Beer with white nationalist lingo, imagery draws outrage A
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Smoky Mountain News
The word “boogaloo” stems from a particular style of Latin music and dance popularized in the United States during the 1960s. From there, it evolved into to the “electric boogaloo,” more closely related to the 1980s breakdancing phenomenon. The 1984 sequel to the movie Breakin’, titled Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo gave the word its widest cultural awareness, and the word would have likely faded right back into obscurity were it not recently given a sinister
has to do with supposedly the start of a second Civil War — essentially, people who are organizing potentially to start an uprising or commit violence against the federal government and other government officials.” Hidden in plain sight, the word boogaloo has become what’s now known as “dog whistle” — a sort of coded message that is targeted toward a specific audience that’s prepared to receive it while also passing undetected by the ears of those who aren’t aware of its significance. “There seems to be overlap with groups that are white nationalists,” said Gomez. “We are deeply uncomfortable with this because this could for instance mean the rise of groups that are actively advocating violence, the overthrow of the government and essentially violating people’s civil rights. This is in the context also at a time in which you have white nationalist groups that show up in state capitals, armed with guns and also groups that are essentially taking vigilante actions against people of color. So all of this is of deep concern.” Gomez isn’t the only one concerned about the word and the movement; a January story by NPR National Security Reporter Hannah Allam calls it “a word coined by black and brown people now used by some who envision a country without them.”
June 3-9, 2020
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
new definition by alt-right groups, according to Dr. Enrique Gomez, a Western Carolina University professor and current president of the Jackson County branch of the NAACP. “My information for this comes from the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate groups around the country. What they’ve started to see in the last few months is the rise of groups on social media sites that use the term ‘boogaloo,’” said Gomez. “The recent coinage and the use of this word
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BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER s cities across the nation smolder amidst the destruction of racially charged rioting over the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers, social media backlash against the branding of a locally-brewed beer has some people leveling accusations of alt-right white nationalism and anti-government militia sentiments at the brewers. One of the men responsible for the beer says it’s all just an honest mistake. “It’s unfortunate,” said Brandon Hintz, co-owner of Currahee Brewing Company, an Alpharetta, Georgia-based brewer with a substantial taproom in Franklin. “I can understand why some people are upset about it. I’m disappointed in myself for not knowing, [not] taking more steps when we named the beer to figure out kind of more of the meaning, not just going off a couple of things you see on the internet.” The beer in question is an imperial stout called “The Boogaloo” and was released in March but conceived back in January. Hintz said the concept of the name and logo arose out of the protests over anti-gun legislation that took place at the Virginia capitol and in other states around that time. “So we were kind of playing with that, due to the fact that I’m a fairly avid sportsman. We’re also very Constitutionally-oriented. Our First and Second Amendments, all amendments, we try to support and defend,” he said. “So we figured we’d make a beer to kind of go along with what’s going on and play off of this whole Virginia issue that was happening.” Hintz said he was under the impression that the word boogaloo was simply an antiauthoritarian slogan denouncing government overreach, but he’s since come to learn that to many, it means much, much more. “We did not by any means know that it was being used by any type of racist white nationalist group at all, or we would never have used it or we would have dropped it,” he said. “This can now has implications that we did not mean. We will be ridding ourselves of the brand and we just hope that people can accept our apology and understand it wasn’t done with any ill will at all.”
culture as the ABA is to ensure that nobody is doing anything that is harmful to the industry or to others.” According to Rainis, Currahee’s “use of offensive imagery and language” on the Boogaloo can warrants removal from the ABA, a craft brewing industry group that represents more than 100 brewers and allied trade members in North Carolina’s 19 westSlang that’s sprung up around the moveernmost counties. ment has also produced variants, with some “The Asheville Brewers Alliance definiteadherents to the boogaloo movement referring to themselves as “boojihadeen” who are ly condemns the actions of Currahee Brewing Company with this new release,” awaiting “the boog” or “the big luau.” The she said. “It’s a direct violation of the ethics “luau” connection has also resulted in a specific piece of attire, the Hawaiian shirt, being section of our bylaws. We are in the process of making moves to refund their member associated with the movement. dues and remove them as members of our A May 16 story in the [London] Times organization.” makes note of the Hawaiian shirt connecRainis cited a section of the group’s govtion, as does a May 23 story by The erning documents that reads, “In matters of Economist. day-to-day trade, members will avoid pracThe can itself, tices which are illegal in the state of North produced by Carolina, detrimental to the interests of fair Currahee, bears an competition or harmful to “Racism has no place in our the industry society on any level including on the whole.” craft beer.” Bryson City-based — Joe Rowland, Nantahala Brewing Nantahala Brewing owner Joe Rowland, a board member of the adaptation of a ABA, didn’t mince words in his statement to famous portrait of George Washington The Smoky Mountain News. “This industry was built on a foundation painted by of openness, acceptance and collaboration. American artist It’s a strong commitment to each other Charles Wilson regardless of who you are, who you love, Peale while where you came from or the color of your Washington was skin that’s helped us thrive,” Rowland said. still alive. “It’s that ‘together all ships rise with the tide’ In the painting, mantra that’s given us a voice in an industry Washington leans traditionally dominated by large multinaslightly to his left, tional corporate brewers. It saddens us to his hand resting on the barrel of a cannon. learn that a member of our craft beer comCurrahee’s can has Washington sporting a munity made a mistake and created a brand Hawaiian shirt under his topcoat — obvithat is associated with racism and hate. ously not what Peale painted. Racism has no place in our society on any “We were seeing some memes on the level including craft beer.” internet, quite a few about George A similar statement was also issued by Washington and kind of the joke was him the owners of Sylva-based Innovation wearing a Hawaiian shirt, you know, a modBrewing, Nicole and Charles Owen. ern day general obviously is not going to be “We were shocked and extremely upset wearing a Hawaiian shirt,” Hintz said. “So to see this come from someone in our induswe kind of played with that and we kind of try,” said the Owens. “This industry has rolled with it.” unparalleled heart and has always representThe can also shows, under Washington’s ed community, inclusion and togetherness. right elbow, a small dark figure in a hat, We as people, brands and businesses have a crouched down on all fours as though pickresponsibility to work towards positive ing crops — also not in Peale’s original change in society.” painting. Hintz, for his part, continues to urge the public not to judge his or Currahee’s identity REWING INDUSTRY REACTION based on what he maintains was an unintentional mistake. Executive Director of the Asheville “This isn’t who we are as a company,” he Brewers Alliance Leah Rainis wasn’t aware said. “It doesn’t matter your race, religion, of Hintz’ explanation of or apology for the political voice, we do not discriminate Boogaloo Imperial Stout, but that may not against anyone nor do we want people to feel make much of a difference at this point. “This was brought to our attention about like we are discriminating because that is, again, a hundred percent not what we want.” 12 hours ago, on a Saturday night. I’m comSmoky Mountain News Arts & Entertainment mending our board of directors for moving Editor Garret K. Woodward and Blue Ridge swiftly on this,” Rainis said. “We’re happy to Public Radio’s Lilly Knoepp contributed to this have members who are so supportive and report. 15 concerned. One of the cornerstones of our
