Maud Week happening across North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. — People in Durham are raising their glass for a good cause.

Stand Up is the name of the newest beer on tap at the Glass Jug Beer Lab. The beer is a collaboration between Durham breweries and Together We Stand NC for Maud 2.23.

"Stand Up was created to get people talking about race and the impacts of that and understanding people's different backgrounds and where they are coming from," said Chris Creech, owner of the Glass Jug Beer Lab.

In June 2020, Together We Stand NC was formed by Durham resident Tyrone Irby following the death of Ahmaud Arbery. Arbery was murdered in a racially motivated hate crime when he was out on a jog in a Georgia neighborhood on Feb. 23, 2020

"The Ahmaud Arbery case was a very personal case for a lot of people. We don't want people to forget about Ahmaud Arbery, not just who we was, but also what happened to him and the fact that racism and hate still exists in this country on a regular basis," said Irby.

Irby has made it his mission to bring people together to talk about race and understand each other's differences.

This year is the third annual Maud 2.23 Week. Irby partnered with local businesses across North Carolina to hold 18 different events in seven cities.

"We found partners that understand the importance of community, engagement and unifying our communities," Irby said.

The Glass Jug Beer Lab will be hosting a 2.23 mile race on Tuesday at 6 p.m. It will be followed by a moderated courageous conversation that aims to be a safe place to have talks about race, sexual orientation and the purpose to build better awareness.

Since it's founding, Together We Stand NC has raised over $28,000 for charitable North Carolina organizations as well as the Ahmaud Arbery Foundation of Georgia.

"Let's stand up, speak out against racism and hate," Irby said.