Black History Program Bake-Off organizer Roenessa Witcher poses with her cake on Feb. 28 in Room 346. Witcher coordinated the upcoming bake-off event on Feb. 28 to highlight the history of African American cuisine. “(African Americans) did have the right to sweet potatoes, lemons, really anything they were able to grow themselves,” Witcher said. “(Competitors) can bake a cake, pudding, custard, or cobbler because those are staples in the African American community.” Photo by Aza Khan
The Black History Program Bake-Off on Feb. 28 will retell the story of African Americans through a historical baking competition.
Clarke Central High School’s first Black History Bake-Off will take place on Feb. 26, with competitors bringing their own baked goods to represent African Americans of the past.
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Science department teacher and Black community member, Roenessa Witcher, will host the Black History Bake-Off on Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. in the Dr. Miller B. Jordan Cafeteria. Competitors’ ingredient options will represent the lives of Jim Crow-era African Americans, whose cooking options were limited by what they could grow themselves.
“During slavery and post-slavery, African slaves (and) African Americans were not allowed to go into town and shop at the same time as their white counterparts,”Witcher said. “When they did go into town and shop they were limited to certain things. They could get ice cream but they could not get vanilla ice cream.”
Competitors will choose an ingredient that African Americans were once prevented from buying, such as buttermilk or vanilla, and integrate it into their recipe. However, the desserts should also include staples in the African American community at the time.
“I am going to be baking a sweet potato custard. Some people call it a sweet potato pie. With the restricted ingredients, it might be hard to incorporate some things that I usually put in it or some things that I don’t put in it.” Bake-Off competitor and Black CCHS student, Gillian Williams, a sophomore, said. “This gives background knowledge and information to why (food restrictions) happened and what’s the history behind it.”
“(This competition) shows our culture and it shows what we’ve done and what we’ve come from.”
— Gillian Williams, Sophomore
Judges will rank competitors on presentation, consistency, taste and how they use their restricted ingredients like pecans, peaches and chocolate. According to Williams, African American food has come a long way and now is a core aspect of American cuisine culture.
“(These inequalities) definitely played a part in the growth of education. (People back then) only had cornbread and collard greens, and that was about it,” Williams said. “(This competition) shows our culture and it shows what we’ve done and what we’ve come from.”
