Toni Tipton-Martin’s resume has more components than a Southern Soul Brunswick Stew. She was the first African American woman to serve as food editor at a daily newspaper (Cleveland Plain Dealer), has authored a James Beard Award-winning book on southern cooking, and started the SANDE Youth Project, to help improve the lives of vulnerable families batting childhood hunger and obesity.
And that’s just a few of the more impressive ingredients she’ll bring to the table on Friday, September 7, when she appears at the Delaware History Museum’s Copeland Room. This presentation is part of the DHM’s New Directions in African American History Series, and begins at 6 p.m. at 504 N. Market Street.
Tipton-Martin will present on her many accomplishments from over the years, including a guest appearance on “Top Chef,” to visits to the White House to meet with then-First Lady Michelle Obama, and her appearance on CBS Sunday Morning’s annual food show. But her main focus will be on the legacy of Southern black women as cooks and cultural educators, which is the topic of her 2015 book, The Jemima Code: Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks.
As a journalist at heart, Tipton-Martin was able to dig deep into the roots of Southern cooking and how African American women helped build what is known today as Soul Food. In the book, she discusses how these ladies’ high-quality culinary skills, including food styling and presentation, INfluenced by African cultures and traditions, helped create the genre.
After the presentation, Tipton-Martin will be signing copies of The Jemima Code, which will also be available for sale at the event. The educator and activist, whose SANDE project has organized events that invite scholars, authors, chefs and students to discuss food justice issues and celebrate African American culinary traditions, will also answer questions regarding her presentation and works.
This event is free and open to the general public, but reservations are required. Parking is also free at the Colonial Parking lot at the corner of 6th & Shipley streets. For more information, call 302-655-7161 or visit www.dehistory.org.