1 00:00:06,006 --> 00:00:07,674 [jazz song playing] 2 00:00:15,015 --> 00:00:15,890 [Stephen] Harlem. 3 00:00:15,974 --> 00:00:17,851 In the 1920s, 4 00:00:17,934 --> 00:00:20,186 it was the Black Mecca for the new negro. 5 00:00:22,439 --> 00:00:24,482 In The Great Migration, 6 00:00:24,566 --> 00:00:27,402 Black Southerners escaped the clutches of Jim Crow 7 00:00:27,485 --> 00:00:30,030 and were now setting their own path to freedom. 8 00:00:30,780 --> 00:00:32,449 Freedom to imagine, 9 00:00:32,532 --> 00:00:34,409 freedom to be Black, 10 00:00:34,492 --> 00:00:36,411 or to just be. 11 00:00:37,454 --> 00:00:40,540 Everyone that was somebody, you moved here. 12 00:00:42,292 --> 00:00:44,794 [Stephen] Their arrival fueled the Harlem Renaissance, 13 00:00:45,378 --> 00:00:47,839 a flourishing epicenter of Black culture, 14 00:00:47,922 --> 00:00:50,300 music, literature, art, 15 00:00:50,383 --> 00:00:53,136 activism, and food. 16 00:00:54,471 --> 00:00:57,432 It was their Southern soul that defined Harlem cuisine. 17 00:00:58,141 --> 00:01:00,185 And that continues today 18 00:01:00,810 --> 00:01:04,564 in the street vendors, eateries, and cocktail bars of the neighborhood, 19 00:01:04,647 --> 00:01:07,817 all living legacies of the Renaissance. 20 00:01:08,735 --> 00:01:10,528 [man] When we've painted that painting, 21 00:01:10,612 --> 00:01:12,906 when we've sung the hell out of that song, 22 00:01:12,989 --> 00:01:14,657 it's not done until we eat. 23 00:01:22,665 --> 00:01:24,667 [theme song playing] 24 00:02:03,665 --> 00:02:05,667 [theme song ends] 25 00:02:09,879 --> 00:02:12,590 [woman] I, too, sing America 26 00:02:13,174 --> 00:02:14,968 I am the darker brother 27 00:02:15,051 --> 00:02:18,346 They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes 28 00:02:19,013 --> 00:02:22,559 But I laugh, and eat well And grow strong 29 00:02:23,309 --> 00:02:26,980 Tomorrow, I'll be at the table When company comes 30 00:02:27,063 --> 00:02:30,733 Nobody'll dare say to me "Eat in the kitchen," then 31 00:02:30,817 --> 00:02:34,112 Besides, they'll see how beautiful I am 32 00:02:34,195 --> 00:02:36,489 How beautiful I am 33 00:02:36,573 --> 00:02:38,783 How beautiful I am 34 00:02:38,867 --> 00:02:40,034 And be ashamed 35 00:02:40,118 --> 00:02:43,288 I, too, am America 36 00:02:44,581 --> 00:02:46,833 [jazz music playing] 37 00:02:46,916 --> 00:02:51,087 [Stephen] As African Americans left the comfort of loved ones from the South, 38 00:02:51,171 --> 00:02:53,256 they took with them pieces of home. 39 00:02:54,048 --> 00:02:56,342 They carried the traditions and crafts 40 00:02:56,426 --> 00:02:59,721 that would go on to create new bonds and businesses. 41 00:03:02,348 --> 00:03:06,644 -[woman] Welcome! -Welcome to Charles Pan-Fried Chicken! 42 00:03:06,728 --> 00:03:08,813 [Stephen] For years, I had heard of the story 43 00:03:08,897 --> 00:03:10,857 of Harlem legend Charles Gabriel. 44 00:03:11,649 --> 00:03:15,653 A James Beard-nominated chef and a direct migrant from the South 45 00:03:15,737 --> 00:03:19,616 whose chicken is still fried in old cast-iron pans. 46 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:24,120 Today, Chef Charles and his protégé, Chef Quie, 47 00:03:24,204 --> 00:03:29,250 have invited me for a sweet and savory off-menu meal that is a Harlem staple. 48 00:03:29,334 --> 00:03:31,294 [Stephen] Chef Charles, Chef Quie. 49 00:03:31,377 --> 00:03:33,338 -How you doing? A pleasure. -How you doing? 50 00:03:33,421 --> 00:03:34,881 [Stephen] It's an honor to meet you. 51 00:03:34,964 --> 00:03:36,883 -Appreciate you very much. -How you doing? 52 00:03:36,966 --> 00:03:39,135 Have a seat here, where we've put some chargers. 53 00:03:39,219 --> 00:03:41,012 We cooked this chicken. I'll serve you. 54 00:03:41,095 --> 00:03:42,680 Chef Charles, sit. I got you. 55 00:03:42,764 --> 00:03:44,057 All right. 56 00:03:44,682 --> 00:03:46,684 I love to see you being served. 57 00:03:46,768 --> 00:03:48,353 -[Charles] Thank you. -You've earned that. 58 00:03:48,436 --> 00:03:50,521 I'm very happy to be here with you. 59 00:03:50,605 --> 00:03:51,439 [Charles] Thank you. 60 00:03:51,522 --> 00:03:53,650 And, uh, I'm sad to say 61 00:03:53,733 --> 00:03:56,402 that it's taken me this long to eat your food, 62 00:03:56,486 --> 00:03:59,906 but I am happy that it is finally happening. 63 00:03:59,989 --> 00:04:02,075 Look at this beautiful plate. 64 00:04:02,158 --> 00:04:03,243 -Here we go. -Thank you. 65 00:04:03,326 --> 00:04:04,702 -You're welcome. -Thank you. 66 00:04:05,411 --> 00:04:07,747 This is the stuff dreams are made of. 67 00:04:08,373 --> 00:04:09,832 [Quie] I hope you know what this is. 68 00:04:09,916 --> 00:04:11,251 [Stephen] I know what this is. 69 00:04:11,334 --> 00:04:13,544 -It's that chicken and waffles, right? -[Charles] It is. 70 00:04:13,628 --> 00:04:14,837 -I know ex-- -You're wrong. 71 00:04:14,921 --> 00:04:17,757 It's that Charles Pan-fried Chicken and Waffles. 72 00:04:17,840 --> 00:04:20,301 -Excuse me. Yeah. -[Quie] That's the difference in this. 73 00:04:20,385 --> 00:04:22,136 -A little honey on yours? -[Stephen] Why not? 74 00:04:22,220 --> 00:04:24,138 -Most definitely. -Is that how you take it? 75 00:04:24,222 --> 00:04:26,391 -That's how we take it. -All right. Let's do it. 76 00:04:26,474 --> 00:04:28,601 -[Quie] This is a must. This is important. -Yeah. 77 00:04:28,685 --> 00:04:30,395 [Quie] Just a little tap. Umm. 78 00:04:30,478 --> 00:04:31,813 [Stephen] That looks good. 79 00:04:32,897 --> 00:04:33,898 Perfect. 80 00:04:34,482 --> 00:04:36,818 What you think? Grab with your hands. You home. 81 00:04:36,901 --> 00:04:38,861 [Stephen] I'm going with my hand. All right, good. 82 00:04:40,613 --> 00:04:41,447 Oh man. 83 00:04:42,282 --> 00:04:43,616 -[Quie] Yeah. Yeah. -Wow. 84 00:04:44,617 --> 00:04:47,412 -Oh my God. -[Quie] It's Charles love you tasting now. 85 00:04:47,495 --> 00:04:50,206 That's taking you back to the time when you're playing. 86 00:04:50,290 --> 00:04:54,168 Get out in the dust. Didn't know what to eat. Had nothing to eat. 87 00:04:54,752 --> 00:04:56,796 So, it was too late for dinner. 88 00:04:56,879 --> 00:04:58,298 Too early for breakfast. 89 00:04:58,381 --> 00:05:00,633 Chicken waffles was that perfect meal in between. 90 00:05:00,717 --> 00:05:02,010 [Stephen] Wow. 91 00:05:02,093 --> 00:05:03,720 This is really incredible. 92 00:05:03,803 --> 00:05:04,637 Thank you. 93 00:05:05,263 --> 00:05:08,349 You can never get that type of crust 94 00:05:08,933 --> 00:05:10,018 without a pan fry. 95 00:05:10,101 --> 00:05:14,355 I had to get the skillet made down South at the steel plant. 96 00:05:14,439 --> 00:05:16,941 They used to make my skillet. I brought it to New York. 97 00:05:17,025 --> 00:05:18,192 And when was that? 98 00:05:18,276 --> 00:05:20,069 Ah. That was, uh… 99 00:05:20,153 --> 00:05:21,988 you figure, 40 years ago now. 100 00:05:22,071 --> 00:05:23,281 Forty-year-old skillets. 101 00:05:23,364 --> 00:05:25,658 -[Charles] Yes. Yes. Yes. -[Stephen] Yeah. 102 00:05:25,742 --> 00:05:28,995 [Charles] I only had a regular frying pan. They were too small. 103 00:05:29,078 --> 00:05:33,708 And I had this pan made just enough for four of them on the stove. 104 00:05:33,791 --> 00:05:34,959 [Stephen] They're all going. 105 00:05:35,043 --> 00:05:36,127 [Charles] And they're-- Yep. 106 00:05:36,210 --> 00:05:39,047 Then after that, I got a truck. 107 00:05:39,130 --> 00:05:41,841 I was the only one out there with a food truck at that time. 108 00:05:41,924 --> 00:05:45,136 -Yeah? Are we talking early '80s? -[Charles] Yeah. Eighties. Right. 109 00:05:45,219 --> 00:05:48,014 They'd be riding around in cars trying to catch up with me, 110 00:05:48,097 --> 00:05:49,057 but they can't. 111 00:05:49,140 --> 00:05:50,433 -Chasing your truck? -Yeah. 112 00:05:50,516 --> 00:05:54,854 It got so much, I said, "Wow. I think I need to open up a restaurant." 113 00:05:55,438 --> 00:05:57,315 That's when I opened my first restaurant. 114 00:05:57,857 --> 00:06:01,110 -Your story goes back to North Carolina. -Correct. 115 00:06:01,194 --> 00:06:02,779 Tell us about your childhood. 116 00:06:02,862 --> 00:06:05,239 I had 12 brothers and eight sisters, so… 117 00:06:06,074 --> 00:06:09,118 -Twelve brothers and eight sisters? -Yes. 118 00:06:09,202 --> 00:06:11,871 I wanna make sure that doesn't go over people's heads. 