Docuseries screening in Memorial Union to celebrate Juneteenth

N.Y. Times: ‘High on the Hog’ taps scholarship ‘to chart how African Americans have shaped the country’s cuisine’

UND’s Hilyard Center will be showing an episode from the acclaimed Netflix docuseries “High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America” at the Social Stairs of the Memorial Union at noon on Wednesday, June 19.

The screening will coincide with Juneteenth, the federal holiday commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. And not coincidentally, the episode that the Hilyard Center will show on the Social Stairs describes the origins of Juneteenth. More about that below.

Hosted by Stephen Satterfield, an African-American food writer, producer, and media entrepreneur, “High on the Hog” is an eight-episode series that, over two seasons, showcases “the rich history of Black heritage cooking and how it has influenced American cuisine,” as The Seattle Medium reports. (The Seattle Medium, part of the largest minority-owned and operated communications company in the Pacific Northwest, serves the African American and other underserved communities in the region.)

Satterfied “starts his culinary journey in western Africa and continues to the U.S., making his deeply personal sojourn a voyage of self-discovery for everyone,” The Seattle Medium continues. And about Episode 4, which the Hilyard Center will show on Wednesday, The Seattle Medium has this to say:

“Episode 4 brings (Season One of) the series to a conclusion as the production ventures to Texas, highlighting the significance of the holiday Juneteenth. Satterfield is briefed on the history by James Beard finalist Jerrelle Guy, author of Black Girl Baking, who unveils some of her prized desserts (Raw raspberry-hibiscus cheesecake) and their historic significance.

“Meeting Black cowboys (Northeastern Trail Riders Association) and seeing how African Americans influenced cowboy culture — from cuisine to rodeo events — is also very informative. Add in clips of tantalizing cowboy stew, beef brisket, baby back pork ribs and tamarind paste broth, and the intersection of culture and food continues to amaze. It’s like taking a graduate course in four self-contained episodes.”

“High on the Hog,” said The New York Times in a review of the series,  “is an incredible reframing of history that reintroduces the United States to viewers through the lens of Black people’s food — which is to say, American food. The canon of recipes and foodways emerging from Southern culture, shaped by centuries of agricultural and culinary labor by African people and their descendants, is the foundation of American cooking.”

All are welcome to attend the screening at the Social Stairs.