A coffee lover’s guide to celebrating its African roots
Where to enjoy one of the world’s most popular drinks and learn about its history.
When I walked into Anti-Gentrification Cxffee Club, a Memphis-based coffee shop on a sunny Thursday in October, I could immediately tell the vibe was different. Soft hip-hop beats played over the speakers; tables were filled with locals chatting and sipping coffee. No one was hunched over their laptops with headphones on trying to block out the world; rather, the space felt intentionally designed for fostering connections among the multi-generational crew before me.
Emblazoned on tumblers, T-shirts, and posters were words that felt like yet another standout: Love Black people like you love Black coffee.
It’s the slogan of Cxffeeblack, a coffee brand with a mission to enlighten the masses about Africa’s rich coffee history: Coffee grown worldwide can trace its heritage back to 9th-century Ethiopia.
Yet Bartholomew Jones and Renata Henderson, Cxffeeblack’s founders, have always wondered about the sizable gap between modern-day Black culture and modern-day coffee culture. Jones wondered, for example, why so many speciality coffee shops are predominantly white spaces—and how the story of coffee became colonized.
“I was so curious about coffee and the attention to detail and I really wanted to learn in these spaces, but unfortunately I don’t know if the feeling was mutual,” said Jones. “I knew there was something here that my people and my community can connect to, but, to use coffee terms, it’s not being extracted well.”
Jones is a true coffee nerd, and today, you can find him in the Memphis shop. If you happen to visit, don’t hesitate to ask him to show you around. When I stopped by, he walked me through how the brand’s in-house coffees are roasted, including one of the most popular: Guji Mane, a coffee grown by farmers in Uraga, Ethiopia. Featuring notes of passionfruit and dark chocolate, this particular roast is exported by an all–Black African supply chain, something that’s rather unique to Cxffeeblack and speaks to the heart of its mission: not only teaching consumers about the origins of coffee, but also changing their minds about where to buy it.
And with that, here’s where to dive deeper into coffee’s African roots.
How to enjoy coffee the ‘Cxffeeblack’ way
Where to go in the United States
- No Free Coffee Cafe in Nashville, TN: At this Black-owned streetwear brand-meets-coffee shop in North Nashville, you can try the signature Southern Comfort latte with molasses, cinnamon, clove, and allspice.
- Black & White Cafe in North Carolina: Co-owned by Lem Butler, the first and only Black U.S. Barista Champion, this coffee shop has two locations in Raleigh and one in Rolesville, NC. Every Thursday at 10 a.m., the Rolesville location offers free tastings of its newest coffees.
- Don Carvajal Cafe in New York City: Afro-Dominican entrepreneur Héctor Carvajal owns this specialty-coffee roastery in the South Bronx, with plans to open a physical cafe in 2024. In the meantime, order a bag of the Dominican Republic Red Honey whole-bean coffee, which is sourced straight from the Dominican Republic.
But ask Jones, and he’ll be quick to say that Ethiopia and Rwanda represent both the history and future of coffee. Here are his go-to coffee shops and experiences in both:
Where to go in Ethiopia
- Dukamo Coffee in Addis Ababa and Hawassa: “It lowkey felt like if there was a coffee shop in Wakanda this is what it would be like,” he said. “It’s a dope fusion of traditional African inspiration mixed with Afro-futuristic design. Try the iced cascara tea or an Ethiopian macchiato.”
- Yedur Coffee Roasters and Kazacafe in Addis Ababa: Jones has visited this coffee shop as part of the Cxffeeblack Barista Exchange Program, an innovative program where the Cxffeeblack team partners with young coffee lovers of African descent. “They were so cool and taught one of our baristas how to make an Ethiopian macchiato and gave her one of their aprons,” he said. “It was such a beautiful exchange.”
Where to go in Rwanda
- Kivunior Cafe, two locations in Kigali: “This place is owned by the grandson of a coffee farmer and they started exporting and now they're doing their own cafes and their own roasting,” he said. “I love the African espresso that they do, which is a mix of espresso and ginger. It’ll wake you up.” Kivunior also offers roasting and tasting experiences, as well as tours of its farm estate.
- Rubia Coffee Roasters in Kigali: “They have a really beautiful space, and they're gonna hit you with more of your classic roast profiles,” he said. Bonus, they do their own roasting on site.
- Ino Coffee Roasters and Ino Cafe in Gisementi: “This place is run by a group of Rwanda women and they're roasting and brewing the coffee themselves and sourcing from different farmers in the country,” he said.
Tip: If you’re looking to get up close with the coffee-making process in Rwanda, book with Elevate Through Coffee to connect with local coffee farmers and more. Jones worked with its tour operator Smayah Uwajeneza to craft his itinerary. “The coffee scene in Rwanda is growing every day. As new shops open, Smayah is the person to talk to and to learn from,” Jones said.
