Potomac Waterways
The Black Folkways project asks how can the complex history of the Chesapeake Bay be captured using a matrix of methodologies that transform field labor and histories of enslavement into pathways for expressing freedom through performance.
Washington DC, situated near the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers has a population of about 679,000 people of which 44.4 5% self-identify as Black.¹ It was founded in 1790 as a land area designated as a site for a national capital. The region was carved out of territory in Virginia and Maryland and employees who work in the district live in both states. Enslaved Africans assisted in the construction of the city.² A detailed history of the development of Washington DC is located on the Library of Congress Website.
The Potomac River was a major trade highway for enslaved African Americans who worked moving goods between the waterfronts of Alexandria, Georgetown, and the Chesapeake Bay. The Potomac, as the last physical barrier between the North from the South, was especially important to forces trying to preserve slavery and/or profit from those trying to escape.³
Shortly after Emancipation, in 1867, Howard University was founded to educate a newly-free cohort of African American of workers and scholars. Howard University continues to rank among the highest producers of Black professionals in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, engineering, nursing, architecture, religion, law, music, social work and education.⁴
Between the 1930s and 1950s, educated and skilled African Americans came to the city to claim well-paid federal jobs. Bakes sales and community events united newly arriving workers.
African American communities living along the river have used the estuary for an “underground railway” to freedom, as a source of food and nutrition, as a source for medicine, and as a site of recreation. This website uses historical data and oral histories to document the ongoing presence and cultural resiliency of African American people along the Washington DC area waterways.
¹ Washington DC Census, 2023. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/DC/PST045223
² Mann, Lisa, “The Complexities of Slavery in the Nation’s Capitol,” The White House Historical Association, accesses February 3, 2025. https://www.whitehousehistory.org/the-complexities-of-slavery-in-the-nations-capital
³ Cummins, Jim. Speech delivers at the t The Accokeek Foundation’s African American Heritage Day, Sept 25, 2010 to The Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin. He documents the proliferation of Shad fishing in the Washington DC area, documenting it with photographs and historical analysis. https://www.potomacriver.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/afamwatermen.pdf
⁴ https://howard.edu/about/historyThe Black Folkways project asks how can the complex history of the Chesapeake Bay be captured using a matrix of methodologies that transform field labor and histories of enslavement into pathways for expressing freedom through performance.
Stamford “Fred” Hoston
Specialty/Key Words: Washington D.C. Foodways, Community, Legacy, Food and Memory, Traditions, Church, Religion, Resiliency, Cultural Preservation, Family, Food Scarcity, Migration, Spirituality, Health
Interview Summary: Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Stamford “Fred” Hoston is a lifelong resident of the city with deep family roots in the DMV area. Fred was interviewed at Saints Paradise Church, where he shared stories from his upbringing in a large, religious family of eight children. His parents, originally from West Virginia, worked as a truck driver and a typist at the Census Bureau. Though food in the household was simple and often unseasoned, Fred fondly recalled the central role ice cream played in his childhood—his father worked at an ice cream plant, and his mother became known in the neighborhood for handing out ice cream, candy, and showing movies at their corner house. Fred described a tight-knit community shaped by faith, music, and modest means, where love outweighed material wealth. He also spoke about his involvement at the Hayes Senior Wellness Center, his love for basketball, and the importance of routine and movement in staying active as a senior.
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Laverte Mathis and Tyrone Goodwyn
Specialty/Key Words: Washington D.C. Foodways, Community, Family, Food and Memory, Traditions, Migration, Southern Roots, Ancestral Knowledge, Culture, Resilience, Health, Healing, Cooking, Storytelling, Eastern Shore, Genealogy, Identity, Home, Spirituality, Intergenerational Bonds
Interview Summary: Washington, D.C. native Laverte Mathis and longtime resident Tyrone Goodwyn were interviewed together at a site closely tied to their shared sense of home and history. Both men reflected on their Southern roots—Mathis’s family from Georgia and Goodwyn’s from North Carolina and Tidewater, Virginia—and the deep culinary traditions that have shaped their lives. Mathis spoke of being raised by a matriarchal aunt who lovingly prepared fish and spaghetti every Friday, mashing the fish for the children. He also recalled his deep love for chitlins and the trust and care required to prepare them properly. Goodwyn shared how cooking is a spiritual and healing act for him, and that returning to his hometown to purchase Carolina sausage remains a must-do tradition. He also described healing himself through making lentils with smoked pig parts on a cold, gray week. The two friends discussed family recipes—Mathis’s precise potato salad and Goodwyn’s rare, grated sweet potato pudding—as well as their shared reverence for prayer and ancestral presence before meals.
