Hyde Park, NY – A month-long series of events at The Culinary Institute of America in honor of Black History Month culminates with a pair of panel discussions
open to the public on Tuesday, February 27. “The Past, Present, and Future of
African-American Chefs” will be held at both 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Danny
Kaye Theatre on the CIA’s Hyde Park campus. All
are welcome and admission is free.
The panel features Adrian
Miller, author of The President’s
Kitchen Cabinet: The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First
Families, from the Washingtons to the Obamas;CIA alumna Roshara Sanders, winner of the 2017 Faces of Diversity Award from the National
Restaurant Association; and CIA alumnus Brandon Walker, executive chef and owner of Essie’s restaurant in Poughkeepsie, NY.
Mr. Miller’s book was a 2018 NAACP Image Award Finalist for
Outstanding Literary Work, Nonfiction. He won a James Beard Foundation Award
for his earlier book, Soul Food: The
Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time.
Topics that Miller, Sanders, and Walker plan to address
include:
- The historical culinary contributions of African-American chefs
- Professional development for chefs of color
- Minority entrepreneurship strategies
- Answering the question, “Where are all the black chefs?”
While admission is free, seating is first-come,
first-served. The discussion, along with other events for CIA students being
held throughout February in celebration of Black History Month, is sponsored by
the college’s Diversity Council.
Photo Caption and Hi-Res Image:
CIA graduate Brandon Walker, chef/owner of Essie’s
Restaurant in Poughkeepsie, NY, will be one of the panelists participating in a
discussion about African-American chefs at The Culinary Institute of America on
February 27, 2018 in honor of Black History Month. (Photo credit: CIA/Phil Miller)
Media Contact:
Jeff Levine
Communications Writer
845-451-1372
Jeff.Levine@culinary.edu
About The Culinary Institute of America
Founded in 1946, The
Culinary Institute of America is the world’s premier culinary college.
Dedicated to developing leaders in foodservice and hospitality, the
independent, not-for-profit CIA offers bachelor’s degrees in management,
culinary arts, culinary science, and applied food studies, and associate
degrees in either culinary arts or baking and pastry arts. The college also
offers executive education through its Food Business School along with
certificate programs and courses for professionals and enthusiasts. Its
conferences, leadership initiatives, and consulting services have made the CIA
the think tank of the food industry and its worldwide network of nearly 50,000
alumni includes innovators in every area of the food business. The CIA has
locations in New York, California, Texas, and Singapore.
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