Tag: Tradition
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Jamaal Moncur
Dr. Jamaal Moncur is a renowned herbalist and natural medicine practitioner from Cat Island, Bahamas. Raised in a community rich with traditional knowledge, Dr. Moncur has dedicated his life to preserving and sharing the medicinal wisdom. He was mentored by the world-famous herbalist Dr. Sebi and has studied at various institutions, including the Kingdom College Read more
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Ian & Ivan Cleare
Ian and Ivan Cleare are dedicated farmers who combine traditional Lucayan and African farming techniques with local adaptations to thrive in their new environment. They use a mix of traditional tools such as machetes and pickaxes, alongside modern equipment like chainsaws, to manage their farm effectively. Their farming practices are deeply rooted in both inherited Read more
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Daisy Mae Hunter
Daisy Mae Hunter is a farmer, crafter, and specialist for knowledge on bush medicine. The research team first conducted their interview with Ms. Hunter at the Rollezz. Ms. Hunter described the bush medicine available on Cat Island and her role in sharing information throughout the community. Ms. Hunter also spoke about food traditions in her Read more
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Julian Russell
Julian Russell is a Rake-and-Scrape musician with his own band and the owner of Da Smoke Pot, which serves traditional Bahamian food. Julian and his band performed for us, using traditional Rake-and-Scrape instruments: saws, screwdrivers, drums, guitar, and other miscellaneous objects. Julian gave us all the chance to play the saw with the screwdriver. Julian Read more
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Rita King
Rita King is the wife of Garth King, and the couple lives together on the land of Mr. King’s ancestors. Ms. King was born in Costa Rica, but came to Cat Island on a teaching contract almost two decades ago. When half of the research team viewed Mr. King’s property, the other half stayed behind Read more
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Harrison King
Harrison King holds a variety of roles on Cat Island including farmer, hotel and restaurant owner, bus driver, housing plan drafter, and pastor. The research team, alongside Yvonne and Margaret Rolle, arrived at Mr. King’s restaurant and were hosted for a meal of traditional Bahamian foods sourced from Mr. King’s farm. Afterwards, the research team Read more
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Christopher Stubbs
Mr. Christopher Stubbs is a versatile and esteemed individual from Cat Island, Bahamas, with a diverse background and extensive contributions to his community. His life’s journey includes roles as a farmer, landowner, teacher, commissioner, and police officer. Born and raised in a time when modern medical facilities were scarce, Mr. Stubbs grew up witnessing the Read more
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Garth King
Garth King, a former educator on various islands throughout The Bahamas, now farms on the land that used to belong to his grandmother. Mr. King lives with his wife, Rita King, who immigrated from Costa Rica. The research team received a tour of the Kings’ property which includes a pond with turtles, a prospective museum, Read more
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Mary Dash
Mary Dash shared joyful memories of fishing trips in South Carolina, recounting a childhood moment when her fear of crossing a log over a pond led her mother to come back and help her. That day ended with her catching about six fish—mainly catfish and croakers. She also remembered another special day when a woman Read more
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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 Read more
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Loretta Spears
Loretta Spears reflected on her upbringing in Washington, D.C., where a strong sense of community—what she called “the village”—defined her childhood. Neighbors looked out for one another, and if a child misbehaved, someone would quickly step in with a firm, “I know your mama.” Loretta described a time when the entire community would come together Read more
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Zenola Robertson
Zenola Robertson shared her deep familial and cultural ties to South Carolina, specifically St. Stephens, where her mother Iness was from. She reflected on traveling back and forth between South Carolina and other places, recognizing names like Santee, Sumter, and Moncks Corner from family stories. Zenola emphasized the strong sense of unity around food in Read more
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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.” Read more
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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.” Read more
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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.” Read more
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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 Read more
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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.” Read more
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Group Interview: Tim Hall, Luke Blackwell, James Birth, Phyllis Metts, Janice Barnes
Tim Hall, Luke Blackwell, James Birth, Phyllis Metts, and Janice Barnes participated in a group interview led by Anita Gonzalez which explores how food functions in Black communities in Washington, D.C. as a source of health, healing, heritage, and connection. Janice Barnes opened by sharing her family’s generational history with high blood pressure and how Read more
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Margaret Weusi
