Holy hell.
Check this place out. It’s called Rebel Rebel and it is in Somerville, MA.
It is a wine bar.
In fact, the website reads, “We’re a bar. We’re JUST a bar.”
But they are so much more.
“Rebel Rebel is a no-rules natural wine bar in Somerville's Bow Market. We give a fuck (about wine and about you). We believe a wine bar can be a place for the community to engage, grow, and communicate. We also believe in the power of natural wine to bring us back to the foundations of our connection to farmers, to women, and to the planet. Think that sounds like a bunch of woo-woo bullshit? Come hang out and let us show you what we do.”
Language, Rebel Rebel.
“We do have bomb-ass wine, badass woman and non-binary bartenders who know a thing or two about a thing or two,” the site reads. “More than a decade of experience in natural wine, and a no-bullshit attitude that guarantees you’ll get the best of what we’ve got, no matter what.”
And then they put us on notice.
“Leave your misogyny, your homophobia, your racism, your classism, your ableism, your patriarchy, your gender bias, and all your other bullshit at the door, ‘cause that shit will get you kicked out real quick.”
Yeah, it will. So much for no-rules, I guess.
If you’re like me and you like to know that your wine bar has developed a plan in response to the civil rights crisis occurring across the country, Rebel Rebel has you covered.
“Below, you’ll find a 5-step plan we developed in response to the civil rights crisis occurring across the country and in our industry. We believe, as a white-owned business, that it's our responsibility to fix the systemic oppression our whiteness causes to BIPOC and POC, both in our industry and in our community. This is a living document.”
Of course, it’s a living document.
Discriminatory hiring practices? Yep, they’ve got that.
“Rebel Rebel has instituted a non-referral hiring policy. This means that we will not give employment preference to friends and family of board members. Employment opportunities will be posted publicly via social media, community bulletins and relevant industry job sites. As an equal opportunity employer committed to shifting our current racial demographic, we will prioritize BIPOC candidates for all available positions. When selecting candidates for interviews, 75% of those candidates selected will identify themselves as BIPOC. We will not proceed with the interview and hiring process without a 75% BIPOC applicant presence. This will be practiced until the Rebel Rebel board is at least 50% BIPOC, and will continue indefinitely thereafter.”
Ready for the Q&A?
How does Rebel Rebel intend to step away from organizational white supremacy without participating in tokenism, as a white-owned business?
“Rebel Rebel is committed to both passively supporting BIPOC (and other non-dominant communities) through fundraising and no-fee space-sharing, and actively supporting those communities—through lobbying, public policy support, and the organization of industry-centered racial education programs. We are also committed to responding to feedback from BIPOC and other non-dominant communities about necessary improvements to our space, our practices, and our team. When called upon to make adjustments, we will do the work to explore how we need to evolve in service to equity without burdening the communities asking for change with stewardship of our education.”
How does Rebel Rebel define tokenism?
“Tokenism is the practice of inclusion for the sole purpose of creating an appearance of diversity without engaging in active work to dismantle oppressive systems that are barriers to equity. Rebel Rebel acknowledges that tokenism serves only to assuage white guilt and is not a meaningful step away from white supremacy.”
Holy God, there is a lot going on in this place.
Not surprisingly, the people who run the bar are very, very interesting.
“Lauren is an intimate partner violence survivor, an outspoken advocate for the intersectional feminist disruption of the hospitality industry, and an avid community activist. Don't come between her and her corn nuts.”
“Maia has worked professionally in restaurants and bars for over 10 years. Things that bring her joy: Wine that smells like buttered popcorn. Fine lees in sunlight. Regenerative agriculture & land redistribution/land reform. The ocean. What would also bring her joy: dismantling late-stage capitalism.”
“Kyéra is a retired state politico who traded Beacon Hill for bottles of bubbs. A freelance film academic, curator of playlists, and questing existentialist, Kyéra found wine through her love of rosé and agricultural policy. A diasporic mamí with a yearning to connect with the land, wine has been a soft space for her to lay..”
wine has been a soft space for her to lay
I’m not sure if Rebel Rebel seems like a classically -fun place to hang but their website is an extraordinary experience.
Enjoy