119 00:06:11,954 --> 00:06:15,041 [chuckles] Yeah. Twelve brothers and eight sisters in my family. 120 00:06:15,124 --> 00:06:16,584 We did sharecropping. 121 00:06:16,667 --> 00:06:20,463 Sometimes we had to walk five miles to the cotton field. 122 00:06:20,546 --> 00:06:21,964 We'd leave at 6:00, 123 00:06:22,048 --> 00:06:24,008 and we'd come back at 6:00. 124 00:06:24,092 --> 00:06:27,345 We'd get back home. Then we'd have to kill a chicken. 125 00:06:27,428 --> 00:06:29,305 Everybody had a chore to do. 126 00:06:29,389 --> 00:06:33,184 My chore was to turn the chicken in the pan. That was my chore. 127 00:06:33,267 --> 00:06:37,146 We didn't have a stove like this. We had a wood stove, you understand? 128 00:06:37,230 --> 00:06:38,898 My mom, she'd tell me what to do. 129 00:06:38,981 --> 00:06:41,692 She said, "I want you to turn this chicken 130 00:06:41,776 --> 00:06:44,404 every few minutes." So that's what I did. 131 00:06:44,487 --> 00:06:47,532 She said, "Look, always cut the chicken, 132 00:06:47,615 --> 00:06:49,992 season the chicken. Let it sit for eight hours." 133 00:06:50,076 --> 00:06:52,537 "And after eight hours, then you fry." 134 00:06:52,620 --> 00:06:54,747 So, each day we'd come, 135 00:06:54,831 --> 00:06:57,834 we'd have the chicken ready for the next day. 136 00:06:57,917 --> 00:07:00,837 So, you don't do any brining? 137 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:02,672 None of this buttermilk stuff? 138 00:07:02,755 --> 00:07:04,882 -None of that? -No. I use regular milk and egg. 139 00:07:04,966 --> 00:07:07,593 -That's it. Milk and eggs. That's it. -Milk and eggs. 140 00:07:07,677 --> 00:07:11,055 And Ma's special seasoning that she gave me to put in. 141 00:07:11,139 --> 00:07:13,474 And did you grow up with the same exact recipe? 142 00:07:13,558 --> 00:07:15,560 -Same recipe. -[Stephen] Wow. 143 00:07:15,643 --> 00:07:19,230 My mom gave me this recipe, and I wanted to put it out there. 144 00:07:19,313 --> 00:07:22,775 So how y'all can see, you know, what it's all about. 145 00:07:22,859 --> 00:07:25,987 Keeping your mother's legacy and recipes alive. 146 00:07:26,571 --> 00:07:28,030 [Stephen] Do you ever miss the South? 147 00:07:28,114 --> 00:07:28,948 No. 148 00:07:29,532 --> 00:07:32,618 When I was down South, I was working at this dairy farm. 149 00:07:33,453 --> 00:07:38,207 This one day, I was there milking a cow, and I knocked over a bucket of milk. 150 00:07:39,876 --> 00:07:42,253 And this guy came by, and he kicked me. 151 00:07:45,339 --> 00:07:46,966 Because I spilled the milk. 152 00:07:48,676 --> 00:07:51,429 And he called me names. And he told me to go home. 153 00:07:52,388 --> 00:07:56,058 So, I went home. Told Mom. 154 00:07:57,059 --> 00:07:59,353 But I still went back. 155 00:07:59,437 --> 00:08:02,607 I didn't have a choice. I went back because I needed the money. 156 00:08:02,690 --> 00:08:03,941 You had to go back. 157 00:08:04,025 --> 00:08:05,443 [Charles] I went back, yeah. 158 00:08:05,526 --> 00:08:07,528 He's being nice, saying he got kicked. 159 00:08:07,612 --> 00:08:10,239 He got kicked, and he waddled home. 160 00:08:10,323 --> 00:08:12,825 So they actually beat him for spilling milk by accident. 161 00:08:12,909 --> 00:08:13,951 Yes. 162 00:08:14,035 --> 00:08:16,287 And so that's why when I came to New York, 163 00:08:16,370 --> 00:08:20,124 it was a blessing because I could do what I wanted to do. 164 00:08:20,958 --> 00:08:22,877 And not what somebody else wanted me to do. 165 00:08:24,253 --> 00:08:25,630 I felt like I was free. 166 00:08:26,631 --> 00:08:27,882 Yeah. 167 00:08:27,965 --> 00:08:30,009 So, Chef Quie, 168 00:08:30,635 --> 00:08:32,803 how did you link up with Chef Charles? 169 00:08:32,887 --> 00:08:36,015 I idolized this man all my life. He used to work at Copeland's. 170 00:08:36,098 --> 00:08:39,519 I used to go there with my family on Sundays when we had money saved up. 171 00:08:39,602 --> 00:08:42,063 -Yeah. -I asked to work with him in the kitchen. 172 00:08:42,146 --> 00:08:44,023 And my first time with him in the kitchen 173 00:08:44,106 --> 00:08:47,944 was working with a church feeding homeless people during COVID. 174 00:08:48,027 --> 00:08:49,320 [Stephen] Amazing. 175 00:08:49,403 --> 00:08:53,407 And, by you reaching back to one of your idols 176 00:08:53,491 --> 00:08:55,701 at a very difficult moment 177 00:08:55,785 --> 00:08:58,579 where restaurants are going out of business 178 00:08:58,663 --> 00:09:00,206 and saying, "I got you." 179 00:09:00,289 --> 00:09:03,584 That's also something that I'm paying attention to. 180 00:09:04,293 --> 00:09:07,755 Part of the experience of Blackness 181 00:09:07,838 --> 00:09:12,510 is you take something that should have beaten you, 182 00:09:13,719 --> 00:09:18,099 and that becomes its own new legacy. 183 00:09:18,182 --> 00:09:20,977 That is the Blackest shit I can imagine. 184 00:09:21,060 --> 00:09:23,145 That's that Renaissance spirit keeps moving on. 185 00:09:23,229 --> 00:09:26,357 It's why our Harlem restaurants are so important. This is history. 186 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:27,608 Keep it moving. 187 00:09:27,692 --> 00:09:30,278 This conversation with you both 188 00:09:30,361 --> 00:09:33,197 is… is one that I will never forget. 189 00:09:33,281 --> 00:09:36,450 And it's such an honor for me to learn from you. 190 00:09:37,159 --> 00:09:40,871 And I am so grateful to you as well, my brother, 191 00:09:40,955 --> 00:09:44,000 because you are instructing us all 192 00:09:44,083 --> 00:09:46,085 on how we need to show up and protect 193 00:09:46,168 --> 00:09:48,254 the legends in our own communities. 194 00:09:48,337 --> 00:09:51,882 -Thanks. -So, Chef Quie, thank you for that. 195 00:09:51,966 --> 00:09:53,509 And Chef Charles. 196 00:09:53,593 --> 00:09:55,886 -I just appreciate you. Thank you all. -Thank you. 197 00:10:02,351 --> 00:10:05,146 [Stephen] Chef Charles is part of a distinguished cohort 198 00:10:05,229 --> 00:10:07,481 of successful Black Harlem businesses, 199 00:10:07,565 --> 00:10:10,276 born from the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance, 200 00:10:10,818 --> 00:10:14,572 a time when the artistry of Black chefs and jazz artists 201 00:10:14,655 --> 00:10:15,865 fused together. 202 00:10:17,742 --> 00:10:20,536 So I'm on my way to see renowned restaurateur 203 00:10:20,620 --> 00:10:22,079 Alexander Smalls, 204 00:10:22,163 --> 00:10:25,458 most known for reopening famed Renaissance hot spot, 205 00:10:25,541 --> 00:10:26,917 Minton's Playhouse. 206 00:10:28,419 --> 00:10:31,047 And its sister restaurant, the Cecil. 207 00:10:31,589 --> 00:10:35,426 It's been years since I've had a chance to sit at this coveted table. 208 00:10:35,509 --> 00:10:38,554 A place where artists and dignitaries have dined. 209 00:10:39,430 --> 00:10:40,848 [Alexander] Hello, man. How are you? 210 00:10:40,931 --> 00:10:43,059 -Good to see you. -[Stephen] I'm good. Great to see you. 211 00:10:43,142 --> 00:10:45,436 -It's a long time since you were here. -It has been. 212 00:10:45,519 --> 00:10:46,729 [Alexander] Hello. 213 00:10:46,812 --> 00:10:49,231 You grew an inch or two since you were here last. 214 00:10:49,315 --> 00:10:51,942 [Stephen] People just forget. People forget. 215 00:10:52,026 --> 00:10:53,402 [Alexander] Welcome back to Harlem. 216 00:10:53,486 --> 00:10:56,113 [Stephen] Thank you so much. It feels good to be back. 217 00:10:56,614 --> 00:11:00,076 -Especially to be back here. -I know, thank you. I appreciate that. 218 00:11:00,159 --> 00:11:03,954 And this is… the right stop 219 00:11:04,038 --> 00:11:10,127 because this is the most coveted dinner table in Harlem. 220 00:11:10,211 --> 00:11:14,423 If you were to take a walk down memory lane, 221 00:11:14,507 --> 00:11:17,385 and you were to read 222 00:11:17,468 --> 00:11:21,639 some of the stories and novels of Harlem writers 223 00:11:21,722 --> 00:11:24,350 if you were to look closely at a lot of the music. 224 00:11:24,850 --> 00:11:26,769 "Gimme a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer." 225 00:11:26,852 --> 00:11:28,896 [song playing] ♪ Gimme a pigfoot ♪ 226 00:11:29,522 --> 00:11:32,149 ♪ And a bottle of beer ♪ 227 00:11:32,233 --> 00:11:34,360 Food was always… 228 00:11:36,028 --> 00:11:38,239 interwoven into 229 00:11:38,948 --> 00:11:42,118 the lifestyle of Black and brown people. 