Southern Food and Civil Rights
Courtesy of Local 1199
Here is a podcast of a Fred Opie author talk about Southern Food and Civil Rights given at the Barnes & Noble's in Yonkers New York. A special shout out to Kelly Cummins Schultz for organizing the event.
What prompted you to write this book?
The idea for the book came from an NPR segment from the Kitchen Sisters, Nikki Silva and Davia Nelson, and their series which they call Hidden Kitchens. I listened to a story about Georgia Gilmore's hidden Kitchen contribution to the success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. From there I started doing research on the role of food in social movements and wrote about it on my blog in a series I call Feeding the Revolution.
Did you learn anything new while researching and writing this?
I learned is that you can’t have a successful social movement without beverages and food to sustain the participants. But isn’t that true in at a high school or college alumni event or a youth lacrosse game?
When did you first become interested in this topic?
After hearing the 2005 NPR story about Gilmore.
What do you want readers to take away from this book?
Anyone can make a contribution to bringing about progressive change in their community in their own way. So often we focus on a movements spokesperson and or leader and ignore the worker bees behind the scene whose gifts and talents help keep the pressure on and bring about change.
We are looking for event organizing for similar 20 minute talks and 30 minute Q&A in spaces with 10 or more people, and refreshments. You can host an event in your home, at work as a lunchtime event, and in barbershops, beauty parlors, bookstores, coffee shops, schools, libraries, grocery stores, community center, and clubs.
