This episode of the Blackbelt podcast explores how Urban Patchwork, a Little Rock-based nonprofit network of farmers and backyard gardeners, aims to build a sustainable local food economy and promote interdependence among residents. LeRoi Emerson is a board member for Urban Patchwork and joins host Adena White to talk about his passion for farming and the organization's efforts to increase access to fresh food in low-income, low-access neighborhoods. By bringing people together around food, Urban Patchwork's goal is to foster a sense of community and collaboration while enhancing both the physical health and social cohesion of Little Rock neighborhoods.

We're back in the saddle! In this episode, Adena and Kara discuss the relaunch of Blackbelt Voices as a platform for authentic storytelling. After completing a Social Impact Storytelling program at Georgetown University and a fellowship with Solutions Journalism Network, Adena has come back with fresh ideas of how Blackbelt Voices can emphasize the importance of authenticity, belonging, and connection in storytelling.

Adena and Kara talk to writer and self-proclaimed Wypipologist Michael Harriot. The South Carolina native is well known for his wit, cultural commentary, and gift of mixing humor and historical context. In this episode, Michael breaks down the discipline of Wypipology, Black humor, and the story behind his coining of the phrase "invited to the cookout." (Yes, he's the one who came up with it.)

Michael is the host of the recently launched TheGrio Daily podcast, produced by theGrio Black Podcast Network. He has also authored a book, "Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America," which is available for pre-order now.

Follow @BlackbeltVoices on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Share your thoughts about this episode and all things Black + Southern on social media using the hashtag #BlackbeltVoices.

CREDITS AND SPECIAL THANKS

Edited and produced by: Katrina Dupins and Prentice Dupins Jr.

Music: Prentice Dupins Jr.

Logo Design: Kara Darling Creative

The Blackbelt Voices podcast is a production of Blackbelt Media LLC.

La'Twana Scott, the owner of Sweet Mama T's in El Dorado, Arkansas, developed a reputation as a great cook at an early age. The El Dorado native enjoys cooking for people and got her start from helping her mom as a child.

Eventually, with the help of Southern Bancorp, Scott found the perfect location for her restaurant. Find out more about Sweet Mama T's by visiting her Facebook page.

Season 3 of Blackbelt Voices is brought to you by Southern Bancorp.

Southern Bancorp is one of America’s oldest and largest community development financial institutions, founded to provide underserved communities with access to capital and the wealth-building tools needed to grow. On the web at BankSouthern.com and SouthernPartners.org.

CONNECT WITH BLACKBELT VOICES

Follow @BlackbeltVoices on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Share your thoughts about this episode and all things Black + Southern on social media using the hashtag #BlackbeltVoices.

On episode 37 of Blackbelt Voices, we continue our conversation about Black food, this time focusing on barbecue. Guest Michael “Mike D” De Los Santos of North Carolina walks us through his journey of becoming an expert on the topic, which eventually led to him creating his own sauces and rubs and selling through his company, Mike D’s.

Mike’s journey to becoming a small business owner has uplifting and heartbreaking turns, including the loss of his infant son Aaron, which he wrote about in a book he authored called “My Heart Warrior: Living With HLHS Through A Father’s Eyes.”

Mike and his business was also featured on Discovery Channel’s “I Quit.”

Season 3 of Blackbelt Voices is brought to you by Southern Bancorp.

Southern Bancorp is one of America’s oldest and largest community development financial institutions, founded to provide underserved communities with access to capital and the wealth-building tools needed to grow. On the web at BankSouthern.com and SouthernPartners.org.

CONNECT WITH BLACKBELT VOICES

Follow @BlackbeltVoices on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Share your thoughts about this episode and all things Black + Southern on social media using the hashtag #BlackbeltVoices.

CREDITS AND SPECIAL THANKS

Edited and produced by: Katrina Dupins and Prentice Dupins Jr.

Music: Prentice Dupins Jr.

Logo Design: Kara Darling Creative

The Blackbelt Voices podcast is a production of

Blackbelt Media LLC.

In episode 36 of Blackbelt Voices, Adena and Kara continue the conversation about Black food culture – this time from an agricultural angle. Our guest, Gerald Harris, along with his partners Derek Beasley and Gabrielle E.W. Carter (who was featured in the Netflix series High on the Hog as well as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal)started Tall Grass Food Box, a community-supported agricultural model (CSA).