230 00:11:42,201 --> 00:11:44,537 I love thinking about 231 00:11:45,121 --> 00:11:48,708 how we wouldn't really have 232 00:11:48,791 --> 00:11:50,793 -the Renaissance without our food. -Yeah. 233 00:11:50,876 --> 00:11:53,462 The food isn't really thought of 234 00:11:53,546 --> 00:11:56,924 on the same tier as the art and literature, 235 00:11:57,007 --> 00:12:00,720 but this was actually the source of all of that. 236 00:12:00,803 --> 00:12:05,099 When we've painted that painting, when we've sung the hell out of that song, 237 00:12:05,182 --> 00:12:08,394 you know, when we've done all these creative things, 238 00:12:08,477 --> 00:12:10,688 it's not done until we eat. 239 00:12:10,771 --> 00:12:12,898 [laughs] 240 00:12:12,982 --> 00:12:16,902 I mean, you simply can't leave that out. 241 00:12:16,986 --> 00:12:20,322 Right where our history begins, it's there. 242 00:12:20,906 --> 00:12:24,869 For a lot of the folks who migrated from the South, 243 00:12:24,952 --> 00:12:29,498 they would have these rent parties. 244 00:12:30,207 --> 00:12:32,793 They would come together at each other's homes, 245 00:12:32,877 --> 00:12:35,546 and they would sell the food they would cook. 246 00:12:35,629 --> 00:12:38,758 -[Stephen] Food is at the center of that. -[Alexander] Food is at the center. 247 00:12:38,841 --> 00:12:42,678 [Alexander] They would create a social dynamic 248 00:12:42,762 --> 00:12:45,973 in their private apartments or dwellings. 249 00:12:46,056 --> 00:12:48,184 And when I read about the Harlem Renaissance, 250 00:12:48,267 --> 00:12:51,353 and I read about the parties they would all have… 251 00:12:52,438 --> 00:12:53,564 [sighs] 252 00:12:53,647 --> 00:12:55,107 …it inspires me. 253 00:12:55,191 --> 00:12:58,194 It's such an important part of this Harlem legacy 254 00:12:58,277 --> 00:13:00,237 that you… that you are keeping. 255 00:13:00,321 --> 00:13:01,572 It's why I do what I do. 256 00:13:01,655 --> 00:13:04,116 So I prepared some wonderful stuff. I hope. 257 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:06,035 -Wow! -[laughs] 258 00:13:06,118 --> 00:13:07,036 Oh my God. 259 00:13:07,119 --> 00:13:11,248 "Wow" for the quantity or "wow" for the dish? 260 00:13:11,332 --> 00:13:14,960 -Well, there's just a lot to take in. -There's a lot to take in. 261 00:13:15,044 --> 00:13:16,378 Tell me everything. 262 00:13:16,462 --> 00:13:18,881 [Alexander] Okay. So what we have here is 263 00:13:18,964 --> 00:13:22,134 a green lima bean ham hock stew. 264 00:13:22,676 --> 00:13:25,930 With heirloom carrots. Corn. 265 00:13:26,013 --> 00:13:27,681 And the corn is sweet right now. 266 00:13:27,765 --> 00:13:32,478 Some crushed tomatoes, sage, thyme, rosemary. 267 00:13:33,062 --> 00:13:37,691 Smoked pork belly to just kind of give it an extra kick. 268 00:13:37,775 --> 00:13:38,609 [Stephen] Yes. 269 00:13:38,692 --> 00:13:40,903 -I think you'll like it. -I think I will love it. 270 00:13:40,986 --> 00:13:43,197 And we have black rice. 271 00:13:43,697 --> 00:13:46,367 Because it's one of my favorites. 272 00:13:46,450 --> 00:13:50,955 Cousins to the red rice, which is an African grain of rice 273 00:13:51,038 --> 00:13:55,084 that was brought to South Carolina just like the Carolina gold. 274 00:13:55,167 --> 00:13:56,377 Let's do it. 275 00:13:56,460 --> 00:13:59,839 This is such an honor to be back here with you. 276 00:13:59,922 --> 00:14:02,591 -I'm glad to have you back in Harlem. -Eating your food. 277 00:14:02,675 --> 00:14:04,718 -Back in Harlem. -[Alexander] Yeah. 278 00:14:04,802 --> 00:14:06,804 [Stephen] Wow. Limas, ham hocks. 279 00:14:06,887 --> 00:14:09,348 Oh, you have to take the whole thing. It's a big-- 280 00:14:09,431 --> 00:14:13,102 I'm reaching. I'm trying to take the whole thing. We're in a fight now. 281 00:14:13,185 --> 00:14:14,228 [laughs] 282 00:14:14,311 --> 00:14:18,190 I have to take another one that's a little more ready to be taken. 283 00:14:18,274 --> 00:14:19,817 -Right. -Look at the size of this. 284 00:14:19,900 --> 00:14:22,361 [Alexander] It takes all of that because it's not a lot of meat. 285 00:14:22,444 --> 00:14:24,154 -[Stephen] Right. -[Alexander] But it's bold. 286 00:14:24,238 --> 00:14:25,364 [Stephen] Very. 287 00:14:25,447 --> 00:14:29,159 [Alexander] So after I soak it for a day and dry it out, 288 00:14:29,243 --> 00:14:31,996 then I roast them in an oven 289 00:14:32,079 --> 00:14:35,833 for a couple of hours, and they get really crisp. 290 00:14:35,916 --> 00:14:37,543 -They reduce down. -[Stephen] Um-hmm. 291 00:14:37,626 --> 00:14:39,920 [Alexander] And then, I put them 292 00:14:40,004 --> 00:14:44,633 in the ham stock that I premade. 293 00:14:44,717 --> 00:14:47,052 Onions and celery and garlic. 294 00:14:47,136 --> 00:14:51,265 And then I add, sautéed, and braise for a couple of hours. 295 00:14:52,308 --> 00:14:54,268 Then I finish it off with a little red wine. 296 00:14:54,351 --> 00:14:57,187 -And then we have something special. -It's not really a weeknight meal. 297 00:14:57,271 --> 00:14:58,480 [laughs] 298 00:14:58,564 --> 00:14:59,648 Look at this. 299 00:14:59,732 --> 00:15:03,819 I wish so badly that people could smell this incredible smell. 300 00:15:03,903 --> 00:15:05,029 [Alexander] I know. 301 00:15:05,112 --> 00:15:07,990 -But this is the South on a plate. -[Stephen] It really is. 302 00:15:10,492 --> 00:15:11,493 You like that? 303 00:15:12,620 --> 00:15:15,414 And the meat is like butter. It really is. 304 00:15:15,497 --> 00:15:17,458 I've come full circle 305 00:15:17,541 --> 00:15:21,420 on two favorite dishes of my childhood. 306 00:15:21,503 --> 00:15:22,838 Pork and beans, 307 00:15:23,339 --> 00:15:27,843 which is so foundational in our culture. 308 00:15:28,344 --> 00:15:30,304 The other is succotash. 309 00:15:30,387 --> 00:15:34,516 Because that is my reinterpretation of a classic. 310 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:36,560 And we're allowed to reinterpret classics. 311 00:15:36,644 --> 00:15:39,521 [Stephen] Of course. And whatever this interpretation is, 312 00:15:39,605 --> 00:15:41,398 it's really working out, so… 313 00:15:42,232 --> 00:15:45,277 Your story, in particular, is such 314 00:15:45,361 --> 00:15:49,990 a unique and important bridge from this migration of the 1900s 315 00:15:50,074 --> 00:15:51,784 to the Harlem of today. 316 00:15:52,368 --> 00:15:56,080 From South Carolina, the decision to come to Harlem, 317 00:15:56,163 --> 00:15:58,874 and what was happening in your life around that time. 318 00:15:58,958 --> 00:16:01,543 My aunt and uncle, who were my everything, 319 00:16:01,627 --> 00:16:04,546 they were my mentors. She was a classical pianist, 320 00:16:04,630 --> 00:16:07,591 and she taught me classical music and classical piano. 321 00:16:07,675 --> 00:16:11,512 My uncle was a chef who taught me how to dream through food. 322 00:16:11,595 --> 00:16:13,806 He taught me that food was a language 323 00:16:13,889 --> 00:16:17,476 and that I could learn that language and be expressive. 324 00:16:17,559 --> 00:16:21,772 But the most important thing added to it was who had the power. 325 00:16:21,855 --> 00:16:23,732 And the person who wields the spoon, 326 00:16:24,358 --> 00:16:26,986 the person who made the food, had the power. 327 00:16:27,069 --> 00:16:28,862 And also the respect. 328 00:16:28,946 --> 00:16:32,408 And I always knew I wanted that. 329 00:16:32,491 --> 00:16:33,325 [Stephen] Right. 330 00:16:33,409 --> 00:16:35,619 For you, there was a middle period 331 00:16:35,703 --> 00:16:40,290 where you were in Manhattan, but you were not in Harlem. 332 00:16:40,374 --> 00:16:44,211 I wonder what that period was like for you as you tried 333 00:16:44,294 --> 00:16:47,214 to find your place in the world 334 00:16:47,297 --> 00:16:49,675 before you ultimately found your place here. 335 00:16:49,758 --> 00:16:52,386 When I came to New York, I came as a young opera singer. 336 00:16:53,012 --> 00:16:56,473 I had essentially landed a contract with the Houston Grand Opera 337 00:16:56,557 --> 00:16:59,727 that had created a production of Porgy and Bess. 338 00:16:59,810 --> 00:17:04,189 I was pursuing that childhood dream 339 00:17:04,273 --> 00:17:08,736 of being the first African American male opera singer 340 00:17:08,819 --> 00:17:12,823 to transverse the globe as an international star. 341 00:17:12,906 --> 00:17:13,949 It's what I wanted. 