Dr. Jessica B. Harris A magazine celebrating Black women and femmes in food and wine
ISSUE 01
IT’S PERSONAL + THE PANDEMIC
for the culture — ISSUE 01 Editor in Chief Klancy Miller @klancycooks @fortheculturefoodmag Art Director Carolyn Seng @carolynseng carolynseng.com
Sara K. Berhanu @sarakberhanu Dana Gray @101blessings @mendocino_treehouse Akudo Mez @akudoamazing
Contributors (IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE) Kelly Marshall @sans.murs @birthingofanation kellymarshallphoto.com
Vonnie Williams @sincerelyvonnie
Searit Huluf @sorryshoots
Zoe Adjonyoh @zoeadjonyoh
Cha McCoy @cha_squared
Mashama Bailey @mashamabailey
Kyla Marshell @khellonmars kylamarshell.com
Thérèse Nelson @blackculinary
Simone Martin-Newberry heysimone.com Alisha Sommer @alisha_sommer
Erica N. Cardwell @erica.cardwell
Monica O’Connell @curtisandcake Adjoa Kittoe @seulful
Omolola Olateju @blackgirlsdrink
Carmen Harris @carmendharris @magnusonwater
Amethyst Ganaway @thizzg
Yewande Komolafe @yewande_komolafe
Fabienne Toback @savyfaby
Amanda Yee @paramette.ic
Karis Jagger @heysistah heysistah.com
Tonya Abari @iamtabari
Leslie Gamboni @lesliegamboni Zella Palmer @maisonzella Antonia Brown antoniabrown.jimdofree.com Martine Thompson @pattiesncreamsoda martinethompson.com Makshya Tolbert @processdaily Jacqueline Greaves @jacquiesfoodfortalk
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Thank You Layla Schlack Davis Thompson-Moss
Kia Damon @kiacooks Mary Fawzy @purple_turnips Nicole Jenkins @nije05 thisisthegroundwork.com Hawa Hassan @hawahassan Kyisha Davenport @barnoirboston @tanamofficial
Copyright 2021 For the Culture Magazine LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form for any purpose without written permission from the publisher. INQUIRIES fortheculturemagazineny@gmail.com ONLINE fortheculturefoodmag.com instagram.com/fortheculturefoodmag ON THE COVER Dr. Jessica B. Harris: Kelly Marshall Blacker the Berry: Dana Gray PRINTED BY Hemlock Printers www.hemlock.com
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
PHOTO BY KELLY MARSHALL
Just over a year ago, I launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to create the first issue of For the Culture: A Magazine Celebrating Black Women and Femmes in Food and Wine. I did this because Black women have shaped cuisine in the U.S. and in many countries throughout the world and our stories about our expertise and relationships to food do not get enough attention. The goal was to create a publication that centers our experiences. More than 679 people gave to the crowdfunder and helped raise $38,168. Dozens more sent money by Venmo, PayPal and CashApp. There was even a massive bake sale organized by Jenelle Kellam and Keia Mastrianni that brought in the largest contribution. Many friends vociferously amplified this project in all forms of media. This magazine is truly a group effort and I’m grateful for your support. Initially, the theme of the first issue was going to be “It’s Personal,” because not being seen feels personal. To be seen is personal. One’s relationship to food, drinks, and hospitality and food media is personal. We put out a call for submissions and within weeks the pandemic began. A month later, it was clear that Black and Brown people were being disproportionately affected by the novel coronavirus. It was also clear that the world of hospitality and the people who work in it would suffer enormously. So, the first issue has a double theme—It’s Personal and the pandemic. You’ll see many personal essays. I think that format is one of the most powerful ways for people to share their voices. You will also notice that the first issue is divided into “Before,” “During,” and “After,” to reflect a sense of time (what is time?)—what we did before the pandemic, our activities at the height of the first wave, the uprisings, and our visions for what we can create in the future. It’s a pure thrill that Dr. Jessica B. Harris, one of the most impactful and prolific culinarians of our time, agreed to be the inaugural cover star. It’s also an honor to publish the work of 35 extraordinarily talented women throughout the diaspora who contributed to the first issue. I hope you will enjoy the deeply personal stories that take us to a family reunion in Ethiopia, back in time in New Orleans, through grieving rituals, to a cocktail hour on Martha’s Vineyard, to Brooklyn and Rome, with several stops for reflection and many juicy conversations in between. Thank you for your support and for reading For the Culture! In Solidarity, Klancy
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for the culture — ISSUE 01
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CONTENTS
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