Cultural Spaces We Love
Black Culinary History is a starting point and one that is an ever-evolving experiment around a deeper understanding of Black agency in the professional food world. With that said, this is a list of the cultural institutions, websites, and organizations we’re in community with that you should check out to expand your own food universe.
“Preservation of one’s own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures.”
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While this organization is known for consumer events, it also does education and advocacy work behind the scenes. Founder Samara Rivers founded the organization not just to connect people who love this spirit, but to work with brands and facilitate partnerships so that Black people see themselves in the whiskey world.
A former sommelier, Tahiirah Habibi founded The Hue Society as a hub for Black wine professionals. The network allows people to connect to each other and, crucially, a larger community for support, development, resources and opportunities.
Association of African American Vintners (AAAV)
The Association of African American Vintners stands as the go-to resource for advancing inclusivity in the wine industry.
National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH)
Since its founding in the spring of 1989, at Cornell University, the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH) has been a non-profit student run professional organization. NSMH works in conjunction with its sponsors to establish a working relationship between the hospitality industry and minority students.
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Feast Afrique is a website and digital library resource that celebrates West African culinary heritage, curated by the brilliant chef and educator Ozoz Sokoh - The Kitchen Butterfly
Brainchild of the brilliant Walter ‘Walt’ Way the Brister English Project is a multidisciplinary archival project and non-profit organization with the mission is to uncover the stories and legacies of the American descendants of chattel slavery and connecting them with their ancestry that has been lost, burned, lied about or forgotten over time.
As the hub for ideas around culture, business, and policy related to the continent, The Africa Center inspires enthusiasm and advances thought and action around Africa’s global influence.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture
The only national museum devoted exclusively to documenting African American life, history, and culture. The Museum has consulted with culinary historians like Dr. Jessica B. Harris and Michael Twitty and a wide range of chefs to curate culinary exhibitions, programs, and food via their Sweet Home Cafe as an essential part of the overall mission to preserve Black culture.
Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD)
MOFAD is a favorite space of ours. From the curation of the African/American: Making The Nation's Table exhibit that took over four years to curate to the overall mission to bring the culture of food to the public, the museum is a great place for anyone interested in food and history.
The Food Timeline was created and maintained solely by Lynne Olver (1958-2015, her obituary), reference librarian with a passion for food history. In 2020, Virginia Tech University Libraries and the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences (CLAHS) collaborated on a plan to offer Virginia Tech as a new home for the physical book collection and the web resource.
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Culinary Historians of New York (CHNY)
.The Oxford Symposium
The Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery is an annual conference on food history.Research Centre for the History of Food and Drink
An Australian group, based at the Univ. of Adelaide.Southern Foodways Alliance
An affiliated institute of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture with headquarters at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi.Bay Area Culinary Historians(BACH)
Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor
Culinary Historians of San Diego
Culinary Historians of Washington, DC (CHoW/DC)
Culinary History Enthusiasts of Wisconsin
Greater Midwest Foodways Alliance
The Historic Foodways Society of the Delaware Valley
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National Black Farmers Association (NBFA)
A non-profit organization representing African American farmers and their families in the United States.
An Organization Dedicated to the Preservation of the Family Farm
The mission of Black Farmer Fund is to nurture black community wealth & health by investing in black agricultural systems in the Northeast.
Black Farmers & Urban Gardners (BUGs) National Conference contributes to the empowerment and resilience of Black agriculture worldwide, with the specific goal of creating more equitable and sustainable food systems.
The National Black Food & Justice Alliance (NBFJA)
A coalition of Black-led organizations aimed at developing Black leadership, supporting Black communities, organizing for Black self-determination, and building institutions for Black food sovereignty and liberation.
Black Church Food Security Network
a national network of Black churches organizing to advance health, wealth, and power in our communities
Food Tank is the world’s fastest growing global non-profit community working towards positive transformation in how we produce and consume food.
Agriculture Justice Project (AJP)
The Agricultural Justice Project brings together workers, farmers, and their communities to build a food system that’s fair and just.
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A Penguin Random House imprint 4 Color Books is the brainchild of principal Bryant Terry 4 Color Books focuses on collaborating with the most forward-thinking and groundbreaking BIPOC chefs, writers, artists, activists, and innovators to craft visually stunning nonfiction books that inspire readers and give rise to a more healthy, just, and sustainable world for all.
Whetstone Media is a collection of imprints founded by Stephen Satterfield, focused on storytelling dedicated to food origins and culture.
Dine diaspora is a multimedia and consulting brand that has a nu,ber of projects and initiatives focused on diversity and sustainability.
Black Foodies is a blog and media company focused on telling diverse Black stories through showcasing and celebrating the people, places, and plates that represent the diaspora.
Cuisine Noir is an award-winning culinary lifestyle and news narratives media outlet dedicated to providing culturally rich and factually reported stories that connect the African diaspora through food, drink and travel.
In 2016, Anthony and Janique Edwards created EatOkra as two Brooklyn transplants who didn’t have the means to cook or store food. The multimedia platform they’ve created has operated since then with the purpose is to create digital spaces that inspire the larger community and Black business owners, enabling them to spread their wings and embrace their visions for tomorrow.