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Juanita Witherspoon
Specialty/Key Words: Washington D.C., Foodways, Church, Religion, Cooking, Tradition, Family, Faith, Resilience, Health, Spirituality, Community Connection, Storytelling, Home Cooking, Legacy
Interview Summary: Juanita Witherspoon was born and raised in Washington, D.C., where she still lives, worships, and raised her family. A longtime member of the church connected to Saints Paradise Cafeteria, she’s been attending for over 58 years and regularly eats there with her husband after services. Juanita values flavor and consistency and sticks to places she trusts. While not a big eater due to recent health issues, food still holds meaning in her life, especially when shared with loved ones. She learned to cook by watching her grandmother and godfather, who cooked for the church and hosted large family dinners. These oral traditions are now passed on to her children, who call her for guidance. Faith is central in Juanita’s life—she prays before meals, eats with her husband, and has written a book, There Is a Blessing in the Storm, about overcoming hardship. Her strength, spirituality, and storytelling reflect her deep connection to both food and community.
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Roland Proctor
Specialty/Key Words: Washington D.C., Community, Food and Memory, Traditions, Family, Cooking, Veterans, Health, Food Scarcity, Resilience, Thanksgiving, Generational Knowledge, Comfort Food
Interview Summary: Roland Proctor was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Aside from his time serving in Vietnam, he has lived in the area his entire life. His mother was originally from New York City, and his father from PG County. Roland shared reflections on how food connects people in D.C., especially given the high cost of living and widespread economic need. He emphasized food as a source of comfort and support in the community. While he doesn’t recall specific family recipes, he fondly remembered his mother’s creamed chipped beef and spoke about his own love of cooking. Roland highlighted Thanksgiving as a meaningful family tradition, recalling shared meals that included turkey, ham, cranberry sauce, and corn pudding—a creamy baked dish he particularly enjoys. He selected East Capitol Street as the location to place his interview on the project’s D.C. map.
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Sheila Jones
Specialty/Key Words: Washington D.C. Foodways, Community, Legacy, Food and Memory, Traditions, Family, Health, Healing, Resilience, Public Housing, Migration, Culture, Generational Knowledge, Cooking, Military, Physical Wellness
Interview Summary: Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Sheila Louis Jones is a lifelong resident whose family moved from Virginia nearly 70 years ago when her father was stationed at Andrews Air Force Base. Sheila spoke about growing up in Capitol Hill and later in public housing, where she said she learned a lot and had fun forming strong community bonds through sports and social activities. The interview took place at Saints Paradise Church in DC where Sheila discussed the importance of food in her community, including programs like Produce Plus and the role they play in connection and nourishment. She also shared memories of her mother’s homemade banana pudding and stories of her husband, a military cook, who loved preparing meals. Sheila described how food is part of her healing journey, including her current participation in a green-food cleanse inspired by the members of her dance community.
