Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, BSB Media will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All content is curated by editors of BSB Media..

Decoration Day Show – Use code BSB for $10 Discount
Shop Now
Gullah Spirituals – by Eric Sean Crawford (Paperback)
Gullah Geechee Home Cooking: Recipes from the Matriarch of Edisto Island
Gullah Spirit: The Art of Jonathan Green
Drew Rose Designs Ceramic Woven Trim Planter
Set of 4 Woven Striped Placemats – Frontgate
Woven Bamboo Placemats, Set of 4 By Anthropologie in Blue Size SET OF 4
Arthur Court Designs Sea Horse Twisted Seagrass Placemats – set of 4
35″” x 35″” Juneteenth by Synthia Saint James Canvas Art Print – Masterpiece Art Gallery
Yaheetech Set of 2 Weave Arm Chair Mid-Century Metal Dining Chair Y-Shaped Backrest Hemp Seat, Black
Handmade Gullah Sweetgrass Drink Coasters . Traditional Hand Crafted Folk Art . Natural Woven Home Decor . Made in the USA
Sweetgrass Kite Earring
Quilted Patchwork Cotton Throw Blanket – Indigo Blue Shibori Dye Indian Decorative Super Soft & Warm Blanket for Sofa and Couch 50 x 60 Inches
Woven Wicker Rattan Wall Decor, Round Seagrass Boho Kitchen Decor, Minimalist Rattan Chargers & Placemats for Dining Table & Wall Art, Rattan Wall Decorative Basket
Mud Pie Rattan Serving Utensils
ColorBird Stripe Tassel Tablecloth Cotton Linen Dust-Proof Table Cover for Kitchen Dinning Tabletop Decoration (Rectangle/Oblong, 55 x 120Inch, Blue)
carol&frank Josie Indigo Pillow
Finnhomy Sideboard Buffet Cabinet, Kitchen Storage Cabinet with Rattan Decorated Doors
Kouboo 1110141 Manhattan 2-Tier Console, Natural Rattan End Table, Brown
‘Inspirations’ Sheer Scarf by Jonathan Green
Lowcountry Rice Culture Note Cards
‘Inspirations’ Note Cards by Jonathan Green
‘Southern Imagery’ Notecards by Jonathan Green
Willow Row Multi Colored Ceramic Coastal Decorative Jar – Set of 2
Stratton Home Reddish Brown Tulum Woven Lantern Stand
Safavieh Noely Coastal Writing Desk
Lenox Watercolor Horizons Microwave Safe Blue 12-Pc. Dinnerware Set, Service for 4, Created for Macy’s
Estaugh Ikat Black/Gray Indoor / Outdoor Area Rug Union Rustic Rug Size: Rectangle 8′ x 11′
Set of 4 Natalya Ikat Stripe Placemats Gray – Ballard Designs
Suzanne Kasler Greek Key Sham – Ballard Designs
Doric Upholstered Wingback Arm Chair Red Barrel Studio Body Fabric: Skylar Antique Blue
Goddesses by Synthia SAINT JAMES Canvas Wall Art 3 Piece
Whitewash Wood Draped Bead 4 Light Chandelier by World Market
MASTER PIECE LESSONS GULLAH ISLANDS WALL ART, 35X35
GULLAH CUISINE: BY LAND AND BY SEA
GULLAH HOME COOKING THE DAUFUSKIE WAY: SMOKIN’ JOE BUTTER BEANS, OL’ ‘FUSKIE FRIED CRAB RICE, STICKY-BUSH BLACKBERRY DUMPLING, AND OTHER SEA ISLAND FAVORITES (PAPERBACK)
MAMA DOONK’S GULLAH RECIPES (PAPERBACK)
GULLAH IMAGES: THE ART OF JONATHAN GREEN
GROWING UP GULLAH IN THE LOWCOUNTRY (PAPERBACK)
GULLAH GEECHEE HERITAGE IN THE GOLDEN ISLES (PAPERBACK)
AFRICAN AMERICAN LIFE IN THE GEORGIA LOWCOUNTRY: THE ATLANTIC WORLD AND THE GULLAH GEECHEE (RACE IN THE ATLANTIC WORLD, 1700–1900 SER.)
MASTER PIECE JOOK JOINT GULLAH ISLANDS WALL ART, 35X35
G IS FOR GULLAH
BLACK BORDER : GULLAH STORIES OF THE CAROLINA COAST
GULLAH NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS (HARDCOVER)
MY KIND OF NET ART PRINT BY GULLAH LIVING SERIES BY SAMANTHA CLAAR – X-LARGE
35″ X 35″ GULLAH GEECHEE CONJURE WOMAN BY SYNTHIA SAINT JAMES CANVAS ART PRINT – MASTERPIECE ART GALLERY
RING SHOUT GULLAH ISLANDS – UNFRAMED PRINT ON CANVAS WORLD MENAGERIE
TALKING TO THE DEAD : RELIGION, MUSIC, AND LIVED MEMORY AMONG GULLAH/GEECHEE WOMEN
GULLAH CULTURE IN AMERICA (PAPERBACK)
MASTER PIECE GATHERING GULLAH ISLANDS WALL ART, 30X40
GULLAH DAYS: HILTON HEAD ISLANDERS BEFORE THE BRIDGE 1861-1956
THE JOHN HOPE FRANKLIN AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE: MAKING GULLAH: A HISTORY OF SAPELO ISLANDERS, RACE, AND THE AMERICAN IMAGINATION (PAPERBACK)
MASTER PIECE CHASING SENSE GULLAH ISLANDS WALL ART, 35X35