342 00:17:14,450 --> 00:17:18,495 Uh, what I did not understand that was in store for me was the glass ceiling 343 00:17:18,579 --> 00:17:22,416 where people who look like me wasn't allowed. 344 00:17:22,499 --> 00:17:26,545 And I realized that I had to make changes, 345 00:17:26,628 --> 00:17:27,838 that essentially 346 00:17:29,131 --> 00:17:32,051 not only did I have to have a seat at the table, 347 00:17:32,134 --> 00:17:33,761 but I had to own the table. 348 00:17:33,844 --> 00:17:36,889 I couldn't own an opera house, but I could own a restaurant, 349 00:17:36,972 --> 00:17:40,684 and I opened the first African American fine dining restaurant in New York 350 00:17:40,768 --> 00:17:44,438 called Cafe Beulah, and that changed my life. 351 00:17:44,521 --> 00:17:45,397 [Stephen] Wow. 352 00:17:45,481 --> 00:17:51,779 Food was the salvation for how I was going to satisfy 353 00:17:51,862 --> 00:17:56,617 what I needed to say as an African American man. 354 00:17:56,700 --> 00:17:58,494 A creative. An artist. 355 00:17:58,577 --> 00:18:01,205 I love what you're talking about 356 00:18:01,288 --> 00:18:04,833 as far as food being a language 357 00:18:04,917 --> 00:18:08,462 to be learned and leveraging that language 358 00:18:08,545 --> 00:18:09,963 for our own advancement. 359 00:18:10,047 --> 00:18:13,258 You can't have a gathering with Black folks if you ain't got no food. 360 00:18:13,342 --> 00:18:14,343 [chuckles] That's a fact. 361 00:18:14,426 --> 00:18:17,262 Because we are tied to that expression. 362 00:18:17,346 --> 00:18:18,305 Mm-hmm. 363 00:18:18,388 --> 00:18:21,058 The extraordinary thing that people don't understand 364 00:18:21,141 --> 00:18:23,018 about the African American culture 365 00:18:23,102 --> 00:18:26,021 is that food was currency. 366 00:18:26,730 --> 00:18:30,734 That recipe that was unique 367 00:18:30,818 --> 00:18:35,114 was the way we created worth when we didn't own ourselves. 368 00:18:35,197 --> 00:18:37,199 -We owned that dish. -Right. 369 00:18:37,282 --> 00:18:42,287 And that dish not only gave us dignity and respect, 370 00:18:42,996 --> 00:18:44,081 it was currency. 371 00:18:44,665 --> 00:18:46,166 [laughs] 372 00:18:51,922 --> 00:18:55,467 [Stephen] Black folks in Harlem tapped into their culinary roots 373 00:18:55,551 --> 00:18:57,928 to create lucrative opportunities. 374 00:18:58,011 --> 00:19:02,432 Like Lillian Harris Dean, also known as Pigfoot Mary, 375 00:19:02,516 --> 00:19:04,893 a street vendor who sold pig feet 376 00:19:04,977 --> 00:19:08,480 to those nostalgic for a taste of the home they left behind. 377 00:19:09,064 --> 00:19:11,608 A business that ultimately made her a millionaire. 378 00:19:12,442 --> 00:19:16,697 Stories like Pigfoot Mary's, the recipes of the Renaissance, 379 00:19:16,780 --> 00:19:20,450 and many other parts of our history are preserved with care 380 00:19:20,534 --> 00:19:24,121 at the Harlem Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 381 00:19:24,204 --> 00:19:27,166 led by curator Joy Bivins, 382 00:19:27,249 --> 00:19:31,920 the first woman to serve as director of the Schomburg Center in 40 years. 383 00:19:32,921 --> 00:19:35,215 [Joy] When I think about the Harlem Renaissance, 384 00:19:35,299 --> 00:19:39,052 one, I think about the New Negro Movement 385 00:19:39,136 --> 00:19:40,846 and really this moment 386 00:19:40,929 --> 00:19:44,308 at the beginning of the 20th century, right after World War I, 387 00:19:44,391 --> 00:19:47,352 post-emancipation, post-Reconstruction. 388 00:19:47,436 --> 00:19:49,980 This is in a new space, an urban space 389 00:19:50,063 --> 00:19:53,233 where Black people were really looking to themselves to say, 390 00:19:53,317 --> 00:19:55,819 "What is our culture? What is our aesthetic?" 391 00:19:55,903 --> 00:19:57,696 So we are a research library, 392 00:19:57,779 --> 00:20:00,991 and the archivist has pulled some things for you to look at, 393 00:20:01,074 --> 00:20:03,243 and we're gonna go to the manuscripts archives 394 00:20:03,327 --> 00:20:04,620 and rare books reading room. 395 00:20:04,703 --> 00:20:06,205 Great. I can't wait. 396 00:20:06,288 --> 00:20:07,414 I can't either. 397 00:20:08,457 --> 00:20:09,917 [indistinct chatting] 398 00:20:13,003 --> 00:20:16,465 All of these menus and rare books 399 00:20:16,548 --> 00:20:22,137 and cookbooks and things of that nature that really reflect the culture as well. 400 00:20:22,221 --> 00:20:25,098 So we've assembled some things here for you. 401 00:20:26,099 --> 00:20:27,726 Okay. 402 00:20:29,019 --> 00:20:32,356 There's a lot of good stuff to get into on this table. 403 00:20:32,439 --> 00:20:33,440 [Joy] There is. 404 00:20:33,523 --> 00:20:36,777 This is really all to the credit 405 00:20:36,860 --> 00:20:40,197 of the many generations of folks like yourself 406 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:43,242 who have stepped into that stewardship role. 407 00:20:43,325 --> 00:20:47,454 So I thank you for that and for making this education possible for us. 408 00:20:47,537 --> 00:20:48,455 Well, thank you. 409 00:20:48,538 --> 00:20:52,209 Let's just start with what's in front of us. 410 00:20:52,292 --> 00:20:56,338 Mm-hmm. So here we have Pigfoot Mary's recipe for pig feet. 411 00:20:57,089 --> 00:20:59,174 So this is like a prized recipe. 412 00:20:59,258 --> 00:21:02,219 I mean, this is the thing that made her famous, obviously. 413 00:21:02,302 --> 00:21:03,595 [Joy] Yeah, this looks… 414 00:21:04,429 --> 00:21:06,807 -I'm hungry, actually, right now. -Yeah, I love this. 415 00:21:06,890 --> 00:21:11,395 So she actually creates her own agency, 416 00:21:11,478 --> 00:21:14,731 her own opportunities, and great wealth for herself. 417 00:21:14,815 --> 00:21:17,484 A Black woman who was born enslaved 418 00:21:17,567 --> 00:21:21,697 comes to Harlem and, without any infrastructure, 419 00:21:21,780 --> 00:21:23,907 is able to start selling 420 00:21:23,991 --> 00:21:26,576 the parts of the pig that we had access to 421 00:21:26,660 --> 00:21:29,496 and that are familiar to us and our palates. 422 00:21:29,579 --> 00:21:32,332 And so I always just like to think of, 423 00:21:32,416 --> 00:21:34,960 you know, her story as a kind 424 00:21:35,043 --> 00:21:38,922 of small microcosm for Black women, 425 00:21:39,006 --> 00:21:41,967 using the kitchen and their culinary skills 426 00:21:42,050 --> 00:21:44,261 as a means of creating agency. 427 00:21:44,344 --> 00:21:45,178 Right. Right. 428 00:21:45,262 --> 00:21:48,015 Her adventures in real estate were so successful 429 00:21:48,098 --> 00:21:52,894 that at one point, her total holdings were estimated at 375,000 dollars. 430 00:21:52,978 --> 00:21:53,979 Off of pig feet. 431 00:21:54,479 --> 00:21:57,190 -The pig has not done us wrong, has it? -[chuckles] 432 00:21:58,025 --> 00:22:01,445 [Stephen] The best part is the last three words of this recipe. 433 00:22:01,528 --> 00:22:04,197 -It says, "Pass hot sauce." -[Joy] "Pass hot sauce." 434 00:22:04,281 --> 00:22:05,615 [laugh] 435 00:22:05,699 --> 00:22:08,076 -'Cause you've got to, right? -[Stephen] I love that. 436 00:22:10,537 --> 00:22:12,122 [Stephen] Over a century later, 437 00:22:12,205 --> 00:22:15,584 the streets of Harlem are still telling the story of our food. 438 00:22:17,044 --> 00:22:19,755 The move North created a cultural explosion 439 00:22:19,838 --> 00:22:23,133 that gave way to African American entrepreneurship 440 00:22:23,216 --> 00:22:24,718 and a new middle class. 441 00:22:25,385 --> 00:22:29,473 Cha McCoy is a third-generation Harlemite and sommelier 442 00:22:29,556 --> 00:22:31,558 who is working across the globe 443 00:22:31,641 --> 00:22:33,769 to make the beverage and hospitality industry 444 00:22:33,852 --> 00:22:37,647 more accessible, accountable, and relevant. 445 00:22:38,857 --> 00:22:42,194 We're on a historic street that I know a little bit about, 446 00:22:42,277 --> 00:22:44,654 but give us a little bit more context. 447 00:22:44,738 --> 00:22:45,947 So welcome to Harlem. 448 00:22:46,031 --> 00:22:47,616 This is Strivers' Row, 449 00:22:47,699 --> 00:22:51,411 and I think the key part here is really just being grounded 450 00:22:51,495 --> 00:22:53,789 in Harlem Black excellence, all right? 451 00:22:53,872 --> 00:22:56,458 So if you were a politician, 452 00:22:56,541 --> 00:22:59,961 the musicians of the time of the Renaissance, 453 00:23:00,045 --> 00:23:03,465 everyone that was somebody, you moved here 454 00:23:03,548 --> 00:23:05,425 and that moving-on-up theory. 