Thank you all for being here for a decade. I know I’ve been light for a while here but life has been a roller-coaster. I started this blog January 12, 2011. I was inspired by Julie and Julia. I thought if she can do it, I can too! I never really accomplished as much as […]
June 14-June 20 help books by Black authors take over the bestseller lists!
At the end of the prologue to my book The Cooking Gene (HarperCollins Amistad imprint, 2017/2018) I reflected on whether or not the Southern table could give us some insight into America’s second original sin–the enslavement of Africans and the consequences that resulted: “The lazy, laughing South / With blood on its mouth /And I, […]
Warning. This isnt my usual style of writing, it is full of cuss words and frustration and darkness and struggle in the attempt to recover and heal. Read at your own discretion. This is my reaction to the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery may they rest in peace and power. A […]
The Cooking Gene made it to the Best Food Books of All Time!! I’m happy to announce that my book, “The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South”, made it to BookAuthority’s Best Food Books of All Time: https://bookauthority.org/books/best-food-books?t=u8kzpl&s=award&book=0062379291 BookAuthority collects and ranks the best books in the world, […]
you mentioned Maryland in your video but did not mention names. I am a descendant of Maryland slave owners on the Eastern Shore of Maryland…any Tubman’s, Keene’s, Travers or Applegarth’s on your list? If yes, then I’d love to connect (actually I would enjoy cooking with you regardless!)…will you be attending the CTTT Gathering in Richmond?
No Maryland blood–but this is where I live so I’ll be exploring enslaved people’s culture and history here as well! 🙂 I would LOVE to meet you anyway! I have a program coming up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum! Its sold out so I doubt I will be there, but we shall see!
No one can “own” a human being, Mr. Twitty. These people were “enslavers”. Please make it plain and say you’re looking for your family’s “enslavers”.
Calling them “owners” is justifying the mass trafficking and genocide of human beings.
Hi, I really appreciate your comment. I tend to use the word “enslaved” and “enslaver” or terms like “held captive.” I totally agree with you. As someone who puts on the clothes and does the hard work of slavery interpretation I’m very aware the differences word choice makes. I was trying to make sure I got people’s attention through the use of the tern slaveowner. I think chattel slavery in America was a lot fuzzier than mass traffick and genocide..although it certainly did have those elements…Enslavers saw themselves as.patriarchs in a twisted way. What we have to do is deconstruct that unhelpful narrative while keeping in mind that American slavery was unlike any other in world history. Thanks for making more dialogue possible!