Recap: 2019 James Beard Foundation Awards Yields More Firsts for African Americans

Recap: 2019 James Beard Foundation Awards Yields More Firsts for African Americans

They are called the “Oscars” of the culinary industry, and this year’s series of James Beard Foundation Awards programming were filled with pageantry and glamour, including a red carpet event. Unlike last year, there were not as many black winners, but the wins were every bit as exciting and significant with more firsts.

Photo of Jessica B. Harris

On Friday, April 26, the JBFA Media Awards took place in New York City and hosted by Tyra Banks. The winner of the Book Award in the American Cooking category was Between Harlem and Heaven: Afro-Asian-American Cooking for Big Nights, Weeknights, and Every Day by JJ Johnson and Alexander Smalls with Veronica Chambers (Flatiron Books). Chef Marcus Samuelsson won a Broadcast Media Award for Outstanding Personality for his PBS series, No Passport Required. And author, culinary historian Jessica B. Harris was inducted into the JBFA Cookbook Hall of Fame, following Edna Lewis’ induction in 2003.

Veronica Chambers, Alexander Smalls, JJ Johnson

JBFA’s big night was on Monday, May 6 in Chicago. Live-streamed via the Beard Foundation’s site and on Twitter, the awards show was hosted by ABC’s Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Ferguson was entertaining and unapologetically a fan of the culinary superstars in the room. While a few of his jokes fell flat on the audience, he managed to keep the awards show flowing and lively until its very end.

Advertisement

The first winner of the evening was Kwame Onwuachi who was named Rising Star Chef. Onwuachi is the executive chef of Kith and Kin in Washington, DC, and a recent author (Notes from a Young Black Chef: A Memoir). Those are just a few of his accomplishments as a chef under the age of 30. Onwuachi delivered a heartfelt acceptance speech crediting his chef-caterer mother for setting an example for him as a child. The first black Rising Star Chef was Marcus Samuelsson in 1999. Onwuachi is the first African American chef to win the honor. Samuelsson was not a U.S. citizen in 1999.  

Mashama Bailey

The moment Mashama Baileys name was called for Best Chef Southeast the audience erupted in cheers and loud applause. Last year, Bailey was a finalist but Rodney Scott of Rodney Scott’s BBQ in Charleston, SC won the category. In her acceptance speech, Bailey, executive chef, The Grey in Savannah GA called the late Edna Lewis her mentor and credited everyone from her parents to her business partner to her restaurant’s dishwasher for her success. Bailey is the first black woman to win Best Chef Southeast region.

Last but not least, Geeta and Noel Brown’s A&A Bake & Double and Roti Shop in Brooklyn, New York were honored with the America’s Classics award.

Advertisement

Over the weekend, JBFA awarded Leadership Awards to three African Americans: Leah Penniman, Cornelius Blanding, and Amin Steel. Native American chef Sean Sherman was named a leader as well.

The James Beard Foundation Awards began in 1990, and has a young history. The first African American woman to receive a JBFA was the late Vertamae Grosvenor in 1996 for her NPR radio program. The late Patrick Clark was the first African American to win a JBFA of any kind, as well as the first African American to win a JBFA for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic in 1994. The bulk of black winners have received awards in the America’s Classics category. Between 1990 and 2017, the wins were sporadic though important. However, in 2018, black culinarians were a part of a major JBFA shift that awarded 11 out of sixteen of its big awards to women and people of color.  Perhaps in the years to come, JBFA will continue to acknowledge and appreciate the diversity of food and hospitality people who also uphold a colorblind standard of excellence in the industry. To review a full list of 2019 winners, visit the JBF site.

Robin Caldwell

Robin Caldwell is the blogger behind freshandfriedhard.com and academic researcher focusing on Black history, heritage and culture. Public historian primarily in Black American historical foodways: antebellum and regional.

Advertisement

More Posts

Follow Me:
TwitterFacebook

1

Comments

comments

Advertisement
Follow:
Robin Caldwell

Robin Caldwell is the blogger behind freshandfriedhard.com and academic researcher focusing on Black history, heritage and culture. Public historian primarily in Black American historical foodways: antebellum and regional.

Find me on: Twitter/X | Instagram | Facebook

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

Shares