Margaret Weusi, originally from Trinidad and Tobago, shares how food has always been a central part of her life, growing up in a large family of 13 siblings where nothing went to waste. Upon moving to the U.S., she found it unusual to see leftovers and had to adapt by recreating Caribbean dishes with available Read more
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Carlton Tucker
Carlton Tucker shared vivid memories of his childhood, shaped by the foods he was surrounded by and the labor that came with them. He humorously recalled refusing to eat tomatoes, and how his grandfather owned a mango grove where he and his cousin were made to climb trees to pick the fruit. That experience left Read more
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Stene Johnson
Stene Johnson reflected on her upbringing in Sumter, South Carolina, where self-sufficiency and community were a way of life. She recalled that there was no need for grocery stores—families grew their own food and shared it generously. Visitors were always welcomed to eat, usually outside under the trees, since there was no air conditioning. These Read more
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Glen Pittman
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 Read more
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Sunithi Selvaraj
Sunithi Selvaraj, affectionately known as Sue, is a registered dietitian and nutritionist who began working with Model Cities in April 2023. Originally a consultant, she quickly fell in love with the vibrant senior community and transitioned into a full-time role as their nutrition educator. Sue leads weekly programs that include cooking demonstrations—often taught by the Read more
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Jennifer Rickerby
Jennifer Rickerby shared heartfelt memories of learning to cook from her mother, who taught her and her siblings cherished family recipes like curry chicken, oxtail, rice and peas with grated coconut, and rum cake. Cooking was a long process of observation and patience—Jennifer joked that she was “in training for 100 years” before being allowed Read more
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Juanita Witherspoon
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 Read more
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Charles Warner, Nathaniel Trott, & Dwight Henry
Nathaniel Trott, Charles Warner, and Dwight Henry shared their experiences growing up and reflecting on their community’s history. They discuss the legacy of segregation and integration, the schools they grew up attending together. Nathaniel reflected on his time as a saxophonist, recalling performances like playing the national anthem at school events. Charles also shared stories Read more
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Carroll Cooper
Carroll Cooper, born and raised in the Wittman area on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, shared stories about his family’s rich history, dating back to the Civil War and slavery. His great-great-grandmother, who was enslaved, famously walked 27 miles to Easton to verify that slavery had ended. Carroll’s ancestors worked on nearby plantations and were linked to Read more
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Nathaniel Trott
Nathaniel Trott, born and raised in McDaniel Maryland where he now lives again, shared insights about life growing up in a time of self-sufficiency and tight-knit family bonds. The interview highlights food preservation techniques such as canning sausages and curing pig feet, as well as the practice of storing potatoes in the ground to survive Read more
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Walter Black
Walter Black, born in Salisbury, Maryland, is a key figure in the civil rights movement, particularly known for his role in the 1962 Riverside Park Pool protest in Baltimore. Raised in McDaniel, Maryland, he became actively involved in the desegregation efforts as the executive director of the Maryland State Conference of the NAACP. In 1962, Read more
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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.” Read more
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Group interview: Godwin Bell, Sheila Gibbs, and Stanley Lemon
This group conversation, led by Anita Gonzalez, explores the role of food in Black cultural resilience, healing, and community-building. Participants reflect on their personal food journeys, including Stanley Lemon, who moved from South Carolina and found comfort and community through soul food in Washington, D.C. He shares how changing his diet and biking helped him Read more
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Group Interview: Velgene Eastman, Ora Roberts, Kimberly Smith, and Janice Barnes
This group interview with Velgene Eastman, Ora Roberts, Kimberly Smith, and Janice Barnes took place at the United House of Prayer in Washington, DC. The conversation centered around the significance of food in Black communities, particularly its role in spiritual grounding, cultural preservation, and family connection. The women reflected on the joyful reactions of patrons Read more
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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 Read more
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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.” Read more
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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 Read more
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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 Read more
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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 Read more
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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 Read more