Once I got past the glitz greetings and introductions, “Recipe for Change: Amplifying Black Women” progressively got better. For our first ever virtual event, Port of Harlem is making the Daytime Emmy Award nominated show available for your on-demand viewing. And, on Saturday, September 10, from 8p to 8:30p (Washington, DC time), we will host a ZOOM event to hear and discuss what you think about “Recipe for Change” and the issues it presents.

Each episode of “Recipe for Change” gathers celebrities, chefs, activists, and creators around a dinner table for necessary conversations. In this episode, Mary J. Blige, Saweetie, and Tabitha Brown partner with chefs Kelis and Danielle Saunders to host dinner guests who I was vaguely familiar with, but you - - or maybe your kids - - or grandkids – may know.

The guests included Chlöe Bailey, Winnie Harlow, Kelly Rowland, Jackie Aina, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Roxane Gay, Sarah Jakes Roberts, Lynn Whitfield, Yaya DaCosta, Loni Love, Renee Montgomery, Danielle Young, Angelica Ross, Hallease, and Elaine Welteroth. Comedian Amanda Seales joined the episode as an on-the-street reporter, speaking with Black women and their allies in Los Angeles.

“Recipe for Change” centers on the stories and experiences of Black women and celebrates their perseverance and strength while making space for joy and the power of sisterhood. However, you do not have be a cisgender woman (a woman whose gender identity corresponds to their sex assigned at birth or identify as Black to enjoy the conversation or participate in the ZOOM event.)

The more substantive conversations began as the ladies picked from a canister, a mini-scroll printed on high-quality paper and read the discussion topic that was perfectly printed on the paper. One the first discussion topics was about the affects of being labeled a “strong” Black woman.

All of the discussions are generally informative, but chef Saunders raised my eyebrows when she claimed she had a pan-African food offering while associating the food with three southern US cities. Yet, as I learned more about the guests, I was impressed that the selection of dinner visitors was quite inclusive and diverse.
 
The show also had more than glitz, glamour, and talk. A fantastic graphical history of Birmingham Bus boycott’s fundraiser-cook Georgia Gilmore and transportation network and English professor JoAnn Robinson was a super bonus.

As the 45-minute show seemingly ran to the last tasting, the discussion on code switching provided another high point in the welcoming discussion. Tabitha Brown profoundly said she learned from code switching that “me being me wasn’t enough …. code switching meant I wasn’t free.” When the topic “What is your favorite thing about being a Black woman,” was laid on the table, Loni Love, with absolutely no code switching, said “I got ass . . .  Now everybody is trying to have the lips, the eyes, the skin tone, and the baby hair.”

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Note: 
1. Click here if you want us to send you a reminder.

or cut and past this address:
( publisher@portofharlem.net )

2. Watch the episode at your leisure.

3. Then, join Port of Harlem publisher Wayne Young and Port of Harlem contributor Kennedra Tucker for a 30-discussion on ZOOM, Saturday, September 10, 2022 at 8p, Washington, DC USA time.

Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 733 7895 6265
Passcode: NAhHe9