Symposiums
Spring 2023
Of Hearth & Table Symposium: Culture, Cultivation, & Food Access in Black Communities
March 24, 2023
Food discloses the soul of a community. This statement can certainly be applied to the many Black communities in the diaspora. Culinary expression can be found in the kitchen, at the dinner table or out in the streets. In African American communities, authenticating one’s sweet potato pie recipe or debating what region offers the best barbecue are commonplace. Black communities also face issues of stereotyping, food shaming and lack of access, which challenges communities seeking to thrive. This symposium will create much-needed dialogue at Wake Forest University about the various ways food connects with Black communities, highlighting the complexity, languages, struggles and ingenious creativity found in African American culinary traditions. The symposium will culminate with an exciting evening keynote event featuring culinary historian, professor, journalist, and James Beard Foundation award winner, Dr. Jessica B. Harris. Dr. Harris will engage in a public conversation with Gabrielle Eitienne, who was also featured on the Netflix documentary series, High on the Hog, in Byrum Welcome Center Auditorium at 6 pm. Click Here for more information.
Spring 2022
Black Women’s Health Symposium
March 24, 2022
Shedding light on the experiences of Black women, this symposium brings together healthcare professionals and academics to discuss their experiences in our public health system. Drawing from their expertise, the panelists will illuminate ways Black women have created opportunities for wholeness and optimal health in the face of a medical system that too often impedes the wellness of Black bodies. This conversation will be moderated by Dr. Amber K. Brooks, Board Certified Anesthesiologist and Comprehensive Pain Management specialist with Atrium Baptist Health. Dr. Brooks will be joined by Dr. Goldie Byrd, Professor of Social Sciences and Health Policy and Director of the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity at Wake Forest School of Medicine, Dr. Milicent Ford of General Pediatrics at Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health Dr. Jaleema Speaks of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Novant Health as panelists.
This event will be held on March 24th at 2:00p in the Pugh Auditorium.
Spring 2020
Opening Symposium: “The Future of Research, Teaching, and Engagement in African American Life”
May 22, 2020
In collaboration with Corey Walker, chair of Wake Forest University’s new African American Studies program, we convened nine preeminent scholars, center directors and department chairs of units focusing on African American life for an enriching dialogue. These scholars offered perspectives from their respective disciplines, giving attention to the significant possibilities of having both a center and program on one campus. Each participant spoke to the ways their representative scholarship speaks to current trends in the evolving study of African American life and offered perspectives regarding untapped possibilities of future studies. Most importantly, we learned practical strategies for getting the center off the grown successfully. The participants included: Eddie Glaude (Princeton); John Jackson (UPenn); Kesha-Khan Perry (Brown); Greg Carr (Howard); Dana Williams (Howard); Claudrena Harold (Virginia); Mark Little (UNC Chapel Hill); Sylvester Johnson (Virginia Tech); and Josef Sorett (Columbia).
