near future to discuss his opinion."
Worthington made the following posts on the thread:
I wouldn't want people walking around with 40oz bottles either... We serve 22oz. We also use US foods, Sid Wainer & Son, as well as quality seafood for food purveyors. Not sure if you've ever been in our place before, met myself or my staff. But I'd love to have you and show you around our place.
The brown bag is our koozie, we like to think it keeps the beer colder for a longer period of time... It says you work at Walgreens in your profile. We recently hosted a regional Walgreens Christmas party last month for 60 of your fellow employees from as close as broad st to as far as Bellingham mass... we didn't charge a room fee, let you guys bring your own music, and gave out a bunch of complimentary apps after the 10$ a head price that your party planner had gathered together from everyone for pre ordered food. Hope you had a chance to make it. Happy New Year Sir.
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