455 00:23:05,509 --> 00:23:07,260 It wasn't really about going downtown. 456 00:23:07,344 --> 00:23:09,805 It was just making it to Strivers' Row for us. 457 00:23:09,888 --> 00:23:11,640 I was hoping we could have a stoop session. 458 00:23:11,723 --> 00:23:13,141 For sure. For sure. 459 00:23:13,767 --> 00:23:16,645 So why are people from Harlem 460 00:23:16,728 --> 00:23:19,940 so expressive and so uniquely Harlem? 461 00:23:20,023 --> 00:23:22,359 What's in the water here? What's going on in Harlem? 462 00:23:22,859 --> 00:23:24,319 It's the spirit of the hustler. 463 00:23:24,403 --> 00:23:26,613 -It's in the DNA, as my mother would say. -It is. 464 00:23:26,696 --> 00:23:28,490 No matter where I go in the world, 465 00:23:28,573 --> 00:23:30,992 I still make sure I show up as Harlem everywhere. 466 00:23:31,993 --> 00:23:34,746 I wanna check out some of these spots in your neighborhood. 467 00:23:34,830 --> 00:23:36,415 Sure, let's do it. [chuckles] 468 00:23:43,630 --> 00:23:46,633 [Cha] We're about to pull up on my block. We're on three-nine, 469 00:23:46,716 --> 00:23:48,301 and we wanna get some watermelon. 470 00:23:48,385 --> 00:23:50,137 -[Stephen] Watermelon. -From one of my homies. 471 00:23:50,220 --> 00:23:51,596 We went to school together. 472 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:53,640 [Stephen] All right, coming to see the watermelon. 473 00:23:53,723 --> 00:23:56,226 What's up? We gotta see you. Show you some love. 474 00:23:56,309 --> 00:23:58,145 How you doing? This is Stephen. 475 00:23:58,228 --> 00:23:59,229 Nice to meet you, man. 476 00:23:59,312 --> 00:24:02,441 I told him. Officially Harlem when you're at the watermelon stand. 477 00:24:02,524 --> 00:24:04,359 That means the summertime, too. 478 00:24:04,443 --> 00:24:06,528 -That's a fact. -[Cha] So, tell us what we got here. 479 00:24:06,611 --> 00:24:07,904 [Tyrell] These are from Georgia. 480 00:24:07,988 --> 00:24:09,322 -We go down there-- -Me too. 481 00:24:09,406 --> 00:24:10,407 You're from Georgia? 482 00:24:10,490 --> 00:24:12,951 [Tyrell] All right. I've been down there a little while. 483 00:24:13,034 --> 00:24:17,038 So we do everything. We juice them. We bowl them. They make salads with them. 484 00:24:17,122 --> 00:24:21,084 They started Jell-O rind. That's like a snack. But it's healthy. 485 00:24:21,168 --> 00:24:24,045 And the rind has the most nutrition inside of it. 486 00:24:24,129 --> 00:24:26,590 -You know? The green part. -[Cha] I didn't know that. 487 00:24:27,174 --> 00:24:29,259 [Tyrell] So there's a lot about this. It's a superfood. 488 00:24:29,885 --> 00:24:33,221 How did you end up out here selling melons? 489 00:24:33,305 --> 00:24:36,099 It started as a hustle. We didn't want to be in the street. 490 00:24:36,183 --> 00:24:38,560 We said, "You know what? I like the watermelons." 491 00:24:38,643 --> 00:24:41,646 We said, "That's a good flip." We learned about watermelons. 492 00:24:41,730 --> 00:24:43,648 It took us all the way back to the South. 493 00:24:43,732 --> 00:24:47,444 We came up in the streets. So to even have something 494 00:24:47,527 --> 00:24:49,571 that's gonna provide a way for our families. 495 00:24:49,654 --> 00:24:52,199 A way for these kids to stay off the streets. 496 00:24:52,282 --> 00:24:55,285 There's a lot of gun violence, so we're trying to bring that down. 497 00:24:55,368 --> 00:24:56,369 -Right. -Come here. 498 00:24:56,453 --> 00:24:59,831 Throw a watermelon. I'll pay you a couple of dollars. Don't worry about it. 499 00:24:59,915 --> 00:25:02,375 The watermelons provide that. Then I look at the slaves 500 00:25:02,459 --> 00:25:05,170 who used to trade watermelons when they got out of slavery. 501 00:25:05,253 --> 00:25:07,088 -[Stephen] Exactly. -You're the watermelon baby. 502 00:25:07,172 --> 00:25:08,507 I'm the watermelon king. 503 00:25:08,590 --> 00:25:12,427 Now, any time you see Black people creating wealth for themselves, 504 00:25:12,511 --> 00:25:15,430 you know what's coming next. They're making fun of us. 505 00:25:15,514 --> 00:25:18,808 They're trying to take it away. They're trying to undermine, 506 00:25:18,892 --> 00:25:21,436 diminish what our agency is 507 00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:23,563 when we can provide for ourselves. 508 00:25:23,647 --> 00:25:26,316 So to me, seeing you out here, 509 00:25:26,399 --> 00:25:29,027 this is actually how we should be reclaiming 510 00:25:29,110 --> 00:25:30,570 this narrative, you know? 511 00:25:30,654 --> 00:25:31,696 -[Cha] Word. -[Stephen] Yes. 512 00:25:31,780 --> 00:25:33,990 [Cha] What've we got here? Looking good. 513 00:25:34,074 --> 00:25:38,912 So it's a watermelon salad. We have red watermelon, yellow watermelon, 514 00:25:38,995 --> 00:25:42,415 red onion, cucumber, a little bit of feta cheese, 515 00:25:42,499 --> 00:25:45,418 and we have a raspberry vinaigrette dressing drizzle. 516 00:25:45,502 --> 00:25:47,420 We didn't forget about you. 517 00:25:47,504 --> 00:25:50,215 -[Tyrell] Aww, thank you. -It smells delicious. 518 00:25:50,298 --> 00:25:52,008 -Thank you. Enjoy. -[Stephen] Thank you. 519 00:25:53,009 --> 00:25:55,845 [Tyrell] You're eating the yellow watermelon, strawberries. 520 00:25:55,929 --> 00:25:58,265 We've got the black seed yellow watermelons. 521 00:25:58,348 --> 00:26:00,100 -[Cha] Okay. -You have Jubilees. 522 00:26:00,183 --> 00:26:01,059 [Cha] Jubilees? 523 00:26:01,142 --> 00:26:02,978 Then you have, um, Sugar Babies. 524 00:26:03,061 --> 00:26:04,688 Then you have yellow meat. 525 00:26:05,605 --> 00:26:07,065 I like the Sangrias better. 526 00:26:07,148 --> 00:26:08,608 -[Cha] Sangria? Okay. -Yes. Sangrias. 527 00:26:08,692 --> 00:26:10,735 These are Sangrias? I need the Sangrias. 528 00:26:10,819 --> 00:26:13,113 Jubilee, you'll see a long stripe going through it. 529 00:26:13,196 --> 00:26:14,155 That's the Jubilees. 530 00:26:14,239 --> 00:26:17,242 The Sugar Babies are small and round and dark. 531 00:26:17,325 --> 00:26:20,954 Are the farmers the ones who taught you about all the different varieties? 532 00:26:21,037 --> 00:26:24,874 Yeah, I'm at school right now. I'm always learning 'cause I'm a city boy. 533 00:26:25,917 --> 00:26:29,421 They call them pollinators down South. 'Cause we deal with the Black farmers. 534 00:26:29,504 --> 00:26:32,591 We go down there with the Black farmers, and then I'm asking them. 535 00:26:32,674 --> 00:26:34,759 And we show support to them. 536 00:26:34,843 --> 00:26:36,636 They're dying down there. 537 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:40,515 And their land's going up for auction, and then somebody else is buying them. 538 00:26:40,599 --> 00:26:42,225 That's what this campaign is about. 539 00:26:42,309 --> 00:26:44,853 It's going back, reconnecting with the Black farmers. 540 00:26:44,936 --> 00:26:47,856 I take the trucks down there. We help them plant. 541 00:26:47,939 --> 00:26:50,984 We've got 100 acres of land we got to actually cultivate. 542 00:26:51,067 --> 00:26:53,028 Did you know when you were growing up 543 00:26:53,111 --> 00:26:56,448 that street vendors 544 00:26:56,531 --> 00:26:58,658 were a part of the Harlem Renaissance? 545 00:26:58,742 --> 00:27:01,786 Are you connected to that history of people selling food on the street? 546 00:27:01,870 --> 00:27:03,121 No, I was in the streets. 547 00:27:03,204 --> 00:27:05,665 I was in the wrong part of the street vending. 548 00:27:05,749 --> 00:27:09,002 You know, we were selling something we weren't supposed to be selling. 549 00:27:09,085 --> 00:27:11,796 I wish we would have got introduced to that a long time ago. 550 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:13,298 That's why I do what I do. 551 00:27:13,381 --> 00:27:15,800 It took me about three, four times to go to jail 552 00:27:15,884 --> 00:27:18,762 and come back to realize, "We don't need that no more." 553 00:27:18,845 --> 00:27:21,640 I really feel extra honored to be here with you, 554 00:27:21,723 --> 00:27:23,767 and I'm a fan of your work, man. 555 00:27:23,850 --> 00:27:25,560 You're teaching me in real time. 556 00:27:25,644 --> 00:27:29,064 You're teaching many others, and so I wanna name that 557 00:27:29,147 --> 00:27:31,733 and let you know that I appreciate your work, man. 558 00:27:31,816 --> 00:27:34,235 -Yeah. Appreciate you. -Appreciate having you. Thanks. 