Celebrating Food in the African-American Culture

Our month-long celebration of African-American history is the fruit of Carter G. Woodson’s effort, calling for the first one-week observance in 1926. He wrote, “If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.”

Every people have traditions, and food is a major part of ours. Not only does everyone need food, but we enjoy it too. In the African-American or Black community whatever the occasion, food is there; fellowship and food go hand-in-hand. Ecclesiastes 9:7 says that we are to eat food with gladness, and drink our wine with a merry heart… There is so much diversity that we never know what might be served up on the menu at any given time. Let us not forget there is variety in preparation: fried, baked, boiled, grilled, canned, specialty preparations, stewed, and more. Due to the African-American historical experience, many of our traditional dishes may have been based on how food was prepared in Africa, on many of the islands, and of Native Americans. Bless God every day for the provision of food:

God is great.

God is good.

Let us thank Him for our food.

By His hands we all are fed.

Give us Lord, our daily bread.

Give us Lord, our daily bread.

Amen.