BLACK KITCHEN INITIATIVE 

In a country that often seeks to snuff out the uncomfortable parts of its own history, telling stories matters, and telling Black stories even more so. The Black Kitchen Series was born out of Heinz’s commitment to deepen our understanding of American food, and more specifically celebrate and preserve Black culinary history by telling Black food stories for Black folks first and foremost. Going beyond a “Black Food 101,” it’s an opportunity to go beyond education and create entertainment for all who are interested in engaging with the world at the intersection of food and history. Over 2 seasons, 12 episodes, and a bounty of bonus visual and audio content, we shined a light on folks who’ve leaned into their past to break down the barriers that continue to keep Black cooking and Black people out of the American culinary pantheon. 

This season, The Black Kitchen Series: Innovators had our host Jade Verette meet some of the incredible Black innovators across the country changing the face of food as we know it. An experienced podcast host and beloved chef, JadeofallJades interviewed a few of the farmers, healers, chefs, artists, and organizers transforming our collective relationship to food, community, environment and each other across the nation. Trekking from New York to South Carolina to Georgia to Texas to California, we ended up with conversations that were just as varied as our guests. These 11 guests, across 6 episodes (and 5 bonus episodes), chatted about Black veganism, how they use farming as a tool for liberation, the planet-saving powers of an underrated West-African grain, and so much more. More specifically, time and again we heard stories that demonstrated just how intertwined Black communities, histories and our desires for the future are and continue to be. 
(293 words)

​

Results:

• Almost doubled our listenership and downloads between S1 and S2 or we saw a 92% increase in downloads and a 96% increase in listenership between S1 and S2.

• Well-reviewed, averaging 4.8 stars on Apple Podcasts and 4.9 on Spotify

• The promotional trailer for S2 of the podcast garnered 28.3M views across Instagram and TikTok