Programming

The word "gumbo" comes from the West African word "ki ngombo", which literally translates into the word okra. In fact, in African American gumbo traditions, okra is a key ingredient no matter what version you make, with or without a Louisiana "roux".  In Marion Riggs' 1994 film, "Black is, Black Ain't", gumbo, the soup, becomes a metaphor for exploring Black life as rich in texture, a labor of love, varying in heat and flavor, and comforting to the body.  This understanding of gumbo as both a West African vegetable, a one pot soup dish to describe southwestern food culture, and a metaphor for Black lives deeply informs the way we might think about the creolization of culture.  Originally a concept offered up by Aimé Césaire and other Caribbean writers and intellectuals in the Negritude movement, creolization describes adaptations made by Africans in a displaced diaspora who came by way of "Maafa" to the new world, seeking to hold on the mother tongues, foods, folktales, religion and names.  Black folks were not destroyed by the middle passage.  In fact, they survived, fought back, and created a rich cultural, tradition that took the old ways to create something new.  Much like the invention of Hip Hop, Gumbo is a food pathway equivalent, reminding us that American foods are deeply rooted in African food pathways.  This year, we explore the food pathways, people, and histories that make Gumbo possible.  And, we invite you to join us in this delicious quest to go back to our roots in order to understand our current world, and the fragrant futures cooking in tomorrow's kitchen.  Join us for the Gumbo: The Creolization of a People's Culture(s) and Food(s).