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Last month we told you about Broadlawns Medical Center deciding to punish Freedom Blend Coffee for its religious beliefs. You can read about that here.

Broadlawns has replaced Freedom Blend Coffee with BLK & Bold Coffee. Broadlawns severed its agreement with Freedom Blend Coffee over the organization’s religious beliefs.

Employees of Broadlawns were told that the hospital became aware of the organization’s beliefs after entering into the agreement.

“While we recognize and support every organization’s liberty and freedom to promote their value system, we must continually re-access (sic) new and/or emerging information that may be contrary to our own values and alignment.”

Because Broadlawns took into consideration Freedom Blend Coffee’s political and religious beliefs when deciding to terminate the agreement, one must now wonder if Broadlawns will do the same with BLK & Bold Coffee.

That is because BLK & Bold Coffee “collaborated” with Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream in an effort to promote passage of the People’s Response Act.

This legislation was sponsored by Squad member Rep. Cori Bush, who is leading the “defund the police” charge.

BLK & Bold Coffee wrote:

“It’s time to divest from our racist and ineffective model of policing and invest in communities so that everyone has the resources they need to thrive! Learn more about the People’s Response Act and take action now. Visit Ben and Jerry’s for the link in bio.”

Ben and Jerry’s has the following information on the People’s Response Act:

“A majority of Americans believe that something has to be done to change our system of policing. With its origins in white supremacy and slave patrols, American policing is violent, racist, ineffective and punitive.”

“Together with a criminal legal system that criminalizes poverty and black and brown people, policing is tearing communities and families apart.”

“Policing can’t be reformed. We’ve tried reforming the police for decades and it hasn’t worked…Americans, and black and brown people in particular, have lost faith in a violent system that sees arresting people and locking them up as the answer to every challenge facing our communities.”

BLK & Bold Coffee also called for “limiting police interactions” with communities of color and the police.

BLK & Bold Coffee wrote on Sept. 20, 2021 that it was engaged in a new collaboration with Ben and Jerry’s as the two introduced “Change is Brewing” ice cream in an effort to help “transform” the nation’s approach to public safety. This post also called for people to support the People’s Response Act.

One of the founders of BLK & Bold Coffee shared a post on Facebook cautioning people calling the reaction to the George Floyd death a “riot.”

“This is not that,” the post said. “This is a rebellion. A riot is a violent uprising or wild disturbance by a crowd. A rebellion is an act of violent (sic) or open resistance to an established government or ruler. The people of Minnesota and others across this country have been beaten down and are tired of the disproportionate killings of black men by police…It is time for a new path forward. But that path cannot be paved by the oppressed themselves. This path must be forged by the greater community. If you are silent in times like these, your are (sic) siding with the oppressor.”

BLK & Bold Coffee was also featured as “fighting for social justice one cup of coffee at a time.”

The other founder of BLK & Bold Coffee posted photos of what appears to be a Black Lives Matter march from June of 2020.

“Yesterday was necessary,” the post said. “And it’s even more important that we continue to apply pressure through various means as we all have a role in the movement; play yours. Keep protesting. Keep saying their names. Keep that same energy.”

The individual appears to be wearing an “anti-Trump social club” shirt holding a sign that states:

“Crooked officer, why you wanna see me in a coffin, sir?”

The person with him in another photo is holding a sign that reads:

“Racism cannot be separated from capitalism!”

The Iowa Standard emailed a few questions to Broadlawns. We’ll publish their answers when we receive them. We asked the government entity:

*Does Broadlawns, who wants patients, staff and visitors (presumably including police, family of police, etc.) to feel welcome, agree with BLK & Bold’s characterization of the police and American policing?
*Does Broadlawns agree the model of policing used in America is “racist and ineffective?”
*Does Broadlawns agree the origins of American policing are in “white supremacy and slave patrols?”
*Does Broadlawns believe American policing is “violent, racist, ineffective and punitive?”
*Does Broadlawns believe racism cannot be separated from capitalism?

We told Broadlawns we believe it would be willing to provide its opinions on the beliefs of BLK & Bold Coffee since it publicly provided its opinion on the beliefs of Freedom Blend Coffee.

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