In this Savory Stories (Rewind), we revisit the powerful connections between soul food, activism, stereotypes, and the civil rights movement. From fried chicken sandwiches and black-eyed peas to the enduring symbolism of watermelon, they explore how food has fueled Black resistance and community building. 

While icons like Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are well-known, we will spotlight the lesser-known heroes who championed civil rights through food entrepreneurship. From stories, such as Ransom Montgomery, who used his earnings to help build Big Bethel AME, a historic landmark in Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn district that played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement. Other figures include Georgia Gilmore, who fed Montgomery Bus Boycotters; Robert and James Pascal, whose Paschal’s Restaurant became an activist hub; and Amiri Baraka, the writer who first coined the term "soul food." 

The episode also highlights modern Atlanta food activists and organizations, including Party at the Polls, Georgia STAND-UP, and celebrated chef Deborah VanTrece, who continues this legacy of community support and resistance. 

For more information about this episode visit: 

https://www.wabe.org/atlantas-savory-stories-shares-history-of-food-as-a-form-of-nonviolent-black-resistance 

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