Food has always been political. African American ancestors paved the way for our modern-day food activism, from the grass-roots efforts of Georgia Gilmore selling food at the Montgomery bus boycotts to the Black Panthers laying out the blueprint for free breakfast programs. While our heroes did not have the agency to call themselves activists in the past, we honor and recognize their work today.

Join MOFAD for an evening of virtual storytelling and poetry as we discover powerful narratives in conversation with Therese Nelson of Black Culinary History, Chef Omar Tate of Honeysuckle, Paola Velez of Bakers Against Racism, The Common People Poetry Group, Korsha Wilson of A Hungry Society, and Trina Michelle Robinson of Muloma Heritage Center. Learn how their unique, personal stories of food became a tool for activism, as we trace a common thread from the past to the present.

While tickets are free, patrons have an option to purchase our Legacy Quilt Book: Black Culinary Contributions, 1619-2019. This publication is an in-depth look at the centerpiece from MOFAD's highly anticipated exhibition, African/American: Making the Nation's Table.

TRAVIS CAMERON

Travis Cameron is a Brooklyn born writer, performer, and restaurant worker. As an artist, Travis takes pride and pleasure in employing storytelling to get the minds of audiences working on thoughts, concepts, and feelings that would otherwise have no landing place. Inspired by immigrant family roots, the science of public speaking, and the differences in human cultures, Travis strives to see good communication be the golden rule that we all follow.

NASIR AL-DIN EDWARDS

Nasir al-Din Edwards is a 30-year old Philadelphian and alumni of Cheyney University. Nasir al-Din is a writer, visual artist and performer. He draws inspiration from family and the nature of humanity.

THOMAS MCRAE

Thomas McRae, Jr , 27 year old from Washington, D.C. Thomas is a photographer and writer. When he is not engaged in his arts, he spends time in school as he graduates this May with a Master of Social Work degree. Thomas can be followed on Instagram at Herfavepoet.

THERESE NELSON

Thérèse Nelson is a chef, writer, and founder of Black Culinary History, a website and digital archive she established in 2008 as a way to connect chefs of color to honor Black heritage throughout the African culinary diaspora, to promote the work of her colleagues, and to preserve the legacy being constructed by Black chefs for future generations.

TRINA MICHELLE ROBINSON

Trina Michelle Robinson explores the relationship between memory and migration through film, archival materials and text. Her video essay The Call has been exhibited in art galleries and film festivals throughout the country and she has also told the story of exploring her ancestry with The Moth Mainstage on stages throughout the country including the Lincoln Center in New York and on The Moth Radio Hour on NPR. Her earlier work was featured in the Museum of the African Diaspora’s I’ve Known Rivers Project, and New Jersey Dramatists Which Way to America at the Jersey City Museum and Puffin Cultural Forum. She has worked in print and digital media as a managing editor and as a production director and is currently pursuing her M.F.A. in Fine Arts at California College of the Arts.

OMAR TATE

Chef Omar Tate has spent the last ten years in the restaurant industry working in some of the best restaurants in New York City and Philadelphia including A Voce, Fork, Meadowsweet, Runner and Stone , and Russet. He finds the intersection of science, art, craft, and the physicality of line cooking to be unique and the most alluring aspects of the profession.

Chef Omar has been exploring his heritage to bring balance and equity to his profession. He has researched and produced dinners dedicated to honoring chefs, writers, and figures in history representative of African American culture. He is now the mind behind Honeysuckle, a dinner pop up series dedicated to exploring black heritage and culture through food. He uses history and various forms of art to tell the nuanced stories of black folks with his guests.

PAOLA VELEZ

James Beard Award Nominated Pastry Chef Paola Velez was raised both in New York City and the Dominican Republic. By using her resources to help her communities and the restaurants she works with to make impactful change, she’s become an advocate for equitably sourced food and sustainability. Velez is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu and co-founder of Doña Dona, a Latin American popup to benefit Ayuda DC, an organization that supports the restaurant industry Undocumented workforce. She is also a founder of Bakers Against Racism, a worldwide bake sale initiative that has raised over $1.9 Million for organizations that support Black Lives and Black communities globally.

KORSHA WILSON

Korsha Wilson is a food writer and graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. She is the host of A Hungry Society, a podcast that takes a more inclusive and diverse look at the food world. She has written for the New York Times, Eater, Bon Appetit, the New Yorker and Food & Wine. She's obsessed with travel, negronis, authentic Maryland crab cakes. She lives in New Jersey.

The Legacy of Food Activism: A Storytelling Event