Pic of MOFAD’s watermelon Legacy Quilt panel
TFG's Culinary Convo Series at Historic Lefferts House Continues. Up Next: “WATERMELON - an African Fruit Revered Throughout Human History…
This is the second event in the “Summer Series of TFG’s Culinary History Convos” I’m hosting at Lefferts Historic House two weekend days in July and one in August. . “Watermelon Month” actually starts on August 1st, so this African-originated hydration food is the featured topic on the last Saturday in July”…
This talk & tasting and the previous two are part of a pilot program series for the Prospect Park Alliance’s “Reimagine Lefferts” Initiative that’s intended to “re-envision the mission and programming of the Lefferts Historic House museum to focus its interpretation and programming on exploring the lives, resistance and resilience of the Indigenous people of Lenapehoking [aka Lenape], whose unceded ancestral lands the park and house rests upon, and the African-originated humans held in the bondage of chattel slavery to work that land, prepare food for and live in servitude to the family that enslaved them .” ~ Text adaptation from the ‘Reimagine Lefferts’ mission statement
It’s my motto that food and drink are wonderful talismans through which to ‘time travel’ to make greater sense of our shared past. Accordingly the main topic for each talk is a ‘singular’ Summer food staple but with multitudinous impact the world over: On Saturday August 5th we will cover “Corn” (rescheduled from July 16th due to rain), on Saturday July 22nd: “Vanilla Ice Cream” and on this date of July 29th the topic is “WATERMELON!” — one of the most coveted and historically controversial fruit crops in both ancient and American history .”Watermelons are native to Africa. Known [and revered throughout] the ancient world, they were introduced to the US in the 1600s. [In North America], enslaved [and emancipated African-born people and their descendants ] planted watermelons to eat [in their subsistence gardens to receive hydration from and to sell/swap and barter with…] during the hottest months of summer, [across the centuries]. [Watermelon] remains a summertime staple [and an iconic symbol of ‘it’s Summer in America’ nationwide] today.” ~ Tonya's/TFG’s text adaptation of MOFAD ‘s Legacy Quilt Watermelon Panel
American history is as essential as it’s always been yet certain ‘powers that be’ continue to strive to stifle the truth which keeps people ignorantly divided. Inclusive narratives like these are intended to unite through better understanding of what happened (to all of us) , to foster greater ancestral appreciation and gratitude for each and every culture that brought and continues to bring so much to our collective American tables.
EVENT DETAILS:
• This event takes place Saturday afternoon July 29th 2-4pm
• LOCATION: 452 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11225 — INSIDE OF PROSPECT PARK DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THE MERRY-GO-ROUND & the PROSPECT PARK ZOO.
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Hearth-grilled watermelon by Chef Denzell Washington at the Old Stone House of Brooklyn Summer 2021, part of the OSH Food & Public History Program advisory work I do there…