Michael Twitty Poster & Resources

Grade Span: 9-12

Themes:

Michael W. Twitty celebrates foodways and culinary cultures in order to celebrate the brilliance and originality of communities who have endured oppression and dispersion. His writings and teachings center and elevate African American, Jewish, queer, and other folk whose tastes, textures, spices, and aromas have shaped and transformed America’s collective palate. His work pursues justice, community, and understanding across borders. 

• Pursuing social justice
• Celebrating cultural heritage
• Building bridges and crossing borders

About

Born in Washington, D.C., Michael W. Twitty (b. 1977) is one of America’s leading food historians whose writings and teachings demand that diasporic foodways be understood and valued for their contributions to the culinary and cultural constitution of the United States. As a queer Jew of Color, he celebrates intersectional identities while also advocating for more recognition of the struggles and successes of underappreciated communities. His books Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew and The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South create space to contemplate on cultural preservation, hybridization, and justice.

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