WHAT: Sip and Learn: “From Negro History Week to Black History Month”
WHEN. Thursday February 20, 6-9pm
WHERE Lefferts Historic House
HOW MUCH: Free! RSVP Encouraged (200 max):
Join Prospect Park Alliance, Rashid Littlejohn, and Tonya Hopkins, a.k.a. “The Food (& Drink!) Griot,” for an educational and entertaining evening focused on the actual history of Black History Month. Littlejohn will present an engaging workshop that explores the generations of activists who forced the nation to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of African-descended peoples, which were often ignored in mainstream histories. Then, Hopkins will offer attendees delicious, culturally-rooted Black History Month mocktails with curated ingredients that come together to activate the senses and convey important lessons from the past that remain relevant today.
{RSVP HERE ON 👉🏾EVENTBRITE 👈🏾]
About the Presenters
Rashid Littlejohn is a multifaceted artist, activist, historian, and educator whose influential work spans community building, cultural preservation, and youth empowerment. Born and raised in Bushwick, Brooklyn, Littlejohn has dedicated his life to creating transformative programs that uplift marginalized communities. He is the founder and chairman of the New Negro Republic Lineage Society, where he champions reparations advocacy, lineage research, and historical commemoration. Littlejohn is also a story-guide and pedagogy director with Black Gotham Experience, where he designs educational narratives and immersive experiences commemorating 400 years of Black presence in New York.
Tonya Hopkins, founder of The Food Griot LLC, is a culinary history consultant, spirited speaker, published author, and food & drink media maven. She stirs several pitchers and pots in the hospitality arena as a beverage curator, spirits sales strategist and legacy cook who co-constructs menus with pairings and creates custom-designed drinks that elevate any occasion. Hopkins applies her culinary history knowledge to serve up actionable nonfiction narratives: through an ancestrally inspired and uniquely American—yet global—approach, she helps rediscover inclusive understandings of our shared pasts. These insights illuminate new opportunities for authentic connections in the present intended to positively impact the future. Hopkins is the Culinary History Advisor and a Public Educator at Lefferts Historic House.
