Robert King was first sent to Angola Prison at the age of 18. King, along with Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace, became known as the Angola 3 and they collectively spent more than 100 years in solitary confinement at the Louisiana State Penitentiary before their convictions were overturned.
In 1961, King was sent to Angola, where he found himself trapped in a modern system of subjugation. He tells podcast host, journalist, and food historian Jessica Gingrich that his grandmother cut sugarcane in Gonzales, Louisiana for less than $1 a day. Decades later, King found himself doing the same work just 75 miles away for only two and half cents an hour. King survived 31 years in prison, 29 of which he spent in solitary confinement.
In her reporting for Heritage Public Radio, Jessica Gingrich shares how food became a powerful tool for King's resistance and resilience.
This weekend marks the two-year anniversary of Albert Woodfox's passing. Robert King is currently raising funds for the Angola 3 Legacy Center.
Good Food would like to thank Jessica Gingrich for her reporting, hosting, and producing on this episode as well as Meat + Three host and executive producer Taylor Early and Heritage Radio Network for sharing this story with our audience.