The Center for the Study of the New South will hold a series of events to examine “Soul Food: A Contemporary and Historical Exploration of New South Food.”
At 2 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 18, in the Student Union Movie Theater, there will be a screening of “Pride and Joy,” a documentary produced by Southern Foodways Alliance. According to Merriam Webster, foodways are “the eating habits and culinary practices of a people, region or historical period.” Joe York, director of “Pride and Joy,” studies the diverse food cultures of the changing American South. Select faculty members will respond to the film, and there will be a question-and-answer session.
The second event in the series will be the panel discussion “Future of Food in the New South” scheduled for 6 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 19, at UNC Charlotte Center City. Topics for this discussion will include what the future of food looks like in the South; challenges of food production, consumption and access; and what makes Southern cuisine distinctive.
Panelists will be Timothy Cameron, associate professor, Johnson and Wales; Robin Emmons, UNC Charlotte alumna and founder/executive director of Sow Much Good; Cassie Parsons, executive chef and owner of Farmer-Baker-Sausage Maker and co-owner of Grateful Growers Farm; and Kathleen Purvis, food editor, Charlotte Observer. UNC Charlotte history professor Karen Cox will moderate.
Future events in the series include “An Evening with Toni Tipton-Martin” at 7 p.m., Monday, March 10, at the Levine Museum of the New South and a two-day conference on “Culture and Food in the South” scheduled for September.
Seating for the February events, which are free and open to the public, is limited. Reservations are required; email clas-event@uncc.edu.
The Center for the Study of the New South is housed in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.