559 00:27:34,319 --> 00:27:36,154 -Keep up the good work. -Thanks, brother. 560 00:27:36,237 --> 00:27:38,073 [Tyrell] Thank you, Cha. Sure, thank you. 561 00:27:38,156 --> 00:27:40,158 [saxophone instrumental playing] 562 00:28:17,779 --> 00:28:21,616 [Stephen] It was a treat to see the city through the eyes of a Harlem native 563 00:28:21,700 --> 00:28:25,036 and observe and appreciate the spirit of Black enterprise 564 00:28:25,120 --> 00:28:27,038 still thriving in Harlem today. 565 00:28:28,707 --> 00:28:33,420 The Harlem Renaissance was a time of deep artistic and cultural expression. 566 00:28:34,254 --> 00:28:36,506 As a former sommelier myself, 567 00:28:36,589 --> 00:28:38,633 I know that what's in the glass 568 00:28:38,717 --> 00:28:41,469 can teach us a lot about our history. 569 00:28:43,012 --> 00:28:44,848 Through the 1920s, 570 00:28:44,931 --> 00:28:47,642 speakeasies, clubs, and dance halls 571 00:28:47,726 --> 00:28:50,228 were all part of the subculture of Harlem. 572 00:28:50,311 --> 00:28:52,772 That legacy is being kept alive today 573 00:28:52,856 --> 00:28:56,818 at 67 Orange Street, a local Black-owned bar in Harlem 574 00:28:56,901 --> 00:29:01,406 with an underground mystique similar to the speakeasies of the Renaissance. 575 00:29:03,116 --> 00:29:05,493 I'm talking to owner Karl Franz Williams 576 00:29:05,577 --> 00:29:08,997 and influential mixologist Tiffanie Barriere, 577 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:13,042 who has been awarded with some of the beverage industry's highest honors, 578 00:29:13,126 --> 00:29:15,754 about the role of spirits in our story. 579 00:29:16,337 --> 00:29:19,257 Where do we actually come into Harlem, 580 00:29:19,340 --> 00:29:21,092 in a tradition of Black spirit? 581 00:29:21,176 --> 00:29:23,386 Prohibition lines up with the Harlem Renaissance. 582 00:29:23,470 --> 00:29:26,306 That was the period of time where this huge outburst 583 00:29:26,389 --> 00:29:29,768 of creative energy was all coming out of this area. 584 00:29:29,851 --> 00:29:33,730 The cartoonist E. Simms Campbell was the first published Black cartoonist. 585 00:29:33,813 --> 00:29:36,483 He did this map called a nightlife map of Harlem. 586 00:29:37,192 --> 00:29:40,570 And he's super descriptive. He's like, "This is the weed man here." 587 00:29:40,653 --> 00:29:43,364 "This is where a nightclub is. This one opens at 2 a.m." 588 00:29:43,448 --> 00:29:46,367 What's not on this map are the speakeasies. 589 00:29:46,451 --> 00:29:49,412 And they're not on this map because there's over 500, 590 00:29:49,496 --> 00:29:51,414 so you won't have any problem finding one. 591 00:29:51,498 --> 00:29:54,834 There were more speakeasies in Harlem than in any other part of the city. 592 00:29:54,918 --> 00:29:59,214 Prohibition was the backdrop to what really… The light, the fire 593 00:29:59,297 --> 00:30:04,052 behind the Harlem Renaissance, because now there wasn't really 594 00:30:04,135 --> 00:30:06,221 a great place to go for entertainment anymore. 595 00:30:06,304 --> 00:30:09,140 The rest of the city was on lockdown. They stopped downtown. 596 00:30:09,224 --> 00:30:11,059 In Harlem, that nightlife continued, 597 00:30:11,142 --> 00:30:13,603 and you had all these top artists and intellectuals 598 00:30:13,686 --> 00:30:15,021 who were already here. 599 00:30:15,688 --> 00:30:18,191 At this exact time this is happening, 600 00:30:18,274 --> 00:30:21,402 down South, many beautiful Black towns in the South 601 00:30:21,486 --> 00:30:24,030 were known for their shining or growing their oats 602 00:30:24,113 --> 00:30:28,952 or growing their rye or corn to make some of the best moonshine ever 603 00:30:29,035 --> 00:30:31,329 and possibly get it up to the North. 604 00:30:31,412 --> 00:30:33,540 We were no longer enslaved at this point, 605 00:30:33,623 --> 00:30:37,627 so it's a matter of what the Black community can do to make money. 606 00:30:37,710 --> 00:30:41,714 In making bottles, you were making some of the best money ever. 607 00:30:41,798 --> 00:30:43,174 We've been doing this since-- 608 00:30:43,258 --> 00:30:45,510 [Karl] Yeah, we were making phenomenal beers in Africa. 609 00:30:45,593 --> 00:30:48,012 We were masters of that craft already. 610 00:30:48,096 --> 00:30:51,432 We're farming sugar cane, and one of the byproducts 611 00:30:51,516 --> 00:30:54,310 of creating sugar from sugarcane is molasses, right? 612 00:30:54,394 --> 00:30:56,396 That is the beginnings of rum. 613 00:30:56,479 --> 00:31:00,316 I think there is some pride to bring home to this home. 614 00:31:00,400 --> 00:31:01,901 -Yeah. -And survive. 615 00:31:03,444 --> 00:31:05,864 The Southern woman in me has got to make a punch. 616 00:31:05,947 --> 00:31:07,657 -Indeed. -I have to. 617 00:31:09,868 --> 00:31:12,704 The punch has been the go-to, 618 00:31:12,787 --> 00:31:16,583 "Y'all come to my house," celebratory, "I've got something for you" 619 00:31:16,666 --> 00:31:18,960 bowl of greatness for so long, 620 00:31:19,043 --> 00:31:21,421 and in the Black community, we've seen it at church. 621 00:31:21,504 --> 00:31:24,257 It's in college. It's at Granny's house. 622 00:31:24,340 --> 00:31:26,301 You know, my family is from the Caribbean 623 00:31:26,384 --> 00:31:29,095 and, you know, Planter's Punch, 624 00:31:29,178 --> 00:31:34,642 uh, the Bajan Rum Punch, those are all big parts of our cultures. 625 00:31:34,726 --> 00:31:35,685 Definitely. 626 00:31:36,185 --> 00:31:38,354 -[Stephen] There's a lot of history here. -Yeah. 627 00:31:38,438 --> 00:31:41,733 Tom Bullock, who is one 628 00:31:41,816 --> 00:31:46,654 of the most important Black scholars of cocktail scholarship. 629 00:31:46,738 --> 00:31:49,908 He wrote the first published cocktail book by an African American. 630 00:31:49,991 --> 00:31:51,868 We don't know much about Bullock's story. 631 00:31:51,951 --> 00:31:53,953 We think he was from the South, 632 00:31:54,037 --> 00:31:58,458 and he's made his way through the rail line to the Midwest, but… 633 00:31:58,541 --> 00:32:01,336 And the book is titled The Ideal Bartender. 634 00:32:01,419 --> 00:32:04,213 This means you're making some of the best cocktails, 635 00:32:04,297 --> 00:32:06,883 hands down, and that kind of respect 636 00:32:07,383 --> 00:32:11,387 being seen across the bar makes me humble to be a bartender 637 00:32:11,471 --> 00:32:14,724 and make his drinks and drink his drinks. [chuckles] 638 00:32:14,807 --> 00:32:18,394 Tom Bullock's punch, which I'm making, I'm giving you a little aromatherapy. 639 00:32:18,895 --> 00:32:20,939 It wasn't just bartenders behind the bar, 640 00:32:21,022 --> 00:32:24,275 but caterers had, you know, ingredients such as citrus and fruit, 641 00:32:24,359 --> 00:32:25,818 whatever is fresh on deck, 642 00:32:25,902 --> 00:32:28,988 and making it in a batch, because we have a lot of work to do. 643 00:32:29,072 --> 00:32:34,160 It's before some constituent, president, speaker, or writer is coming on deck. 644 00:32:34,243 --> 00:32:37,080 Super special to have something to show off 645 00:32:37,163 --> 00:32:41,209 not only your style and your etiquette but how fresh your garden is outside. 646 00:32:41,292 --> 00:32:43,878 So the South is serving what's coming in from the port, 647 00:32:43,962 --> 00:32:46,130 hence why I'm throwing in some Madeira wine. 648 00:32:46,714 --> 00:32:51,010 [Stephen] I'm trying to taste each individual component 649 00:32:51,844 --> 00:32:55,848 while appreciating the fact that it is so perfectly blended. 650 00:32:57,266 --> 00:33:00,228 [Tiffanie] We've got fresh fruit that has beautiful juices. 651 00:33:00,311 --> 00:33:02,105 The citrus balances out the sweetness, 652 00:33:02,188 --> 00:33:05,441 but this is a method that we know coming from home. 653 00:33:05,525 --> 00:33:08,361 Like, we knew sweet to sour instantly. 654 00:33:08,444 --> 00:33:11,406 We knew how to say this needs a balance to it. 655 00:33:11,489 --> 00:33:14,033 We also knew how to serve it properly. 656 00:33:14,117 --> 00:33:18,454 We're able to really blend these ingredients together with no problem 657 00:33:18,538 --> 00:33:21,499 and let it sit so everything can macerate. 658 00:33:21,582 --> 00:33:24,419 [Stephen] Tiffanie, you were just talking about something 659 00:33:24,502 --> 00:33:28,715 that was even more relevant than you realized 660 00:33:28,798 --> 00:33:31,926 when you started to talk about us being, 661 00:33:32,510 --> 00:33:36,889 thank you, love, the descendants of bootleggers. 