On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Tunde Wey, a Nigerian social practice artist using food, finance and investment capital to address economic disparities across geographies and demographics. His work engages systems that create material disparity, focusing particularly on how economics and finance impact working class Black people globally. Wey uses performance and installation, film, food, writing, and finance to confront disparities in material conditions and attempt interventions to address these socially constructed inequalities. Wey’s work has been featured in The ..read more

On this episode, Zella talks to her favorite high school teacher, former Dance Director of the Lincoln Park High School Concert Dancers in Chicago, Illinois Efé McWorter. Efé, pronounced E-Fay, hails from the concert dance world of Chicago. Affectionately known as Mama E, she has brought a 40-year Chicago foundation of professional concert modern dance to LA where an actor flowed forth, winning the DC Black Film Festival 2019 Best Actress Award for her role in Tony Scott’s “TOGETHER.” She has joyously extended her love of performance to the world of entertainment through television, film, prin ..read more

On this episode, Zella talks with Dr. Malinda Maynor Lowery and Hannah Goins. Dr. Lowery is a historian and documentary film producer who is a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. In July 2021, she joined Emory University as the Cahoon Family Professor of American History, after spending 12 years at UNC-Chapel Hill and 4 years at Harvard University. Her second book, The Lumbee Indians: An American Struggle, was published by UNC Press in 2018. The book is a survey of Lumbee history from the eighteenth century to the present, written for a general audience. Her first book, Lumbee Indian ..read more

On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella continues her conversation with Madame Barbara Trevigne to talk about the legacy of Marie Laveau, Voodoo Queen of New Orleans. Trevigne, a 7th Ward Native of New Orleans, shares her research about growing up Creole in New Orleans, New Orleans food, religous and death traditions, and the importance of Madame Marie Laveau. Culture & Flavor is Powered by Simplecast ..read more

On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella sits down with Mariama Diallo, Brooklyn-based renowned filmmaker, writer, and director. Her debut feature, Master, from Amazon Studios, was released in March 2022 after premiering in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival. Previous works include the short films Hair Wolf (Sundance 2018) and White Devil (TIFF 2021), as well as HBO’s Random Acts of Flyness. She has been featured in Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch and Filmmaker magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film. Photo courtesy of Nechama Leitner. Culture & Flavor is ..read more

On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella sits down with Chef Jonathan Rhodes from Houston, Texas. Chef Jonny’s work experience is founded in time at several high-profile restaurants including Gramercy Tavern, The Inn at Dos Brisas, and Oxheart. During this time, Rhodes was inspired to launch the Jensen Chronicle, Indigo to Broham, and Food Fight Farms. Chef Rhodes' mission is to continue advancing the culture through agriculture and land ownership as it represents the sacrifice and beauty of the African American experience. Culture & Flavor is Powered by Simplecast ..read more

On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with A'Lelia Bundles about the legacy of Madam C.J. Walker, Zella's great grandfather Dr. Joseph Henry Ward (who was Madam Walker's doctor and friend), and A'Lelia's soon to be released book, "The Joy Goddess: A'Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance." A’Lelia Bundles is the author of "On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker," a New York Times Notable Book about her entrepreneurial great-great-grandmother and the nonfiction inspiration for Self Made, the fictional Netflix series starring Octavia Spencer. "Joy Goddess: A’L ..read more

On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Chef Toya Boudy about growing up in New Orleans and her journey to be authentically herself in food media. Chef Toya specializes in putting a unique twist on New Orleans-style dishes and cooks with a Southern flare. As a native New Orleanian, she started honing her culinary skills at a young age and used her talent to kickstart a successful career. As a culinary authority on Cajun and Creole cuisine, she enjoys bringing creativity to the kitchen and teaching people how to take a piece of New Orleans back home with them. Culture & F ..read more

On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Aimée Wallin, a political foodie that advocates for local eating, sustainable production methods and preservation of Black food cultures. Wallin is Swedish/ Malian and works with the Non-profit Ghana Food Movement (GFM), a network for food actors in Ghana. GFM's vision is a resilient local food system that provides jobs and nutritious food for all Ghanaians. GFM's is currently a food education hub in Accra, Ghana opening in September this year. More info on how to support: ghanafoodmovement.com. Aimée is always ready to connect with foo ..read more

On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Patty Durães, a food scholar with expertise in Afro-diasporic heritage in Brazilian cuisine based in São Paulo, Brazil. They discuss Patty's journey as an Afro-Brazilian food scholar and activist. Durães' research includes bibliographic and field research, articles, and speaking engagements at various institutions such as MASP, Itaú Cultural, Preta Hub, and SESC SP. Additionally, she has contributed to the São Paulo Book Bienal and the "Coisas Daqui" program on Globo Minas, expanding the dialogue on the importance of food in the constru ..read more