🪧 Protesting with your fork (and other cool things)
Happy Friday!
Protesting has been on my mind a lot this week. Not only as protests erupted in all 50 states against the current administration, but also as I plan and think about Black History Month (February) and Women’s History Month (March).
One thing that I’ve always found fascinating is the ways in which people turn to their plates to help spur change…
And this looks so many different wonderful ways (and shows exactly how food can be such an amazing intersection of community and creativity).
As you probably know, I LOVE the story of Georgia Gilmore and the ways in which she rallied her community to cook for change and fund the Montgomery Bus Boycotts. But that story is only one example.
This week, I wanted to dive more into the unsung normal everyday heroes who advocated for change.
Here are 5 stories of social change and protests I found interesting, inspiring, or just plain COOL this week…
I was a very literal child and even after all of the times I learned about the Underground Railroad, I still imagined some sort of 🚂 train involved. So forgive my poetic liberties with the sub-heading here.
“One of the conductor's chief duties was finding nourishment – those slaves who didn't have the benefit of a conductor were on their own. One slave recalled wandering through the woods all day eating acorns."
In the mid-1960s, to protest discriminatory hiring practices, Chicano groups in Colorado called for a boycott of the Coors Brewing Company, launching what would become a decades-long boycott that brought together a coalition of activists that would include not just Chicano and Latino groups, but also African American groups, union organizers, LGBT activists, students, environmentalists and feminists.
This is a really cool instance of the discrimination and attack against one group of people being an attack against many. I loved learning about the unity of this boycott and how long it lasted.
From “pie for a doubting husband” to “spaghetti a la suffragette,” these recipes came with a side of activism.
How women’s associations advocated for suffrage using cookbooks — a calculated effort to garner support for suffrage by leaning in to gender norms of the time. 💍 👰🏼♀️ 🏡 🍲 🤰🏼
Which then became co-opted by companies later on as a way to capitalize on women’s buying power. 💰 (Follow the money, honey)
My favorite thing?
There were satirical recipes, too.
👀 Look at this "Pie for a Suffragist's Doubting Husband” as discussed in NPR’s article about this topic:
1 qt. milk human kindness
8 reasons:
War
White Slavery
Child Labor
8,000,000 Working Women
Bad Roads
Poisonous Water
Impure Food
Mix the crust with tact and velvet gloves, using no sarcasm, especially with the upper crust. Upper crusts must be handled with extreme care, for they quickly sour if manipulated roughly.
🍅 Fighting for Farmworkers’ Rights
The amazing story and community organizing of Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers, who fought for labor reforms and protections.
“It's ironic that those who till the soil, cultivate and harvest the fruits, vegetables, and other foods that fill your tables with abundance have nothing left for themselves.” - Cesar Chavez
🫖 And of course, one of the most famous food-related protests in our nation’s history: The Boston Tea Party!
Why should a tiny island across the sea regulate the price of tea?
Y’all I know that this is just the tip of the iceberg, but I had fun diving into the relationship between food and protests/social change.
What do you think - Should we do a part 2 next week? 👈🏽 Hit reply and let me know.
Stay curious and stay inspired!
Rachel
UPCOMING EVENTS
Jun. 18 📖 Eating While Black: Fireside Chat & Book Signing with History Colorado
…keep an eye on this space for more events coming soon!
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Wow, you read all the way down to here. You are awesome, thank you so much! Hey, I’d love to hear from you - 👇🏽 comment below and tell me what you want to see next from the Museum!