Free 'A Taste of Soul' event to celebrate Black culture through food — and more

Organizers behind the free tasting exhibit this weekend in Port Huron said the event isn’t just about celebrating the African and soul food enjoyed by the Black community — it’s about the story behind it.

“It’s about the heritage (and) history … but also the African American and Black culture that’s enriched through soul food,” said Alphonso Amos, of Black Lives Matter Port Huron, one of several organizations the Blue Water Area’s joint Black History Month event, “A Taste of Soul.”

“For me, I’m excited because instead of just talking to people about oppression or sharing the stories of the Civil Rights Movement or reconstruction, it’s going to give people a physical experience,” Amos said. “We’ll have some storytellers, we’ll have some visual aids that people can read, and then, they’ll get to taste the food.

“So, my hope is it tingles their senses and takes them back to either the dining room table with their grandparents or even some items that people may not have tried that might’ve been dishes made through slavery.”

The event is set for noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Port Huron Museum’s Carnegie Center, 1115 Sixth St. It’s being held in partnership with the NAACP Port Huron branch, SCCORE, the Community Foundation of St. Clair County, and St. Clair County Organized Recreation for Everyone, or SCCORE.

Kevin Watkins, local NAACP president, said this year’s plans differ from past Black History Months, particularly last year when, amid the local NAACP’s centennial, a different event was scheduled every weekend — each spearheaded by a different organization.

This year, instead, he said the “joint venture” would introduce more ethnic foods, including from some local providers, caterers, and restaurants, to residents and preview a niche that’s missing in the area.

“There’s no one (what you may) call like a soul food restaurant that highlights African American food with recipes from the deep south,” Watkins said, referring to the variety of restaurants in the Port Huron area. “ … That’s a cuisine that we think would be a pleasure to the palates of the residents here in St. Clair County. We wanted to bring that here for them. And of course, we thought that should be a free event.”

Despite the no-cost admission, registration for the free event is required.

When asked about favorite foods they expected to be shared Saturday, both Amos and Watkins were ready with a list.

“We’ll start the journey in Africa, so we will have some jollof rice and some dodo, which is like a sweet plantain over in Nigeria,” Amos said. “We’ll have some amazing soul food like mac and cheese and fired chicken, some fried cabbage. There’ll be some collard and hot-water cornbread. There’ll be some barbecue.”

Amos said that “A Taste of Soul” will feature “the musical and entertainment aspect of the culture, as well,” with an appearance from the Metro Soul Band and an African drum and dance group from the Omowale Cultural Society.

Because the event is being held at the Carnegie Center, Watkins added that he hoped it’d be a good opportunity for people to check out the museum exhibit, “From Whence We Came,” which first opened two years ago. Veronica Campbell, the museum’s executive director, said they, too, hoped to encourage “people to come through the museum,” emphasizing its celebration of local Black history.

To pick a time slot and register for the event, visit the Eventbrite page for “A Taste of Soul: Free Tasting Exhibit” under Port Huron Museums.

Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jackie20Smith.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Free 'A Taste of Soul' event to celebrate Black culture through food