Afropop, Oklahoma’s all-natural, Black-owned craft soda brand is taking its mission to a national audience with the launch of pre-orders for its online store beginning April 4.
Whether it’s the nostalgic butterscotch of Grandma’s House, the electric blueberry lemonade of Summer Nights or the bold darkness of Blvcker the Berry, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Since launching in December of 2023, Oklahomans across the state have experienced the unapologetic blend of artistry, culture and flavor, with the soda pops in dozens of locations across the state. Beginning April 4, founder Jamel Stephens is opening access to the thirst-quenching vibe for anyone in the United States.
A creative entrepreneur from rural Oklahoma, Stephens works with local artists for the design of his Afropop soda cans. Now, he wants the whole nation to join in like a family reunion.
“I think, like many Black people, it’s like, ‘will society accept something that’s so counter cultural, something that is so tailored towards being Black?’ And I think that what we’re seeing is Afropop almost being modeled after what the culture is feeling,” Stephens told the Black Wall Street Times.
People ordering online will experience an eight to 12-week lead time, “just in time for Juneteenth. That’s going to be able to allow us to handle some of those influx of orders coming in,” Stephens said.
Afropop continues Black-owned soda legacy on national scale
The brand continues a legacy birthed by the first Black-owned soda in the state, Jay-Kola, in 1919, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society. At a time when Coca-cola wouldn’t sell its bottles to Black communities, Percy James and his wife decided to produce their own brand of colas, naming it after their daughter Jewel.
Since a previous interview with the Black Wall Street Times during Black History Month, Stephens has experienced an explosion of support for Afropop soda and demands for access from people across the nation.
“I’m in Texas. Are you all shipping in the US,” one user commented in February. “How do we order? I’m in Michigan and all about this,” another posted. “How do we order?? Im in Denver, Colorado I want to support,” another wrote.
At a time of massive boycotts against corporations scrapping diversity, equity and inclusion practices, Stephens is giving people of all backgrounds an opportunity to vote with their wallets.
“We’re creating products that are authentic and real and products that represent people. We deserve to see ourselves in the products we buy,” he said.
Vegan options; lowering sugar and cost
Two of the flavors, Blvcker the Berry and Summer Nights, are vegan, and Stephens said low-sugar options are on the way.
“We are reformulating our products to be a low-sugar product. So we’re going from almost 40 grams of sugar down to seven grams of sugar. We dropped our calories from 140 calories down to 30 calories. And so we are making huge, huge strides towards creating a product that every single person can enjoy,” Stephens said.
Ultimately, Stephens wants to build the brand to be able to support grassroots communities and causes.
“I think the most important thing people should know is that Afropop is completely grassroots. We have no investors. We’ve done this all from people just being excited about the brand.”
Stephens continues working to lower costs of productions for the Afropop soda and for consumers of the all-natural bursts of flavor.
“There’s such a crowded market, where does a Black-owned soda product stand? And what people are showing is it has a very big place in authenticity and real products that represent real people.”
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