662 00:33:36,973 --> 00:33:39,392 I never had an opportunity to meet my grandfather. 663 00:33:39,475 --> 00:33:42,186 -He was born in 1907. -[Karl] Oh wow. 664 00:33:42,270 --> 00:33:45,648 One of the things that has just been brought to my attention 665 00:33:45,732 --> 00:33:49,736 was that he was not only 666 00:33:49,819 --> 00:33:54,782 in the business of moving alcohol around 667 00:33:54,866 --> 00:33:55,867 for Capone. 668 00:33:56,451 --> 00:33:58,786 So this is a wild story. 669 00:33:58,870 --> 00:34:02,165 There's this time where he's looking for a way 670 00:34:02,248 --> 00:34:05,084 to make a living in this new place up North. 671 00:34:05,168 --> 00:34:08,421 He links up with "the mob" 672 00:34:08,504 --> 00:34:12,759 -and is a driver for Capone. -[Karl] Mm. 673 00:34:12,842 --> 00:34:17,263 And then, there is a truck that is intercepted. 674 00:34:17,346 --> 00:34:20,391 There is a shoot-out. He makes it out alive. 675 00:34:20,475 --> 00:34:22,268 -[Tiffanie] Go on. -[Karl] Okay. 676 00:34:22,351 --> 00:34:26,856 But then he decided that he wanted to be outof the distribution business. 677 00:34:26,939 --> 00:34:30,485 And that's actually what led him to becoming a porter, 678 00:34:30,568 --> 00:34:35,490 but he was also making moonshine in the basement 679 00:34:36,074 --> 00:34:39,786 for law enforcement as protection for his family. 680 00:34:40,703 --> 00:34:43,998 When I found this out, it brought up a time for me, obviously, 681 00:34:44,540 --> 00:34:47,210 you know, this very colorful legacy, 682 00:34:47,293 --> 00:34:50,296 but it's very relevant to what you're talking about, 683 00:34:50,379 --> 00:34:54,258 which is we have always been in this work, 684 00:34:54,342 --> 00:34:57,637 even when the work was underground. 685 00:34:57,720 --> 00:35:00,973 And the speakeasies up here were kind of like that as well. 686 00:35:01,057 --> 00:35:04,852 It was a place for us to share information, 687 00:35:04,936 --> 00:35:07,897 share ideas, make connections. 688 00:35:07,980 --> 00:35:11,359 That is also part of the culture 689 00:35:11,442 --> 00:35:13,486 of this time that I'm really curious about. 690 00:35:13,569 --> 00:35:17,240 Indeed, bars have been that space that we want to be 691 00:35:17,323 --> 00:35:20,451 that communal comfort space, especially for the Black community. 692 00:35:20,535 --> 00:35:22,662 Whether it was a woman sitting in a bar, 693 00:35:22,745 --> 00:35:25,206 which we didn't see a woman sitting at a bar 694 00:35:25,289 --> 00:35:26,999 until the '40s and '50s. 695 00:35:27,083 --> 00:35:29,460 And then, even in the Black queer community 696 00:35:29,544 --> 00:35:32,797 being out in the open and people married to, you know, 697 00:35:32,880 --> 00:35:35,967 opposite sex while dating, you know, the same sex in the side. 698 00:35:36,050 --> 00:35:38,886 We see that a lot in literature and even some in poetry, 699 00:35:38,970 --> 00:35:42,473 just kind of hiding that story of who you could be. 700 00:35:43,141 --> 00:35:44,350 It happened at the bar, 701 00:35:44,433 --> 00:35:47,186 but it was, at times, a safe and fun space. 702 00:35:47,270 --> 00:35:48,354 -Yeah. -Yeah. 703 00:35:48,938 --> 00:35:51,691 -Cheers to that. Salut to that. -Salut. 704 00:35:52,316 --> 00:35:53,151 [Stephen] Salut. 705 00:35:53,234 --> 00:35:54,735 [Tiffanie chuckles] Cheers. 706 00:35:57,780 --> 00:35:59,407 [Stephen] As much as the Harlem Renaissance 707 00:35:59,490 --> 00:36:00,741 is rightfully celebrated 708 00:36:00,825 --> 00:36:03,244 for the artistic expression of Black people, 709 00:36:03,870 --> 00:36:06,247 it was also a time when we turned to each other 710 00:36:06,330 --> 00:36:09,417 and created safe spaces 711 00:36:09,500 --> 00:36:11,836 to build and keep community. 712 00:36:13,296 --> 00:36:17,550 About an hour north of Harlem is the mansion of Madam C.J. Walker, 713 00:36:17,633 --> 00:36:21,804 the first Black woman in the United States to become a self-made millionaire, 714 00:36:21,888 --> 00:36:24,098 which she did by creating hair products 715 00:36:24,182 --> 00:36:28,978 sold directly to and by Black women all over the country. 716 00:36:32,565 --> 00:36:34,650 The estate, called Villa Lewaro, 717 00:36:35,276 --> 00:36:38,863 was an oasis where she and her daughter, A'Lelia Walker, 718 00:36:38,946 --> 00:36:42,658 would build a new legacy and playground for Black excellence. 719 00:36:43,201 --> 00:36:47,663 A'Lelia Walker hosted gatherings with artists like Zora Neale Hurston, 720 00:36:47,747 --> 00:36:49,290 James Weldon Johnson, 721 00:36:49,373 --> 00:36:52,126 W.E.B Du Bois, and Langston Hughes. 722 00:36:53,544 --> 00:36:57,006 These gatherings inspired creativity and community. 723 00:37:01,052 --> 00:37:03,971 On a summer afternoon, A'Lelia Bundles, 724 00:37:04,055 --> 00:37:08,392 the great-granddaughter of A'Lelia Walker, has invited me, 725 00:37:08,476 --> 00:37:10,686 Alexander Smalls, Cha McCoy, 726 00:37:10,770 --> 00:37:13,814 and retired radio news anchor Dean Schomburg, 727 00:37:13,898 --> 00:37:16,567 the grandson of Arturo Schomburg, 728 00:37:16,651 --> 00:37:20,321 the man whose private collection of Black art and artifacts 729 00:37:20,404 --> 00:37:23,115 became the basis for the Schomburg Center. 730 00:37:26,494 --> 00:37:29,830 It's so special to have you in this room. 731 00:37:30,498 --> 00:37:33,626 When A'Lelia Walker had a Fourth of July party 732 00:37:33,709 --> 00:37:37,713 for the President of Liberia in July of 1921, 733 00:37:37,797 --> 00:37:39,882 fireworks out on the terrace, 734 00:37:39,966 --> 00:37:41,968 live music with Ford Dabney, 735 00:37:42,051 --> 00:37:44,512 who was one of the great orchestra people of the era. 736 00:37:44,595 --> 00:37:46,931 He was not invited to the White House, 737 00:37:47,014 --> 00:37:49,934 -but he was invited to Villa Lewaro. -[Cha] Mm. 738 00:37:50,017 --> 00:37:51,727 [A'Lelia] So this was our White House. 739 00:37:51,811 --> 00:37:53,854 -[Alexander] Mm. I like that. -[Stephen] I love that. 740 00:37:53,938 --> 00:37:55,940 It feels like we're in the Black White House. 741 00:37:56,023 --> 00:37:59,944 The chandeliers are very similar to the chandeliers in the East Room. 742 00:38:00,027 --> 00:38:01,028 Yeah. 743 00:38:01,112 --> 00:38:03,948 [A'Lelia] She, of course, was giving parties during Prohibition. 744 00:38:04,031 --> 00:38:08,202 But she always had a great bootlegger, and she always had the finest champagne. 745 00:38:09,036 --> 00:38:12,331 And I would say that, with all of the Black girl magic 746 00:38:12,415 --> 00:38:15,668 that we're celebrating today here at Madam C.J. Walker's house, 747 00:38:15,751 --> 00:38:18,963 it made perfect sense to make sure that we're pouring champagne. 748 00:38:19,046 --> 00:38:21,590 Exactly. And can you tell us more about 749 00:38:21,674 --> 00:38:24,677 the culinary legacy then of A'Lelia? 750 00:38:25,261 --> 00:38:26,804 So Madam C.J. Walker, 751 00:38:26,887 --> 00:38:29,015 born Sarah Breedlove on a plantation 752 00:38:29,098 --> 00:38:32,393 in Delta, Louisiana, in 1867, 753 00:38:32,476 --> 00:38:35,187 had the arc of her life of going from 754 00:38:35,271 --> 00:38:37,273 an uneducated washerwoman, 755 00:38:37,356 --> 00:38:41,736 who then became a cook, who then started a hair care company 756 00:38:41,819 --> 00:38:44,739 and employed thousands of women and became a millionaire. 757 00:38:44,822 --> 00:38:46,866 But that key part is the cook 758 00:38:46,949 --> 00:38:49,577 because that was how she was making money on the side 759 00:38:49,660 --> 00:38:51,579 when she was starting her business. 760 00:38:51,662 --> 00:38:53,622 And when she began to have money, 761 00:38:53,706 --> 00:38:57,710 of course, she employed cooks, and when she was able to have parties, 762 00:38:57,793 --> 00:38:59,587 she always hired Black caters. 763 00:39:00,171 --> 00:39:04,133 Later on, A'Lelia Walker started a place called The Dark Tower. 764 00:39:04,216 --> 00:39:06,969 It's kind of the iconic Harlem Renaissance space. 765 00:39:07,053 --> 00:39:09,430 That was in her townhouse on 136th Street. 