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Glen Pittman
Specialty/Key Words: Washington D.C., Foodways, Healing, Food Industry, Black Food Culture, Family, Holidays, Grilling, Remedies, Tradition, Community, Work and Food, Resilience, Heritage
Interview Summary: Glen Pittman was born and raised in Virginia and currently works in Washington, D.C., commuting daily from Fredericksburg. He has worked as a Food and Beverage Director at the Holiday Inn in NW DC for over two years. Though his physical home is in Virginia, D.C. plays a central role in his daily life and professional identity. Glen spoke about the importance of food in the Black community as a unifier and a cultural anchor. He emphasized how different styles and staple dishes help foster a shared sense of belonging. Holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas were significant in his household. His mother and older sisters were the primary cooks growing up, and as he got older, he and his siblings took on more responsibility in the kitchen. Grilling has become Glen’s personal specialty and a tradition he’s proud to continue. He also discussed the use of food and herbs for healing—specifically home remedies passed down through his family. Glen uses cloves for toothaches and turmeric when feeling ill, citing the value of old folk knowledge in everyday wellness.
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Akua Kouyate-Tate
“My family lived for 72 years in the area of DC known as Capitol Hill.”
How does food connect you with your community?
“Food as always been a communal experience for our family, extended family, friends and community. Food is a ritual for gathering together as well as welcoming visitors into our family and community circle. From weekly down home South Carolina style Sunday meal –a combination of breakfast and dinner-, to the annual holidays
and holy days Thanksgiving Day, Christian, Islamic and other spiritual celebrations. And as our spiritual practices and family expanded, South Carolina and Senegalese cuisine were staple meals, which meant that rice was in our culinary DNA.”
Dennis Wilson
“Short description of interview.”Everyday I cook for my family. Everyday is special.”
Do you have a family recipe you would honor us by sharing? If so, please share it below:
“Chicken: Spicy, jerk, curry and brown stew chicken.”
How does food connect you with your community?
“I sell food to my community.”
Amelia Govan
“My mother and Grandmother, who were born in Laurens, South Carolina, moved here in the 1930s along with other family members. My mother attended Dunbar High school and Howard University. I have lived in DC longer than any other place – since 1968 when I came here to attend Howard. We have a strong, continuing family connection to DC.”
What is one special family food tradition, and can you tell us a story about it? Why is it important to your family?
“My favorite family tradition is something we do when we gather for holidays. Once everyone has arrived, just before we serve our plates, we hold hands and someone (usually an elder that is present) says a prayer of thanks for the gathering and our Blessings. Often, if the gathering is during the Thanksgiving holiday, we also go around the circle and name one thing we are thankful for.”
Kimberly Smith
“Opportunity to gather with community members.”
What is one special family food tradition, and can you tell us a story about it? Why is it important to your family?
“Thanksgiving – we always had mac n cheese. Potato salad, greens, chitlins, pig feet. We all came together and ate food we aint supposed to have.”
Nelson Johnson
“All holidays are celebrated with food. It’s important who is making the mac n cheese.”
How do you use food for healing?
“I’m looking for healthy food, not fast food. When I was young I ate fast food. But now that I am wise, I know that food is life. I like natural, real food. I eat raw foods, and I fast as well. I am on veggies and no meat.”
Robert Harris
“Take the wrinkle out your belly. I dont eat too much meat so I am strong at 80.”
How does food connect you with your community?
“Im a soul man. When I grew up, I had two pieces of bacon, one egg and grits. sometimes rice. Some mornings- one piece of sausage, one egg. In evening, we had beans six days a week. No meat. Black eyed peas, lima, pinto, Great northern. On Saturdays we had pork n beans and hotdogs. On Sundays we had chicken. My daddy didnt believe in too much meat. My daddy would buy the chicken, and my mom would kill it and cook it. The process was communal.”
Andrea Jeter
“Remedies like garlic. Garlic helps with blood pressure.”
What is one special family food tradition, and can you tell us a story about it? Why is it important to your family?
“Thanksgiving and we all enjoy the mac n cheese. I am the designated mac n cheese chef for my family.”
Ronald Jackson
“Stuffing: sausage, shrimp, oysters, onions,”
What is one special family food tradition, and can you tell us a story about it? Why is it important to your family?
“Gloria’s Greens. My mother cooked greens and everybody came for that.”
Catherine Williams
“Greens heal me. Onions help me when I have a cold. Ginger is healing.”
What is one special family food tradition, and can you tell us a story about it? Why is it important to your family?
