259 - James Hemings: America’s Culinary Founding Father with Chef Ashbell McElveen and Visual Storyteller Anthony Werhun
Be the Bridge Podcast with Latasha Morrison
Be the Bridge
4.9 • 774 Ratings
🗓️ 13 December 2022
⏱️ 77 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
There is so much about American history that we aren’t taught in the American school systems. There is so much that isn’t exposed. But this episode of the Be the Bridge Podcast reveals America’s culinary founding father, James Hemings. Chef Ashbell McElveen and Visual Storyteller Anthony Werhun discuss their new documentary on Hemings with Latasha Morrison. Their conversation is full of untold stories, rich Black history, and collective lament. This is a reminder of the importance of stewarding history well and reclaiming stories that need to be told. This is an episode you do not want to miss.
Quotes:
“We want to make sure that we're passing on the correct information to the next generation because stories matter, narratives matter, history matters, who has power matters, who tells the story. It all matters.” -Latasha Morrison
“Through the making of this documentary with James Hemings, I discovered that literally enslaved Black cooks and chefs created fine dining in America. So James Hemings literally put fine taste in Thomas Jefferson's mouth, not the reverse. And that's the value of this documentary.” -Chef Ashbell McElveen
"James Hemings was a big part of this country's formation. And for some reason, that story has been oppressed for a couple 100 years. It's just this little blurb, but it's much bigger.” -Anthony Werhun
Resources Mentioned:
James Hemings: Ghost in America’s Kitchen documentary on Amazon Prime Video
James Hemings: Ghost in America’s Kitchen Facebook profile
James Hemings: Ghost in America’s Kitchen Instagram profile
James Hemings: Ghost in America’s Kitchen website
Shannon LaNier
Voices of the Civil Rights Movement
Black Culinary History
Connect with Chef Ashbell McElveen: His Website Facebook Instagram
Connect with Anthony Werhun: His Website Facebook Instagram Connect with Be the Bridge: Our Website Facebook Instagram
Host & Executive Producer - Latasha Morrison
Senior Producer - Lauren C. Brown
Producer, Editor, & Music - Travon Potts
Transcriber - Sarah Connatser
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | You are listening to the Be the Bridge podcast with Latasha Morrison. |
| 0:06.1 | What are you guys doing today? |
| 0:08.7 | It's exciting. |
| 0:09.5 | Each week, Be The Bridge podcast tackles subjects related to race and culture with the goal of bringing understanding. |
| 0:17.0 | But I'm going to do it in the spirit of love. |
| 0:19.5 | We believe understanding can move us toward racial healing, racial equity, and racial unity. |
| 0:25.1 | Latasha Morrison is the founder of Be the Bridge, which is an organization responding to racial brokenness and systemic injustice in our world. |
| 0:34.0 | This podcast is an extension of our vision to make sure people are no longer conditioned by a racialized society but grounded in truth. |
| 0:42.2 | If you have not hit the subscribe button, please do so now. |
| 0:45.7 | Without further ado, let's begin today's podcast. |
| 0:48.8 | Oh, and stick around for some important information at the end. |
| 0:56.0 | French fries, a firm ice cream, macaroni and cheese, whipped cream. |
| 1:03.0 | It went from one slid kitchen around the world. |
| 1:08.0 | My name is Ashbell McLevin. I know that there's a ghost in America's Kitchen because he visited me. |
| 1:16.6 | James Hemmings. |
| 1:19.6 | People don't know who James Hemings is because he was a slave and he did not fit the mold. |
| 1:26.6 | Every Southern chef, every single one of them has |
| 1:29.8 | is the granddaddy James Hemmings. |
| 1:31.5 | James Hemings was Thomas Jefferson's brother-in-law, |
| 1:35.6 | but also his enslaved property. |
| 1:39.0 | With the training that basically no American chef at the time. |
| 1:43.8 | I think he was murdered. |
... |
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