766 00:39:09,513 --> 00:39:12,433 And famously, she served spaghetti 767 00:39:12,516 --> 00:39:15,436 when she had the first meeting of a group 768 00:39:15,519 --> 00:39:18,064 of young writers that included Countee Cullen 769 00:39:18,147 --> 00:39:20,524 and Langston Hughes and Wally Thurman, 770 00:39:20,608 --> 00:39:25,279 when they were talking about creating The Dark Tower and what it was to be. 771 00:39:25,363 --> 00:39:28,824 They would have patrons who would donate money, 772 00:39:28,908 --> 00:39:31,911 and then the artists could join for $1 a year 773 00:39:31,994 --> 00:39:33,913 and basically eat all the food. 774 00:39:33,996 --> 00:39:36,123 -And that was really the concept. -[laughs] 775 00:39:36,207 --> 00:39:38,793 [Stephen] You both come from a legacy 776 00:39:38,876 --> 00:39:43,214 with your own family's history in terms of cataloging Black culture. 777 00:39:43,297 --> 00:39:45,800 Arturo Schomburg was my grandfather. 778 00:39:46,842 --> 00:39:51,097 He was a collector of everything that had to do with Black culture. 779 00:39:51,180 --> 00:39:54,392 He wanted to make sure that everybody understood 780 00:39:54,475 --> 00:39:58,479 that we as a people had made significant and very important 781 00:39:58,562 --> 00:40:00,231 contributions to civil society. 782 00:40:00,314 --> 00:40:03,734 And among the things that he did propose was a cookbook. 783 00:40:03,818 --> 00:40:06,445 Certainly there are some recipes that were handed down. 784 00:40:06,529 --> 00:40:10,991 I have a letter where Madam Walker is describing Brunswick Stew. 785 00:40:11,075 --> 00:40:14,328 How to make ice cream. And there's so much detail. 786 00:40:14,412 --> 00:40:18,833 The food really does matter to her, and it mattered to her mother as well. 787 00:40:18,916 --> 00:40:21,377 When they had the slaves up on the blocks, 788 00:40:21,460 --> 00:40:23,796 one of the selling points was, "Do you cook?" 789 00:40:23,879 --> 00:40:26,215 [Alexander] Slave owners would answer the question. 790 00:40:26,298 --> 00:40:28,509 They weren't really people. They were livestock. 791 00:40:28,592 --> 00:40:30,594 The slave brokers who were selling them 792 00:40:30,678 --> 00:40:33,514 would tell you exactly what they could do. 793 00:40:33,597 --> 00:40:36,725 -[A'Lelia] "She's good at the pot." -[Dean] That would add to their value. 794 00:40:36,809 --> 00:40:38,477 -[Alexander] Yes, absolutely. -[Dean] Right. 795 00:40:38,561 --> 00:40:41,647 As we sit here in this grand mansion, 796 00:40:41,730 --> 00:40:45,317 and we're in the home of the first Black woman 797 00:40:45,401 --> 00:40:48,946 to ever be a millionaire in this country, 798 00:40:49,530 --> 00:40:52,658 I wonder the ways in which food 799 00:40:52,741 --> 00:40:57,204 was used to actually communicate to Black people 800 00:40:57,288 --> 00:40:59,415 around class and access 801 00:40:59,498 --> 00:41:02,543 and privilege and opulence and these other things. 802 00:41:02,626 --> 00:41:06,255 It's so perfect that we're having lobster. 803 00:41:06,338 --> 00:41:07,173 Yes. 804 00:41:07,256 --> 00:41:11,594 [A'Lelia] Because lobster was one of A'Lelia Walker's favorite foods. 805 00:41:12,094 --> 00:41:14,722 She liked to have seafood dinners. 806 00:41:14,805 --> 00:41:16,348 But lobster and champagne, 807 00:41:16,432 --> 00:41:21,228 the combination, is particularly significant in her story. 808 00:41:21,896 --> 00:41:25,691 She went to a birthday party in August of 1931 809 00:41:26,275 --> 00:41:27,860 on the beach in Long Branch. 810 00:41:27,943 --> 00:41:30,237 You know, it was one of those resorts. 811 00:41:30,321 --> 00:41:33,866 It was like Martha's Vineyard is now. That was where presidents summered. 812 00:41:33,949 --> 00:41:36,785 And anytime there are wealthy white people 813 00:41:36,869 --> 00:41:39,914 during that part of the century, there was always a Black community 814 00:41:39,997 --> 00:41:43,125 that was parallel because somebody had to cook for them. 815 00:41:43,209 --> 00:41:47,046 Somebody had to clean for them. Somebody had to entertain them. 816 00:41:47,129 --> 00:41:49,215 She went for the birthday party, 817 00:41:49,298 --> 00:41:52,051 and they were on the beach, and they had lobster 818 00:41:52,134 --> 00:41:54,595 and chocolate cake and champagne. 819 00:41:55,221 --> 00:41:59,308 Now, she had high blood pressure. She'd had a stroke some years earlier, 820 00:41:59,391 --> 00:42:01,018 though she'd fully recovered. 821 00:42:01,101 --> 00:42:05,231 But after this wonderful day of lobster and champagne, 822 00:42:05,314 --> 00:42:07,191 she came back to her cabin 823 00:42:08,108 --> 00:42:12,154 and woke up in the middle of the night, and had a stroke. And died. 824 00:42:12,238 --> 00:42:15,658 -[Stephen] Mm. -[A'Lelia] And it is sad that she died. 825 00:42:15,741 --> 00:42:19,912 But you know, she was doing something she loved up to the last minute. 826 00:42:19,995 --> 00:42:21,372 She didn't linger. 827 00:42:21,455 --> 00:42:24,708 Her funeral was grand. There were thousands of people 828 00:42:24,792 --> 00:42:27,461 who came past Howell Funeral Home 829 00:42:27,545 --> 00:42:29,922 on 138th and 7th Avenue. 830 00:42:30,506 --> 00:42:34,051 A motorcade followed out to Woodlawn Cemetery. 831 00:42:34,134 --> 00:42:36,262 There was a Black pilot, Hubert Julian, 832 00:42:36,345 --> 00:42:40,474 who flew over the grave and who dropped her favorite flowers 833 00:42:40,558 --> 00:42:43,477 onto the grave as all of these people around. 834 00:42:43,561 --> 00:42:45,938 But lobster and champagne was her last meal. 835 00:42:47,064 --> 00:42:50,609 Lobster was a very pedestrian dish for African Americans. 836 00:42:50,693 --> 00:42:53,779 It was cheap, and the white folks weren't interested. 837 00:42:53,862 --> 00:42:57,783 So they were eating lobster as well as oysters 838 00:42:57,866 --> 00:42:59,702 because you could throw your net out, 839 00:42:59,785 --> 00:43:02,955 and shrimp, all of these things that we pay a premium for 840 00:43:03,038 --> 00:43:06,417 because they'd been discovered by the establishment. 841 00:43:06,500 --> 00:43:11,046 And so shrimp and grits, you know, goes from five bucks a plate to 30. 842 00:43:11,130 --> 00:43:15,593 This is a cultural phenomenon that is a part of who we are. 843 00:43:15,676 --> 00:43:17,845 As a person who went to culinary school 844 00:43:17,928 --> 00:43:21,557 under this very rigid French 845 00:43:21,640 --> 00:43:24,393 hierarchical education that tells me, 846 00:43:24,476 --> 00:43:27,021 "This goes with that. That goes with this," 847 00:43:27,605 --> 00:43:29,773 I can't help but separate that 848 00:43:29,857 --> 00:43:31,984 from the fact that y'all are trying to tell me 849 00:43:32,067 --> 00:43:34,278 that this is a bougie item now, 850 00:43:34,862 --> 00:43:40,284 but when we were involved in lobster and oysters, 851 00:43:40,367 --> 00:43:42,328 -it was pedestrian. -[Alexander] Very pedestrian. 852 00:43:42,411 --> 00:43:44,913 And then we internalize that 853 00:43:45,456 --> 00:43:48,208 as a community and think that's not for us. 854 00:43:48,292 --> 00:43:50,794 When in fact, we are the ones who created it. 855 00:43:53,464 --> 00:43:56,592 [Stephen] So much of our story has been suppressed. 856 00:43:57,426 --> 00:43:59,762 But how can a people know who they are 857 00:43:59,845 --> 00:44:01,513 if they don't know who they've been? 858 00:44:02,681 --> 00:44:06,685 It's on us to reclaim our ancestors' stories. 859 00:44:06,769 --> 00:44:08,062 [glasses clinking] 860 00:44:08,562 --> 00:44:11,190 -[A'Lelia] To the ancestors. -[Cha] To the ancestors. 861 00:44:11,273 --> 00:44:12,149 [A'Lelia] Cheers. 862 00:44:12,733 --> 00:44:16,362 [Stephen] Despite the vibrant culture established during the Renaissance, 863 00:44:16,445 --> 00:44:19,698 millions of Black folks still returned home from World War II 864 00:44:20,324 --> 00:44:22,117 to rampant discrimination. 865 00:44:22,618 --> 00:44:26,163 This was a time to engage in a strategic fight for our freedoms. 866 00:44:28,874 --> 00:44:32,419 From organized planning meetings to well-executed protests, 867 00:44:32,503 --> 00:44:35,130 a movement of accountability was brewing. 868 00:44:37,007 --> 00:44:40,678 In Atlanta, there was a little-known lunch counter sit-in 869 00:44:41,387 --> 00:44:44,598 led by a group of HBCU student activists 870 00:44:45,391 --> 00:44:48,102 whose stories I had not known until now. 871 00:44:50,521 --> 00:44:51,980 Their efforts shifted 872 00:44:52,564 --> 00:44:55,567 the course of history in this country forever. 873 00:44:57,611 --> 00:44:59,029 [closing theme song playing]