A decades-long tradition continues this summer, with the 35th annual Black Family Reunion this month. The event was started in 1989 by Dorothy Height, the longtime president of the National Council of Negro Women. And from the reunions grew the Black Family Reunion Cookbook.

But as you'll hear in this 1993 interview with Dorothy Height, the cookbook was more than just a collection of recipes. It was an oral history of the African-American family.

You may also enjoy my interviews with

For more vintage interviews with celebrities, leaders, and influencers,