The Grand Rapids Community College Black Africana Student Union in partnership with the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, held one of its final events for Black History Month, as the event called Food 4 Da Soul connected many Grand Rapids Community College students and faculty through soul food on Feb. 20.
BASU President Tyrell Jackson elaborated on how he defines soul food.
“Soul food is any food that is made with hard work for the goal of making the table have a family feeling to it,” Jackson said. “That allows everyone to chop it up after all the hard work in the kitchen.”
BASU brought in Woods and Woods Catering to serve an exceptional slate of dishes. The main dish consisted of golden-fried wing dings, barbecue wings, vegetarian meatballs and baked chicken. There were also a few side dishes, including mac and cheese, green beans mixed with turkey and cornbread. Finally for dessert, sweet potato pie, pineapple upside down cake, red velvet cake, peach cobbler, alongside sparkling water.
Prior to any eating, Jackson led a short presentation on soul food, the history of it and prominent figures in the Black community. Some slides included information on famous Black figures including Barack Obama, Muhamad Ali, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Denzel Washington, and much more. Jackson finished the presentation by asking students and faculty to join in on singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” better known as “The Black National Anthem” by National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) leader James Weldon Johnson which created a feeling of community across the room. After this, guests were let go table-by-table to get their food.
While students were eating, they received a question sheet to encourage conversation about soul food. Some questions were:
- What is soul food to you?
- What makes soul food unique?
- What’s a delicate food dish within your family culture?
- What’s your favorite soul food and why?
There were also facts about soul food, including why slaves ate collard greens and where the birthplace of soul food is. Collard greens were one of the few vegetables that African-Americans were allowed to grow for themselves and their families back during slavery. Also, soul food originates from Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama, considered the Deep South.
Andre Walker, 17, of Grand Rapids, mentioned his favorite part was the family vibes the event gave off.
“This didn’t feel like any ordinary event at GRCC,” Walker said. “There was a sense of family and connection among the faculty and students where we got to talk about meaningful things and ate some really good food. Like seriously, shoutout Woods and Woods Catering for such a good meal.”
Chiquital Clay, the Associate Director of Financial Aid, Student Engagement and Eligibility at GRCC, felt the event brought people together.
“This event at GRCC means togetherness, it shows GRCC’s support of BASU and also the heritage of the Black students,” Clay said. “It allows multiple groups to come together and also know and understand what Black history is.”
For more information on future BASU and ODEI events as well as other GRCC events, visit the Raider Connect website.
