Foodways

The Melrose Plantation Cookbook was first published in 1956 by artists Clementine Hunter and Francois Mignon. Clementine Hunter folk artist and farm laborer often depicted images of life on Melrose Plantation in her artwork. The cookbook features her 31 recipes, some of which are original while others are spins on traditional Creole dishes, as well as some of her illustrations. The book is a compilation of Creole oral food history and a symbol of black artistic empowerment.

New Communities Land Trust was founded in 1969 as a safe haven for Black farmers during the civil rights movements. Charles and Shirley Sherrod created this farm collective in Lee County, Georgia which eventually grew to 1,800 acres of farmed land in addition to a greenhouse and farmer's market. Although the farm was lost in 1985 due to drought and discriminatory lending practices, the organization remains strong, now operating a farm called Resora.

"Grandma's Hands" is a program in which Black grandmothers teach recipes virtually while providing participants with fresh produce grown by Black farmers. The program began in 2020 as a part of the Black Food Sovereignty Coalition, an organization that works towards food and land justice for Black people in the Pacific Northwest. Working with Black, Indigenous, and POC (BIPOC) farmers, the BFSC focuses on food, a sense of place, and wealth creation in Black communities. Passing on these rich foodways traditions are an integral part of Black care. This program does the vital work of ensuring that Black knowledges and ways of interacting with food and sustenance will remain dynamic and vibrant.

The People’s Freedom Assembly is a Black and Indigenous led organization based in Greensboro, NC that "consistently provides resources and political education to our cadre and our community," During the pandemic, they have operated a clothing drive for the houseless community in Greensboro, operated mutual aid campaigns, distributed personal protective equipment (PPE), as well as given meals to those that need them. The People’s Freedom Assembly operates in radical care for their Greensboro community.