On Sept. 4, Worthy Brewing will welcome MOsley WOtta (Jason Graham) and Oregon state Rep. Peter Defazio (D) to its stage for a night of music and advocacy against police brutality. The night will help serve as a platform for a larger discussion on the issue of racism and shed a light on the power of peaceful protest.
Worthy will give out "Justice First, Beer Second" pins to the first 50 customers of the night and will donate $20,000 to various nonprofits around Oregon, including Don't Shoot Portland, the Oregon Justice Resource Center, Kaycee Anseth Legacy Foundation and CADA CASA. The brewery's specially-brewed Solidarity Stout will also be available.
"Here at Worthy we support the right if not the duty of Americans to exercise their First Amendment rights to peaceably protest the intolerable persecution of African-Americans by rogue officers who pay to protect and serve," said Worthy owner Roger Worthington in a press release. "We salute our brothers and sisters in Portland and here at home for taking a stand against police brutality, as well as the unjustifiable deployment of militarized federal troops."
The event will also feature members of the Central Oregon Peacekeepers and Central Oregon Diversity Project, who will share information with attendees on their mission and how to become more involved with their goals of making Central Oregon a safer place for Black people and other minorities.
Joining MoWo on stage for the music at 6pm will be fellow local artists Ragtop, Milo Matthews and Sean Allen. Always coming with insightful and thought provoking lyrics, MoWo is eager to engage in the larger discussion. Ragtop will also debut some new music live at the event.
"Art is our best chance to communicate messages which are otherwise unpalatable. I would hope that ALL BUSINESS in our communities support looking at hard truths with resonant compassion and critical thought. Worthy needs to be joined by other businesses who can see where the ethical financial advantage meets this ever-growing cultural imperative," Graham told the Source. "If done correctly, this becomes symbiotic and not just another parasitic grab to appropriate a cultural movement through guise of 'good intent.'" When Rep. Defazio takes the stage he plans to speak on the importance of the Black Lives Matter Movement and will also be joined by John Hummel, the Deschutes County District Attorney, and Bend City Council candidates Anthony Broadman and Rita Schenkelberg.
"I stand with those who take to the streets to speak truth to power. The right of people to peaceably assemble is fundamental to what it means to be an American, and something I will always defend," Hummel said in a release.
As of Aug. 21 the night was officially sold out to keep in compliance with COVID-19 guidelines, but locals can keep an eye out for any updates on Worthy's Instagram or Facebook event page.
