JAMES HEMINGS manumission / FREEDOM DAY FEB 5TH
We may not know James Hemings (1765-1801) specific birthday but we do know his freedom date:
On Feb 5th 1796, America’s first classically trained chef de cuisine, enslaved / owned by Thomas Jefferson, received his manumission deed (freedom papers). See those documents in the slide show above as well as at the end of this :30 second out*take reel from the film “James Hemings: Ghost in America’s Kitchen…
Talented and highly skilled James asked for and negotiated his freedom (which was granted to him 3 yrs later). Of course there’s much more to the story …
Accordingly I’m re-sharing this out-take from the film “James Hemings: Ghost in America’s Kitchen” where I remind us that much has been lost, intentionally or otherwise …
Hungry for more ? Watch the movie: “James Hemings: Ghost in America’s Kitchen” …
Co-written by Chef Ashbell McElveen of the James Hemings Foundation & Society in conjunction with director Anthony Werhun. It features scholars, celebrated chefs, experts on race and culinary historians including yours truly. In fact pls JOIN one of my PAID PATREON tiers for more on America’s missing history in the food & drink realms — one of the few ways food media scholars are compensated. Thanks in advance.
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