Princeton’s First Black Female Police Officer Launches Coffee Biz

PRINCETON, NJ — Toni Mitchell has spent five years in the Princeton Police Department (PPD). And she happens to be the first Black female officer in town.

Mitchell has now turned entrepreneur. On Martin Luther King Day, Jan. 18, Mitchell launched BLM Brew Co.— an e-commerce site selling freshly roasted coffee, sourced from various regions around the world.

“BLM stand for Black, Liberated, Motivated,” said Mitchell. “It means a lot to launch on Jan. 18. A lot of people will post on MLK Day, but they don't live the values that he was preaching,” she said.

Her business, she says, is not trying to be exclusive with the name 'BLM'. Instead, it pushes “the idea of a diverse, inclusive, and equal society.”

“People have loved black culture and different aspects of it. This is just an extension of that.”

It wasn’t easy for Mitchell to launch her business amid a global pandemic.

“I would prefer to go to countries like Kenya, Ethiopia, Colombia, Costa Rica, to source and pick my coffee farms and work with the farms directly. But because of COVID, and travel restrictions and work, that was impossible,” she said.

"I'm currently using a private label supplier, to source and supply my coffee.”

As a Black girl growing up in a predominantly white town, Mitchell always looked for “representation.”

“Black women, Brown women have to take pride in being Black, in being Brown. They should feel free to voice their opinions. That’s what motivated me.”

As the first Black female officer in the Princeton police force, Mitchell said she wanted to act as a bridge – to ensure more women from communities of color joined the force.

“That’s what I’m trying to do with policing and coffee – inspire people,” she said.

But BLM Brew is more than just a coffee business. A part of the proceeds from the sale goes towards funding resources for communities of color in Princeton.

“There exists a big gap in education, training etc., in communities of color in Princeton. I don't feel like the playing fields are leveled,” she said.

“It’s not just a lived-in experience. It's a lot of personal research too.”

During her time policing, Mitchell found communities of color struggling to survive amid the pandemic. “They suffer not just from police brutality, but from getting sick and not getting the resources they need, and not getting stimulus checks. It’s so frustrating to watch,” she said.

After having watched many companies and grassroots organizations step –up and help, Mitchell decided to do the same.

“BLM Brew will help in providing tutoring, transportation, equipment, childcare – anything the community needs,” she said.

Currently, BLM Brew is available online only.

Mitchell plans to start a “coffee truck” and then eventually move to brick and mortar.

“I want to start those mainly in Black communities. I want to provide affordable, premium coffee. But that's in the near future. It just depends on how well we can do now,” she said.

The entrepreneur has already got positive reviews for her product from colleagues at the police department.

The biggest challenge she faces right now is finding time for herself in between being a mom, running a business, and her job in law enforcement.

“Well, I’ve been sleepless. But I’m a mom and working hard comes naturally to me,” she said.

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