Recently, BCAGlobal joined with sponsors Hobart, Sabra, Damascus Bakery, and Deep Eddy Vodka to host a virtual event highlighting the roles of race and social justice in the culinary world and food system. The Virtual Conversation and Fundraiser featured speakers from across the United States, including chefs, businesspeople, and public health experts.
BCAGlobal was founded in 1998 as the Black Culinarian Association. The organization advocates for career development opportunities for Black and African American culinary, food service, and hospitality management professionals.
The goal of the event was to engage the audience in solutions that lead to equity and a vibrant community. “Community building is based on deep conversations that need to happen across the color spectrum,” BCAGlobal CEO Alex Askew told Food Tank. “We have a window of opportunity right now to form powerful collectives – Black, Brown, White all need to be engaged to empower tomorrow and build vibrant communities.”
The event included three panel discussions on Culinary Volunteerism and Social Impact, Barriers to Communication in the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Food Community, and Food, Race, and Climate Change. There was also a spotlight conversation with Chef Njathi Kabui of Sparkroot Farm in Moncure, North Carolina and a game of Food Justice Jeopardy hosted by Askew.
Photo courtesy of Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
