Happy Summer from BIPOC Foodways Alliance!
What we've been up to; Where we're going...
Happy summer, everyone!
We hope yours is off to a good start in spite of the rain and the gnats.
The gnats! I remember as a kid we used to have to raise our hands like we were in class to keep the gnats above our heads until we were driven inside by the little devils. Hoping it doesn’t come to that this year, but still grateful for life in general. Even teeny, tiny, super obnoxious gnat life.
And if nothing else, there’s always watermelon.
I broke my wrist rollerskating at the end of May (rollerskating!) and I still have a month of recovery if not more, but that’s not stopping the BFA team from forging ahead with dismantling white supremacy!
What we’ve been up to, and where we’re going:
Updates:
The big news from BIPOC Foodways Alliance is that we have received our official 501c3 status from the IRS! Special thanks to Faegre Drinker law firm for their indispensable pro bono help with this process.
Our official nonprofit status means that we can work to raise more, and more serious funding for our programming.
Other updates include our recent partnership with cinematographer and filmmaker Serena Hodges, a talented Indian American filmmaker who has worked on the acclaimed Netflix series High on The Hog.
Serena’s work is beautiful and inspiring. Take a look at her recent documentation of our Table with Jeremy Moran, a Mexican American transplant to Minneapolis. Jeremy uses his family recipe tamales as a way of expanding his chosen family in his new home, as well as staying connected to his roots in both Mexico and The Bronx.
Also, congrats to Jeremy who is a new papa!
Partnerships:
BFA has been invited to Slow Food in Turin, Italy this September! It’s beyond exciting to see BIPOC Foodways Alliance making an impact on both national and international stages, and to learn from like-minded people doing important work through the lens of food. We will report back on what we learn from both of these experiences towards the end of this year.
To help us offset the cost of the booth space at Slow Foods, donate here. The cost is $600, and Mecca is currently paying out-of-pocket to cover the expense.
Locally, we have partnered with artist James Curry to curate the culinary program for his “Soulforce” exhibit at the African American museum. Soulforce explores the collaboration and connection between Black, Indigenous and Chicano communities and their movements for civil rights.
BFA helped to bring together Owamni, Nixta, K’s Revolutionary Catering, and Cooks of Hope for a meaningful, free meal for the community on two dates during the exhibit’s run (July 11 and July 18 from 5:30p.m. to 7:30p.m.) The second date is yet to come, so join us next Thursday, if you can!
If you would like culinary curation (activate your event with BIPOC food!) for your own event, do not hesitate to reach out to us!
Tables:
First off, special thanks to Union Hmong Kitchen for donating their kitchen and dining room space to us for hosting our Table series.
Our most recent Table was co-hosted by Sarah White, Multidisciplinary Artist, Hands-on Touch Healer, Mother, and Land Steward.
Sarah served a fiery curry with handmade roti, cooking she learned as a child while spending time in the kitchen with her mother and her mother’s women friends. She learned the way most women Black women learn– through the hands of other women.
There is no recipe– the recipes are in Sarah’s hands– and the hands of the women who came before her. At Sarah’s Table, we discussed healing and sanctuary. Sarah’s current project, Hawk Communion, is situated on 40 acres of reparation land in rural Wisconsin. When finished, the space will be a place of healing for Black and Indigenous people seeking refuge from white supremacy establishment and institution. (Click here to donate to Hawk Communion).
July’s Table will be co-hosted by Vivian Mims, lifelong cook, Rondo community member, and founder of RiceRoots LLC, where along with her brother Davvie, she is writing screenplays inspired by her 93-year-old mother Juanell’s life journey. We will be serving a menu designed by Vivian and her family.
Look for our full content storytelling from both of these Tables coming later this summer on YouTube, as well as this page, Instagram and Facebook.
Upcoming:
We are currently seeking funding for an expansion of our programming which would allow the general public to purchase plates of our co-host food for an affordable price.
For instance, Jeremy Moran’s family recipe tamales or Vivian Mimm’s classic Soul Food dishes would be made available for pickup on the day after our Table. Our co-hosts will receive a percentage of the proceeds for sharing this one-of-a-kind legacy cooking with the greater community.
If you would like to donate to this effort, please click here!
Other ways you can help:
Nominate yourself, a friend, family member or colleague to attend an upcoming Table by filling out this form.
The mission of BIPOC Foodways Alliance is to dismantle white supremacy by telling under-told stories from traditionally marginalized communities through the lens of food, while simultaneously breaking down barriers between cultural communities. We can do this by inviting as many diverse people to our Tables as possible– please help us in this mission!
Thank you for being a part of BIPOC Foodways Alliance!
Great work & a lot of it going on! Congrats on the nonprofit status - that’s a big deal!👍