Why We Call It Soul Food

913 Washington Street,Vicksburg MS 39183

21 May, 2022

Description

The story of why southerners, especially African American southerners, call the foods we eat “soul food.” Dr. Willis discusses the emotional and physical aspects of soul food as it relates to our culture and history. She also discusses the bonds attached to the growing, nurturing and preparation of these foods as it relates to our culture and way of life in the South. This event is part of the Food For Thought: Catfish Row Museum Lab and Pop-Up Exhibition. Through grant funding from the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area, the museum will present a series of hands-on workshops, curatorial events and programs centered around local foodways. Through public programs and workshops, the museum will develop content and collect artifacts for the Catfish Row Museum. In the museum’s lab space, visitors can scan, copy and donate documents, such as letters, recipes and historic photographs, as well as record oral history interviews. In the exhibition space, community members can observe and provide feedback on how their artifacts and stories will be used in exhibits. This programming will present rich stories of crossing barriers and borders, of lives intertwined with food, as food and place are linked through the diversity of income and ethnicity in the South. About the speakers: Brinda Willis is a writer for the Jackson Advocate newspaper and an expert on blues and African American foodways.