Gerald told us about a Tuskegee professor named Booker T. Whatley who many call the godfather of CSA. He is best known for his regenerative farming system, in combination with the direct-marketing concept of a customer harvesting operation known as pick-your-own. Dr. Whatley has been said to be 30 years ahead of his time. Lots of experts in the field still refer to his 10 commandments for small farmers.

Gerald also pointed to the 1920 Census, which shows the number of Black farmers in America Peaked at 949,889. In 2019 there were just over 45,000 Black farmers according to figures from the US Department of Agriculture.

Tall Grass was born out of the pandemic. So Gerald says they’ve learned a lot about the CSA business space, who they could trust, and how to help. They have been expanding. Some other positive outcomes include they now have a refrigerated vehicle. Those funds were raised by their community and people who wanted to see them succeed.

Thanks to Gerald for being a guest on our podcast. Check out Tall Grass on Facebook or Instagram or send them a note via email: hello@tallgrassnc.com.

Season 3 of Blackbelt Voices is brought to you by Southern Bancorp.

Southern Bancorp is one of America’s oldest and largest community development financial institutions, founded to provide underserved communities with access to capital and the wealth-building tools needed to grow. On the web at BankSouthern.com and SouthernPartners.org.

CONNECT WITH BLACKBELT VOICES

Follow @BlackbeltVoices on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Share your thoughts about this episode and all things Black + Southern on social media using the hashtag #BlackbeltVoices.

CREDITS AND SPECIAL THANKS

Edited and produced by: Katrina Dupins and Prentice Dupins Jr.

Music: Prentice Dupins Jr.

Logo Design: Kara Darling Creative

The Blackbelt Voices podcast is a production of

Blackbelt Media LLC.

We’re starting a new series of episodes about Black Food Culture, which is a very broad topic to tackle. It can be fun, but it is also deep. Ashante Reese, Ph.D. is a writer, teacher, and anthropologist who works at the intersection of critical food studies and Black geographies. Her latest book, “Black Food Matters: Racial Justice in the Wake of Food Justice, enters two conversations at once: one that concerns the persistent threats to Black life and another that concerns problems produced by the increasingly global and corporatized food system.”

Dr. Reese recommends some texts for our listeners who are interested in learning more about BlackFood studies. They include Building Houses out of Chicken Legs by Psyche A. Williams-Forson; and Dethroning the Deceitful Porkchop, a collection of essays that basically interrogate the concept of soul food.

And for an even deeper dive, here are some of Reese's food-related recommended readings.

Season 3 of Blackbelt Voices is brought to you by Southern Bancorp.

Southern Bancorp is one of America’s oldest and largest community development financial institutions, founded to provide underserved communities with access to capital and the wealth-building tools needed to grow. On the web at BankSouthern.com and SouthernPartners.org.

CONNECT WITH BLACKBELT VOICES

Follow @BlackbeltVoices on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Share your thoughts about this episode and all things Black + Southern on social media using the hashtag #BlackbeltVoices.

CREDITS AND SPECIAL THANKS

Edited and produced by: Katrina Dupins and Prentice Dupins Jr.

Music: Prentice Dupins Jr.

Logo Design: Kara Darling Creative

The Blackbelt Voices podcast is a production of

Blackbelt Media LLC.

Jennifer Williams of Cleveland, Mississippi, always knew she wanted to be a teacher. When she was a girl, her favorite game was playing school.

Williams is teaching future teachers at the Cleveland Career Development and Technology Center. Once a week, her students get to serve as teacher's assistants, giving them a realistic feel of what it could be like to run a classroom. The center offers a practical learning environment designed to prepare students for employment or future study in various skill areas ranging from auto mechanics and welding to health and public safety.

As an adult, Williams continues to learn and pass along those lessons to her students. Several years ago, she went through some financial hardship and needed extra funds to get her through to the next month. A friend suggested she try a payday lender. Nine loans later and drowning in debt, Williams found help with Southern Bancorp.

Season 3 of Blackbelt Voices is brought to you by Southern Bancorp.

Southern Bancorp is one of America’s oldest and largest community development financial institutions, founded to provide underserved communities with access to capital and the wealth-building tools needed to grow. On the web at BankSouthern.com and SouthernPartners.org.

CONNECT WITH BLACKBELT VOICES

Follow @BlackbeltVoices on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Share your thoughts about this episode and all things Black + Southern on social media using the hashtag #BlackbeltVoices.