Growing Rice: A Migration Story from Seed to Plate

Rice around the world is thought of as Asian. But rice is just as African as it is Asian. Oryza glaberrima was cultivated from wild rice that needed humans when the Sahara was drying. That knowledge fueled the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade where Africans were brought west. Rice dominated the United States and particularly South Carolina for two hundred years by these African slaves. When Black culture migrated north, Harlem became its capital. A mecca where traditions could be preserved and human rights championed. Spend an evening learning about rice with curator and historian Savona Bailey-McClain, JJ Johnson, chef of rice restaurant FieldTrip, and rice farmer Nfamara Badjie. Learn how the culture of rice has impacted Black culture as we trace its roots from Africa and the Caribbean to the American South. After the discussion guests will enjoy a scrumptious rice dish prepared by celebrity chef JJ Johnson and a cocktail courtesy of Plantation Rum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om87CS22eKk&t=318s

Moderator - Savona Bailey-McClain

Chef JJ Johnson

Author Michael Twitty

Rice Farmer Nfamara Badje