Cooking Demonstration: Enslaved People's Food and Cooking Traditions

5828 Old Oxford Highway,Durham NC 27712

18 September, 2021

Description

Dontavius Williams, of The Chronicles of Adam, leads a hearth cooking demonstration outdoors at Horton Grove. Stagville welcomes back Dontavius Williams (of The Chronicles of Adam) for an outdoor cooking demonstration, interpreting the cooking traditions of enslaved people. Join us on September 18th to explore the history of enslaved people's cooking traditions in North Carolina. Food shaped the daily lives of enslaved people at Stagville-- enslaved people were forced to labor to produce grains, meats, fruits, and vegetables on plantation land, yet it was their expertise that made and preserved such foods. Enslavers used rationing and food restrictions to control enslaved people, and yet enslaved people used their food to resist slavery by preserving African and African American cultural traditions. The foodways of enslaved people and their descendants shape North Carolina's culture to this day. Dontavius Williams is a public historian, interpreter, and storyteller who specializes in interpreting the history of enslaved people. He has been in the field of public history and storytelling for over 10 years and now travels the country interpreting slavery at various historic sites, schools, and churches and community events. This demonstration is outdoors at Horton Grove. Please dress for the weather. Historic Stagville is a State Historic Site that preserves the remnants of the one of the largest plantations in North Carolina. The Bennehan-Cameron family owned approximately 30,000 acres of land, and enslaved about 900 people on that property. Today, Stagville interprets the lives, families, culture, and work of enslaved people on the Bennehan-Cameron plantations.  Historic Stagville is free and open to the public with guided tours at 11, 1, and 3 on Tuesday-Saturday. Call in advance for groups, field trips, or private tours.