There aren't a lot of Culinary Preservationists out there who have a depth of knowledge on West African food, culinary practices and flavors, especially one who can't break it down like Michael Twitty can. The author of a few incredible culinary based history books, including the Cooking Gene, Michael Twitty captivates as he educates you when he takes you on a culinary tour and shares some fascinating stories and foodways that come from Africa and spans the entire Caribbean, to the east coast, throughout the south and as far away as Louisiana. Get ready for a deep dive into Gullah food history and get a taste of all of the flavors that he's about to cook up.

Every day Americans are using Gullah traditions in what we say and eat. The culture and its foodways can be traced directly back to West Africa for several centuries. Things like one pot meals is just the beginning of some of the cultural flavors, ingredients and Gullah impacts that we enjoy today.

Where did the meals that are connected to Black people and culture that we call soul food or southern cooking come from? Yes, some of the dishes came straight out of the Diaspora, but what are the true origins of all of the rich variety of foods and flavors? And how did they become what has influenced the popular foodways of the South that we enjoy today?

When we don't know a word or what something is, it's easy to let assumptions, misunderstandings or even misinformation lead us to label it as bad and not to be liked. Well, Hoodoo and Conjure have had a bad rap for exactly those reasons. So, here's a crash course on what this ancient ancestral traditions are from a Priestess who not only practices the religion, but sheds a light on why culturally we do a lot of the things that we do everyday.

Everyday, as we move through life, we come across markings that our ancestors left behind for us. From the beautiful kente cloth designs, to the mud cloths to the Adrinka symbols that can be found everywhere; sharing wisdom with us; reassuring us that we're not alone; communicating tribal messages and so much more.

The symbols are not just random pictures, they're our history, our identity, our genealogy, our culture and our roots.

Some people say that the Gullah Geechee language is dying. Well, it's not! Finding out how many people are speaking Gullah or Geechee might be difficult because speakers are code switching. So, what is code switching? And why are bi-lingual Gullah's changing how they speak in public if their first language is Gullah? Join me for an energized and educational conversation on language, culture and how the language will be able to sustain itself for future generations.

Let's face it. Slavery was all about "the dollar dollar bill ya'll". It offered free labor and an incredible economic growth that we are still seeing today,,,,,,,hundreds of years later.

The impact that we don't talk about is the human cargo that was the largest "crop" that was grown out of slavery and the humanity that was affected in order to enable it to thrive.

Years ago, I would have never even thought to define or try to distinguish between what is a birthplace and where is your homeland; that is until I traveled to Africa.

There are distinct differences between the two and regardless of how much you love the country of your birth and are accustomed to life there, your homeland has special connections and strong ties that are, well, unbreakable.

Black land loss is at a critical point in America, but especially in the South. Since emanipation, the deck has been stacked against Black land owners, who by 1910 had 16 million acres. At last count, the number was around 6 million and dropping fast. Author Andrew Kahrl of the book, The Black Tax: 150 Years of Theft, Exploitation, and Disposition in America sheds a bright light not only on the problem as we know it today, but also on its origin, and how we got here.

Ancestrial roots can be a funny thing. They show up in a variety of ways. That comfy feels like home feeling when visiting a place or the memory of the familiar, when everything around you, you thought was new to you. It's a soft and consistent prodding thought. A desire to go somewhere and the need to stay - just a little longer. And regardless of what we try to do, or how we try to resist, those roots are tethered enough and strong enough to yank us right back to where we belong and exactly when we belong there.