In 2019, my brother in Black foodways Michael W. Twitty, and I had the pleasure of engaging in conversation about Black Culinary History at the New York Public Library for their Schomburg Center for Research’s Inaugural Literary Festival.

Although this was not our first public dialogue, it certainly stood out as our most impactful. During that enriching hour, we delved deeply into critical topics such as the responsibility of culinary stewardship, the power inherent in food writing and scholarly research, and the expansive possibilities that culinary history as a discipline holds for our community.

For me, this enlightening exchange encapsulates everything you need to understand about the foundational conceit of this project and the intellectual praxis within which we continuously endeavor.