It’s no secret that Black women in the food and beverage industry are often unrecognized. Despite the challenges they face, Black women are continuously striving individually and collectively to navigate a space that often sidelines their contributions. From kitchens to food publications, they are using their talent in their communities to make an impact in the industry.
As a culmination to Women’s History Month and in light of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we hosted a Black Women in Food Twitter Chat focused on “Black Women in Food in a Time of Uncertainty. The virtual event featured judges and honorees of our 2020 Edition of “31 Days of Black Women in Food,” which celebrates the achievements and advancements of black women in the food and beverage industry.
The Twitter Chat featured Chef, Writer, and founder of Black Culinary History, Thérèse Nelson, Food Writer and host of A Hungry Society, Korsha Wilson, Pastry Chef Paola Velez, and Chef, Author, and Restaurateur, Tanya Holland. Representing diverse areas within the food and beverage industry, these women shared their experiences on coping and responding to COVID-19 and provided insights on strategies and needs for the food and beverage industry during and beyond the pandemic.
From the beginning, the featured panelists agreed that COVID-19 was tough and unsettling for them. As Velez dealt with losing her job as the Executive Pastry Chef at Washington’s DC’s Kith/Kin Restaurant when it closed as a result of the city’s shelter-in place order, Nelson and Wilson explained that it was difficult to pinpoint one feeling when there were multiple feelings consuming them.
The reality for chefs like Velez during COVID-19 is grave. From losing her job, to navigating a stressful application process for unemployment benefits, and struggling with being far from family, the compounded challenges during the pandemic have taken a toll on her. This reality is indicative of what others in the food and beverage industry are facing as restaurants close, workers are cut, and livelihoods are disrupted.
While COVID-19 is new, the challenges that Black women in food and beverage have always faced are only exacerbated by the pandemic. For Nelson, equity in the industry is at the crux of challenges that the pandemic has exposed. In essence, existing inequity in the food and beverage industry disproportionately affected people of color and COVID-19 has not only shown what happens as a result, but is likely to continue after the pandemic if not addressed.
Painting the picture of who is affected by the disruption, Holland shared the difficulty of workers who often live paycheck to paycheck. This instability shapes the industry and leaves individuals and businesses vulnerable in times of uncertainty.
Yet, Black women have not been sitting waiting to be saved. They have been acting for equity in the food and beverage industry before, during and are likely to continue after COVID-19. Nelson expressed that this demographic is “uniquely prepared for this new paradigm,” which provides hope for equity in the industry.
For people looking to support Black women in food during COVID-19, our featured panelists offered a number of ways, including:
Share small or large projects by chefs and culinary creatives with others, especially those that do not have public relations or marketing budgets.
Buy products and services, especially from brands you previous overlooked
Engage virtually by commenting, subscribing to email lists, and joining communities (e.g. Dine Diaspora, Black Food Folks, or Black Food and Beverage)
