Coffee Roasting and Community Building: Nani Ferreira-Mathews' Story

Nani Ferreira Matthews is an author, freelance journalist, community organizer, and a worker and owner of Thread Coffee Roasters in Baltimore. She has a background in journalism and anthropology, and she approaches her writing from a cultural anthropological perspective, focusing on gender, race relations, class, and immigration.

Nani discusses her creative background, her fascination with the coffee industry, and the mission of Thread Coffee Roasters. She emphasizes the importance of authentic storytelling in journalism and the need for direct democracy and worker-led businesses. Nani also highlights the challenges and accomplishments of running a business during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During this conversation, we go in-depth on:

• Nani's creative journey from personal journaling to the pursuit of journalism, uncovering the pivotal role that writing played in shaping her path.
• Nani's conviction that journalism should embody the essence of art while seeking out the unvarnished truth, unraveling the intricate blend of creativity and authenticity in her approach.
• Nani's deep-seated fascination with the coffee industry, a subject that inspires both hope and awareness as we dissect her insights into the potential for upliftment as well as the underlying disparities.
• The world of Thread Coffee Roasters, a worker-owned cooperative driven by principles of direct democracy and equity, as we discuss its mission to revolutionize the coffee supply chain.
• In this episode, we celebrate Thread Coffee Roasters' notable achievement as the best coffee in Maryland, as recognized by Food and Wine magazine in 2019, and delve into their remarkable journey of survival and growth through the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Join me in listening to Nani Ferreira Matthews, author, and owner of Thread Coffee Roasters, as she discusses the power of storytelling and community building on The Truth in This Art podcast.

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The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). 

Host: Rob Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.
• Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.

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