This year’s 2025 theme for Black History Month is “Celebrating African Heritage and Health Through Stories, Food, and Community.” To highlight the vibrancy and significance of African heritage foods while fostering connection through storytelling, collaboration, and cultural appreciation, we reached out to community members to share their experiences with Oldways’ African Heritage and Health program. Their insights demonstrate the strength of cultural food traditions in fostering health, community, and heritage appreciation.
Danessa Bolling’s Mission: How African Heritage Cooking Classes Inspired a Lifelong Mission
Twelve years ago, I discovered Oldways and A Taste of African Heritage (ATOAH) at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, thinking I’d teach the program for just one year. My first class was with clients living with dual diagnoses of mental health and substance abuse, and it quickly became a transformative experience—both for them and for me. I witnessed participants gain self-esteem, improve their mental and physical health, and develop new passions for healthy cooking and eating.
Since then, it has become my mission to teach ATOAH however I can—whether through a one-day workshop, a six-week class, or simply sharing a recipe or dish. I’m proud to be one of the program’s earliest teachers and honored to serve as an ambassador in my community.
This program has not only allowed me to impact others but has also enriched my own professional and personal journey. I have to add that this is not a one-sided relationship. Oldways Preservation Trust has supported my journey in every way, and I am forever grateful for the connection to such a life-changing program.
– Danessa M. Bolling, LCSW
Oldways African Heritage and Health Program Ambassador
Whole Person Wellness Educator
Harris County Public Library: Enriching Lives Through Heritage-Based Nutrition Programming
At Harris County Public Library, our mission is to enrich lives and strengthen communities. Oldways has given us an opportunity to do just that with the amazing curriculum they have curated for diverse communities like ours.
Our libraries are excited to celebrate Black History Month by incorporating A Taste of African Heritage into our programming—not just in February but throughout the year. The curriculum is accessible for any prospective instructor, and the content is vibrant, engaging, and educational. We are thrilled to be partnering with Oldways to offer this to our patrons.
– Celeste Bleu
Assistant Manager, Adult Services
Programs, Partnerships & Outreach Division
Harris County Public Library System
Glorya Fernandez: A Culinary Career Journey Rooted in Heritage
As the inaugural Chef-in-Residence at the Boston Public Library’s Nutrition Lab, I feel incredibly honored to share my passion for food, culture, and wellness with the Boston community.
My journey has been deeply personal, inspired by a family history of health challenges like cancer and diabetes. I turned to food as medicine, and this mission has driven me to create opportunities for others to explore the power of nourishing, culturally rich meals.
Through my work as an Oldways African Heritage & Health Ambassador, I’ve taught A Taste of African Heritage and A Children’s Taste of African Heritage classes, hosted workshops, and built meaningful relationships with communities across Boston. This program inspired me to start my plant-based educational practice, GoGoBytes, where I blend cultural traditions with innovative cooking techniques to help others embrace healthier, more intentional ways of eating.
At the Nutrition Lab, I lead hands-on cooking demonstrations, community listening sessions, and classes that empower participants to explore new ingredients, techniques, and recipes. I love showing people how to prepare traditional foods in healthier ways while honoring their heritage. Whether it’s teaching knife skills, exploring ancient grains, or sharing creative spins on cultural classics, my goal is to provide practical knowledge that inspires lasting change.
This residency allows me to combine my love of food, culture, and community in a meaningful way. I’m grateful for the opportunity to connect with so many incredible people, and I look forward to continuing this work to build a healthier, more connected Boston—one meal at a time.
– Glorya Fernandez
Chef-in-Residence, Boston Public Library Roxbury Nutrition Lab
Founder, GoGoBytes
The CareSource Teaching Kitchen Team: Empowering Healthy Lifestyles
The CareSource Team is excited to host Round Two of the African Heritage Healthy Eating classes at our Teaching Kitchen in Dayton, Ohio, starting on February 6, 2025. By offering these Oldway African Heritage classes to the West Dayton community, we aim to promote and enhance overall health and well-being.
Our program focuses on creating opportunities for our community through engaging and educational classes. Participants take part in hands-on activities that foster lifelong learning and experiences. Most importantly, we strive to provide a safe and supportive environment that empowers individuals to make lasting lifestyle changes. Through meaningful discussions, the exchange of tips and tricks, and the formation of new social connections, participants leave equipped to embrace healthier habits.
The community response has been overwhelmingly positive, with each class consistently reaching full capacity. We are proud to celebrate heritage through health and are deeply grateful for the A Taste of African Heritage curriculum and partnership Oldways provides.
