Museum of Food & Drink to Present African/American: Making the Nation’s Table, Feb. 2022 at The Africa Center
The Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD) will open its newest exhibition, African/American: Making the Nation’s Table on February 2, 2022, in the newly-constructed space at The Africa Center at Aliko Dangote Hall. The exhibition will be on view until June 19, 2022.
Photo Credit: Museum of Food and Drink
Curated by Dr. Jessica B. Harris, widely considered the world’s foremost expert on the foods of the African Diaspora, and hosted in partnership with The Africa Center, African/American will be the country’s first exhibition celebrating the countless Black chefs, farmers, and food and drink producers who have laid the foundation for American food culture — recognition that is long overdue.
Anchoring African/American
Johnson Publishing Co Test Kitchen photo (Credit – Lee Bey Architectural Photography)
Tickets for MOFAD’s African/American at The Africa Center will be available for purchase on January 4, 2022 at mofad.org. Media previews and African/American public programming will be announced in January 2022.
“For the very first time, we’ll delve into the many ways African Americans have been at the core of the American culinary experience through a multimedia, interactive exhibition,” said Nazli Parvizi, MOFAD President. “It’s a story that has longed to be told in this way, and there is no better place to tell it than at The Africa Center where the contributions of African people and those of African descent to world are recognized and celebrated, right here in New York City.”
“In every corner of the globe, African customs have permeated societies, often in unknown or unacknowledged ways,” said Uzodinma Iweala, CEO of The Africa Center. “We are excited that African/American will premiere at The Africa Center, and that visitors will engage with the many African food traditions found in American cuisine right here in Harlem, the place known around the world for the vibrancy, rich flavors, and dynamism of the African American cultural experience.”
With its opening significantly delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, MOFAD has sought to provide free, digital experiences related to African/American to online audiences, including:
Explore the Legacy Quilt at legacyquiltproject.mofad.
Chef Leah Chase (Credit Museum of Food and Drink)
Manna Bernoon (Credit Museum of Food and Drink)
Nearest Green (Credit Museum of Food and Drink)
Norbert Rilleaux (Credit Museum of Food and Drink)
Freda DeKnight (Credit Museum of Food and Drink)
James Hemings (Credit Museum of Food and Drink)
Lillian Harris Dean (Credit Museum of Food and Drink)
Anthony Johnson (Credit Museum of Food and Drink)
Thomas Downing (Credit Museum of Food and Drink)
Enslaved Rice Farmers (Credit Museum of Food and Drink)
MAPPING THE NATION’S TABLE: The African American Legacy Foodways Project
This ongoing digital project crowdsources the many Black food and drink businesses across the country. Half of the entries are Legacy businesses: these farms, restaurants, and stores have been in operation for 50 years or longer and are still serving communities today. Business owners are encouraged to submit their establishments to the map.
For more information, visit mofad.org.
Featured Image Credit: Museum of Food and Drink
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