Community Interview With an Important Person Interview

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document

Total Length: 1013 words ( 3 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 3

Page 1 of 3

Joshua Oakes has been a leading advocate of craft beer in the community for almost 20 years. Now that the community is experiencing a craft beer revolution, many attribute the success of other local businesses like food trucks, to Oakes. In an interview, City Commissioner Tyrell Jones lauded the groundwork Oakes had laid over the course of the last two decades. “His work has been instrumental in improving the local economy,” Jones said, “I don’t even like beer, but I recognize what Oakes has done for our community and I appreciate it a lot.”

Born in Richmond to a working class family, Joshua Oakes has long recognized the value of community service and activism. “When I was young, my mom was always dragging me to bake sales and other community events. I used to hate it when I was young, but as I got older I couldn’t live with myself unless I was out there constantly, doing what I could to help.” Oakes claims that it all started in high school. Like many students, Oakes had a particularly influential teacher who inspired him to become active in his community. Yet it wasn’t until Oakes discovered his love for craft beer that he was able to fuse his knowledge of community activism with the genuine passion that comes from within. To be a true activist, one must not only leverage the social networks and ties one has in the community, but also be dedicated to a cause.

At first, Oakes had no idea that beer would be a community issue.

Stuck Writing Your "Community Interview With an Important Person" Interview?

View All Our Example Community Interview With an Important Person Interview

Have A Custom Example Essay Written

It started as just a hobby, something that took Oakes on numerous journeys to other cities with thriving craft beer cultures. Oakes even traveled abroad for beer, visiting Old World brewing hubs in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Through his travels, Oakes realized that beer has a community function in the Old World, which had been lost throughout the years in the New World. Whereas all beer was once consumed locally, mass production, Fordism, and industrialization led to the evolution of beverage corporations producing what Oakes calls “swill,” or on occasion simply “crap.” For decades, all Americans had access to were these swill beverages.

Oakes cannot take credit for starting the craft beer revolution, but he was one of the first to ride the crest of the wave. By the time craft beer had become a “thing” in North America, Oakes was trying every new beer he could get his hands on. According to Melanie Gross, owner of the popular local brewpub Hello Beer, Josh Oakes was a maverick who really inspired people to think harder about what they were drinking. Through a website he developed, Oakes helped build a powerful online community that circumvented the difficulties he encountered trying to meet other craft beer lovers in person. The online community, BeerLovers, eventually blossomed to the point where each major city had a local chapter. Thus was born the craft beer culture in….....

Show More ⇣

     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Community Interview With An Important Person" (2017, November 26) Retrieved May 20, 2025, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/community-interview-important-person-2166586

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Community Interview With An Important Person" 26 November 2017. Web.20 May. 2025. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/community-interview-important-person-2166586>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Community Interview With An Important Person", 26 November 2017, Accessed.20 May. 2025,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/community-interview-important-person-2166586
   

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document
order custom essay example