39 research outputs found
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Don’t Call it a Comeback, We’ve Been Here for Years: Reintroducing the African Diaspora Archaeology Newsletter
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Gender and Resistance at North Bend Plantation: The Beginnings of an Interdisciplinary Study of an Enslaved Community
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The Thread: Reflections on #Blacklivesmatter and 21st Century Racial Dynamics
Bound to the Fire
For decades, smiling images of Aunt Jemima and other historical and fictional black cooks could be found on various food products and in advertising. Although these images were sanitized and romanticized in American popular culture, they represented the untold stories of enslaved men and women who had a significant impact on the nation\u27s culinary and hospitality traditions, even as they were forced to prepare food for their oppressors.
Kelley Fanto Deetz draws upon archaeological evidence, cookbooks, plantation records, and folklore to present a nuanced study of the lives of enslaved plantation cooks from colonial times through emancipation and beyond. She reveals how these men and women were literally bound to the fire as they lived and worked in the sweltering and often fetid conditions of plantation house kitchens. These highly skilled cooks drew upon knowledge and ingredients brought with them from their African homelands to create complex, labor-intensive dishes. However, their white owners overwhelmingly received the credit for their creations. Deetz restores these forgotten figures to their rightful place in American and Southern history by uncovering their rich and intricate stories and celebrating their living legacy with the recipes that they created and passed down to future generations.
Historical archaeologist and historian Kelley Fanto Deetz is the Vice President of Collections and Public Engagement at Stratford Hall in Stratford, Virginia. Deetz, formerly a professional chef, is a contributor to The Routledge History of Food, The Birth of a Nation: Nat Turner and the Making of a Movement, and Tanya Holland\u27s California Soul: Recipes from a Culinary Journey West. Her work has appeared in National Geographic History, Audible\u27s The Great Courses, and various podcasts.https://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_cr/1005/thumbnail.jp
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Historic Black Lives Matter: Archaeology as Activism in the 21st Century
May 19, 2015 would have been Malcolm X’s 90th birthday, and fifty years after his assassination we are still dealing with the ghosts of slavery, Jim Crow, and the manifestations of institutionalized racism. While much progress was made from the Civil Rights Movement, we still have far to go. This past year brought the topics of slavery, civil rights, and racism back into the mainstream. These stories are not new for those of us who work tirelessly to chronicle these historical and contemporary narratives in an attempt to educate the public about Black history. The “New Civil Rights Movement” launched with #Blacklivesmatter campaigns and has drawn international attention to our long and shameful history of racism and violence in the United States. The recent anniversaries offer a revived platform for the “perfect storm” to discuss race and repair. This issue and the current trajectory of ADAN are dedicated to race, archaeology, and activism. Issue 1 is co-authored by Kelley Deetz (Issue 1 ADAN Editor) and Guest Editors Ellen Chapman and Ana Edwards. The Full Issue is in one PDF and contains the articles, commentary and media links related to preservation efforts in Richmond, Virginia
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When Her Thousand Chimneys Smoked: Virginia's Enslaved Cooks and Their Kitchens
This dissertation is an interdisciplinary study of Virginia's enslaved plantation cooks that seeks to advance our understanding of their contributions to Virginia's rich cultural traditions. By examining the archaeological record, material culture, cultural landscapes, folklore, written records, and racialized and gendered spaces this study uncovers the hidden voices of the men and women who cooked for their enslavers. Enslaved cooks were highly skilled, trained, and professional, creating meals that made Virginia known for its cuisine and hospitality. They were at the core of Virginia's domesticity and culinary pride as well as the center of the plantation community. Archaeological and historical records reveal the centrality of the cook's role and the material culture exemplifies how cooks created a Black landscape within a white world, and were able to share this unique space with the larger enslaved population. This study also explores the memory of enslaved cooks and their legacy in American culture
Recommended from our members
When Her Thousand Chimneys Smoked: Virginia's Enslaved Cooks and Their Kitchens
This dissertation is an interdisciplinary study of Virginia's enslaved plantation cooks that seeks to advance our understanding of their contributions to Virginia's rich cultural traditions. By examining the archaeological record, material culture, cultural landscapes, folklore, written records, and racialized and gendered spaces this study uncovers the hidden voices of the men and women who cooked for their enslavers. Enslaved cooks were highly skilled, trained, and professional, creating meals that made Virginia known for its cuisine and hospitality. They were at the core of Virginia's domesticity and culinary pride as well as the center of the plantation community. Archaeological and historical records reveal the centrality of the cook's role and the material culture exemplifies how cooks created a Black landscape within a white world, and were able to share this unique space with the larger enslaved population. This study also explores the memory of enslaved cooks and their legacy in American culture
Recommended from our members
Historic Black Lives Matter
May 19, 2015 would have been Malcolm X’s 90th birthday, and fifty years after his assassination we are still dealing with the ghosts of slavery, Jim Crow, and the manifestations of institutionalized racism. While much progress was made from the Civil Rights Movement, we still have far to go. This past year brought the topics of slavery, civil rights, and racism back into the mainstream. These stories are not new for those of us who work tirelessly to chronicle these historical and contemporary narratives in an attempt to educate the public about Black history. The “New Civil Rights Movement” launched with #Blacklivesmatter campaigns and has drawn international attention to our long and shameful history of racism and violence in the United States. The recent anniversaries offer a revived platform for the “perfect storm” to discuss race and repair. This issue and the current trajectory of ADAN are dedicated to race, archaeology, and activism. Issue 1 is co-authored by Kelley Deetz (Issue 1 ADAN Editor) and Guest Editors Ellen Chapman and Ana Edwards. The Full Issue is in one PDF and contains the articles, commentary and media links related to preservation efforts in Richmond, Virginia