'Eating While Black' addresses the power embedded in foodways and culture

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"One of the reasons I wrote 'Eating While Black' is that everyday people were deciding that they had the power to make decisions and tell other people how to live their culinary lives," says Professor Psyche A. Williams-Forson. Photo by Kevin Harris Photography.

Sustainability typically refers to agricultural practices, but culture needs to be sustainable as well. When it comes to food culture in the Black community, cultural transmission, belonging, homemaking, and survival have historically come up against scarcity, control, and shaming. Psyche A. Williams-Forson tackles these issues with her new book, "Eating While Black," which won a book award in the Food Issues and Advocacy category.


"Eating While Black" confronts the surveillance and scrutiny Black people often face in the United States. Photo courtesy of the University of North Carolina Press.