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 Southern culture, recounting memories of her mother’s cooking—particularly her homemade wine and fruitcake, affectionately called “drunk cake” due to the rum she added. The wine would ferment over the summer and be ready by Thanksgiving, when family would gather to enjoy it along with stories of the South. Zenola fondly described the generosity of Southern hospitality, where food was a constant expression of love: “You go home, you eat.” She ended by expressing gratitude for the chance to share her memories.