“Potato Salad: My brothers love my potato salad and that would bring the family together.”
Don Garland
“I support black owned businesses and I like soul food.”
What is one special family food tradition, and can you tell us a story about it? Why is it important to your family?
“Thanksgiving and Christmas and birthday- We celebrate each other. Gifts and food and cake and ice cream. Our forefathers passed down thanksgiving.”
Timothy McDaniel
“Food helps my mental health. Some people eat to live, some live to eat. A good cook helps.”
What is one special family food tradition, and can you tell us a story about it? Why is it important to your family?
“Last 35 years, we gather on Christmas eve, we all open at least one present. We have a meal to celebrate..”
Vanessee Burns
“Laughter can occur over food. You can push out the rest of the world.”
Do you have a family recipe you would honor us by sharing? If so, please share it below:
“Goolash: tomato base, meat of choice, peppers, onions, okra, add rice.”
Chrischeryl McDaniel
“Taking food to someone when their healing. Help someone overcome a sickness.”
What is one special family food tradition, and can you tell us a story about it? Why is it important to your family?
“Thanksgiving – for the last 25 years, we hosted thanksgiving for both sides of the family. We take a photo on the stair case. five generations on the staircase.”
Diane Randall
“I serve the same food I was raised on. I bless my community with the same food I was blessed with. I learned from my mom.”
What is one special family food tradition, and can you tell us a story about it? Why is it important to your family?
“Chicken connects my family. We would go to Alabama as a family and eat fried chicken. We would have a fresh chicken, boil it, and eat it as a family.”
Tracie Nelson
“Cooking a pork pot, making hash and liver pudding.”
How does food connect you with your community?
“I am always cooking and feeding my neighbors and church members.”
Bonita Evans
“Community involvement by working at the restaurant. Seeing and meeting lots of people.”
How do you use food for healing?
“Nutrition, physical, emotional, mental healing. Sharing, sitting together, taking food to someone.”
Pamela Pugh
“Healthy is very important in my family. I don’t like working out so my eating habits are important. I stay away from fats, sugars. I love foods from other cultures. Snacking healthy.”
What is one special family food tradition, and can you tell us a story about it? Why is it important to your family?
“Soul food, leave it to the older generations to teach us. My grandmother is the lead mac n cheese cook. Learn from the older generations.”
Angela Anderson
“The kitchen is a safe place for my family. The kitchen is the place where I provide nourishment, healing, counseling, help with homework, and the central hub or meeting place for our family.”
How do you use food for healing?
“I use food for by ensuring it’s nutritious. I cook 5 sometimes 6 times a week. This ensures I know what my family is putting in their bodies. I truly believe we are what we eat. I stress the importance of variety, eating the rainbow and trying new foods from different cultures. I know ginger, turmeric, honey, cinnamon, mint, and many other herbs and spices have medicinal properties. Especially as a daughter of an immigrant where my palate is used to flavor and spice. We must train our children to understand healthy means tasty too. We also must find a way to push the idea of food and community. It shouldn’t cost more to eat healthy. As a community, we should learn to grow, cultivate and share our knowledge of healthy eating and goods to be fruitful together.”
Carolyn Graham
“It’s a social gathering. People love to eat and communicate and enjoy each other. It’s a social opportunity.”
What is one special family food tradition, and can you tell us a story about it? Why is it important to your family?
“Thanksgiving – everybody gets together, coming from out of town, to socialize, all over food. We have a family food tradition of turkey.”
Velgene Eastman
“Food is a part of life. This is my church- we eat together at church.”
Do you have a family recipe you would honor us by sharing? If so, please share it below:
“Sweet potato pie: lemon juice, milk, butter, sweet potato, cinnamon, sugar, crust”
Regina Williams
“Mac n Cheese: noodles, flour, eggs, butter, cheese.”
How do you use food for healing?
“You need nourishment when you are weak. Stress eating is not good. I eat salads, tuna instead of greasy/fried foods. Fruits and veggies, water.”