– Dr. Judith Davis
Vice President Clinical Operations Ohio Market
CareSource Teaching Kitchen
Honoring the Legacy of African Foodways: A Black History Month Reflection with Tambra Raye Stevenson
My work with WANDA: Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics, and Agriculture is rooted in celebrating and reclaiming the foodways of the African diaspora as tools of empowerment, health, and economic opportunity. Black history is rich with the legacies of women who have fed, healed, and sustained our communities against incredible odds.
Through storytelling, policy advocacy, and initiatives like our WANDA Scholars Program, we honor their contributions while inspiring a new generation of food sheroes to lead with pride in their heritage and create a more inclusive food system. Together, we are ensuring that our food and culture remain sources of strength, identity, and liberation. I deeply admire the incredible work Oldways does in promoting African heritage and health, and it’s an honor to contribute to this meaningful initiative.
– Tambra Raye Stevenson
Oldways African Heritage and Health Advisory Board Member
Founder WANDA (Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics and Agriculture)
Founder NativSol Kitchen
Vivien Morris: Cultivating Community Through Food and Initiatives
I feel incredibly fortunate to have the support of family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues who help me stay on a positive path during these challenging times.
My heart smiles when I think of spending time at the Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition Farmers Market. I’m energized by fellow gardeners at the Kennedy Community Garden, where we grow the foods, we learned to love from our elders. At the Edgewater Food Forest, a collaboration between the Edgewater Neighborhood Association and the Boston Food Forest Coalition, I see the power of community-driven food access, providing free nuts, fruits, herbs, and other foods to all.
For over 30 years, I’ve drawn inspiration from fellow members of the Boston Organization of Nutritionists and Dietitians of Color. This inspiration continues to grow as we expand our work with culinary skills and nutrition classes for parents and youth.
These projects, deeply rooted in communities of color, address a long history of racial inequity and discrimination. We are especially grateful to Oldways for helping us celebrate the rich cultural history of delicious, healthy foods through their African Heritage and Health Program.
– Vivien Morris
Oldways African Heritage and Health Advisory Board Member
Founder, Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition Farmers Market
Founder, Boston Organization of Nutritionists and Dietitians of Color
Honoring African Heritage and Health: A Tribute from Toni Tipton-Martin
As a member of the African Heritage and Health Advisory Board, I proudly promote and celebrate the plant-based diet that nourished my African American ancestors. I also am the award-winning author of The Jemima Code, Jubilee, and Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs, and Juice, books that make sure the hidden stories of African American cooks, food professionals and their recipes are remembered as smart and delicious. Both of these priorities are on display In my role as Editor in Chief of Cook’s Country magazine, where I do the same for all of America’s marginalized cooks. Through our magazine, videos, and PBS television show, where I am a host, we look for flavorful cooking in every corner of America.
Our latest project, When Southern Women Cook: History, Lore, and 300 Recipes with Contributions from 70 women, is a curated collection of recipes and essays that bring all of these passions together, turning the spotlight on the hard-work, hospitality, and creativity of the women who have given Southern cooking its soul.
The book shares an age-old tradition of blending two wholesome ingredients — cornbread and sweet potatoes, in one dish, Sweet Potato Cornbread. Squash Casserole a beloved side dish, encourages cooks to shop for fresh vegetables at the farmers’ market. Recipes for stewed collard greens and Green Beans with Ham and Potatoes extol the virtues of the treasured cooking liquid, known as potlikker. And Gullah Lowcountry Red Rice explores the West African history of a brightly-flavored dish that is similar to jollof rice; recipes that are easy to adapt for meat-free living.
These stories are examples taken from the African American culinary tradition, but When Southern Women Cook also shines a bright light on yesterday’s pioneers as well as the torchbearers from other cultures and communities innovating Southern food today.
Now, with Black History Month drawing to a close, and Women’s History Month on the horizon, is an exceptional time to celebrate the women who have made life so enjoyable.
–Toni Tipton-Martin
Oldways African Heritage and Health Advisory Board Member
Editor-in-Chief, Cooks Country magazine
Founder, SANDE Youth Project
Honoring Heritage Through Food
Join us in reflecting on the cultural significance of food in shaping health, identity, and community throughout Black History Month and every month of the year. The Oldways African Heritage and Health Program continues to serve as a resource for learning, sharing, and preserving these traditions for local communities. Take your culinary immersion to the next level by taking or teaching A Taste of African Heritage this year.
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