Since March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated critical issues of social injustice—including systemic racism, climate change, exploitative labor, and police brutality—leading to widespread attention and new waves of activism. However, the movements behind these issues have been growing for decades, if not hundreds of years. Artists have long played a unique role by bearing witness, capturing specific moments in time as well as the spirit of collective movements for change. Join us for a conversation with artists Adama Delphine Fawundu and Januwa Moja Nelson about the ways art can bear witness to social movements and our shared humanity.

Despite recent decades of feminist activism and increasing gender equity, women are still disproportionately responsible for domestic tasks, including managing family meals and nutrition. Yet the culinary industry—professionalized cooking—is predominantly male. In this FRESH TALK, speakers explore what happens when “women’s work” doesn’t necessarily uplift women and how women within and outside of the culinary industry can forge a new path forward. Speakers include culinary historian, professor, and author Jessica B. Harris; food critic, chef, podcast host, and author Soleil Ho; chef, author, and founder of Black Culinary History Thérèse Nelson; and culinary historian Laura Shapiro.

Throughout history, the kitchen has existed as a place for bodily nourishment, a laboratory for healing and a site for restorative justice. This conversation will explore the ways that female caretakers have contributed to traditional medicine, how mental and physical pain is connected and whether systemic racism and cultural repression create a specific need for marginalized groups to engage in acts of wellness and healing. Speakers include Navina Khanna, executive director of HEAL Food Alliance; Samaria King, co-founder of Mutual Aid Apothecary; and Tsedaye Makonnen, interdisciplinary artist, featured in RECLAMATION: Recipes, Remedies, and Rituals.