Residence Life's 'Soul Fest' a Huge Success
Published 03.03.2008
On Sunday, the Office of Residence Life concluded its celebration of African-American History Month with a Soul Fest program in the PDC.
More than 100 people enjoyed the culinary delights of Residence Life staff from fried chicken, fried fish, pork ribs and ox tail to baked macaroniand cheese, collard greens, black-eyed peas with rice and fried okra to lemonade, sweet tea, sweet potato pie, pound cake, bread pudding and corn bread.
"Soul Food" is a term that originated from the cuisine developed by the African slaves mainly from the American South. A dark and despicable period in the history of the United States resulted in a cuisine fashioned from the meager ingredients available to the slave and sharecropper black families. The meat used was the least desirable cuts and the vegetables, some bordering on weeds, were all that was available for African-Americans during slavery to prepare nutritious meals for their families. From these ingredients evolved a cuisine that is simple, yet hearty and delicious. All participants receivedfree recipes of food served.
The evening started out with a guest speaker, James Braxton Peterson, assistant professor of English at Bucknell University. He has been a visiting lecturer and preceptor in African American Studies at Princeton University and was the founding Media Coordinator for the Harvard University Hip Hop Archive.
Peterson has appeared on Fox News, MSNBC, ABC News, ESPN and various local television networks as an expert on Hip Hop culture, popular culture, urban youth and politics. He has published in Callaloo, Black Arts Quarterly, XXL, Technitions and Lexani magazine. He also has been featured and/or quoted in Vibe Magazine, Philadelphia Weekly, Southern Voices and The Wall Street Journal.
All participants were asked to provide a monetary contribution to a collection basket for the Williamsport YWCA. An undisclosed amount will be donated to the Williamsport YWCA.
( Photos provided by Residence Life)