Thanksgiving is evolving.
In kitchens across the city and around the nation, this uniquely American, home-cooked food festival is no longer simply a woman’s work. Men are changing the gendered nature of this old family tradition, and Black men in particular are bringing nuance, spices, and an eye toward land acknowledgement and reparations to the table. Though the holiday brings mixed feelings for those who don’t agree with its racist roots, some are harnessing the moment to blend creativity with legacy and reshape meals that reflect the evolution of both the holiday and Black culture.
“I’m a colonized Black man in a country that robbed the Indigenous people of their Native land and used a ceremony to represent that,” said Exavier Pope, a popular Chicago media personality, yoga teacher and lawyer who often posts his vegan creations on Instagram.
Rather than chuck the holiday altogether, Pope changed it to better suit his own needs and beliefs. “I got into mindful eating and began to introduce my children to a plant-based diet by recreating some of those classic dishes I grew up with. It’s all about making sure that you can enjoy these dishes without compromising on flavor or your health,” he said.
Pope, who grew up in Burnside with a foster mom who taught him how to cook, has moved beyond so-called traditional foods for this moment. He imbues his holiday gatherings with the spirit of hospitality and a large dose of historical relevance. Black men, he said, can lead in this space by finding ways to use their authenticity and power for good.
“As a Black man, I have the right to be the fullest expression of who God created me to be,” Pope said. “Thanksgiving presents Black men with the time and place to show they can cook, they can be leaders of their homes and communities and also serve others all at the same time.”
To be clear, some men don’t feel this way. Historically, the kitchen in America is a place for women. And most holiday meals, planning and cleanup are left to women. But recent studies show this is changing. Slowly.
Black grillmasters and chefs seem to dominate social shares on sites such as TikTok. Anecdotally speaking, most of Chicago’s barbecue joints are owned by men. Meanwhile, in 2022, the Census Bureau reported 12.5% of chefs and head cooks identified as Black. And a recent Penn State survey found that 59% of men and 47% of women said they spent more than 10 hours preparing for Thanksgiving, bolstering the idea that the holiday’s traditional gender gap might slowly be closing.
Jovon Brown Jr., a West Side native, rising chef and owner of the condiment business Fruits of My Labor Sauces & Jams, is one of those men who takes cooking seriously. He discovered, long ago, that the kitchen has always been a place of exploration and connection for him — especially during the holidays. As a teenager, Brown embraced his passion for cooking after watching his relatives decorate their holiday spreads with cakes, pies and an assortment of other desserts.
“I started off making sweet potato pies since it was pretty easy,” said the self-described “rising chef.” “My grandparents were bakers, so I love making desserts since that’s where my family heritage lies.”
In addition to preparing holiday entrees like ham, turkey and beef wellington, Brown takes pride in introducing his younger relatives to the kitchen, helping them build their confidence with new recipes and flavors.
“I had role models in the kitchen so I enjoy being the same for younger relatives,” he said. “Guiding their confidence through trying new recipes in the kitchen means a lot.”
Brown also believes that Black men can and should explore all kinds of cooking without limitation. This means moving away from strictly serving only macaroni and cheese and greens with pork.
“There are quite a bit of Black chefs now, but that wasn’t always the case,” Brown said. “The chefs that are doing their thing now looked up to the ones who came before them. We need to keep the future chefs in mind.”
Perhaps that future means the mainstreaming of fried turkey. Long before fried turkey became the bird de jour for Turkey Day, it became a popular item at South Holland’s Adams Barbecue Catering, established in the late 1980s.
“Back in the 90s, I got the idea to break up the tradition of having a roasted turkey,” said Jason Adams, who once was the owner of Adams Barbecue Catering. “We decided to make fried turkeys.”
It was the move of the moment back then, not too long after celebrity chef Justin Wilson deep-fried a turkey on his 1986 PBS show “Louisiana Cookin’.” Adams’ innovative kitchen practices didn’t stop with just the frying technique. He and a friend taught themselves how to grill turkeys by using cast iron pots, the same type of kettles used for boiling clothes in the 1800s. Eventually those turkeys were offered to customers. This boosted Adams’ reputation to become known for his “specialty turkeys” among customers and across Chicago.
“We decided not only to fry them with a propane gas fryer, but we could get a smoked type of taste without putting them on the grill,” Adams said. “Nowadays, it’s so popular to have specialized turkeys as part of Black Thanksgiving spreads because we’re able to add our own flair to such a traditional part of the holiday.”
Adams’ specialty turkey tradition has now become a family affair and his sons now take the lead in preparing the turkeys — whether grilled or fried — in addition to making a roasted turkey for Thanksgiving.
“The turkey has to be right or it can ruin the whole dinner,” Adams said. “It’s nice to see which one [turkey] is going to go first.”
Adams noted while Thanksgiving for him is about passing on skills to the next generation, the kitchen can become a place of connection for Black men.
“There have been times when guys who never picked up a garbage bag would hang out with me while I’ve fried turkeys in the backyard, just talking,” he said. “I’m all for catching up, but while we’re chatting, it’s easy to encourage them to slip on an apron and help me out with small tasks. It wasn’t their intention to get involved, but that’s just what happens, and honestly, that’s what makes it special.”
Speak Your Mind: Who is doing the cooking in your home for Thanksgiving Day? Do you celebrate? Do you skip it? What’s on the menu? Email us at connect@thetriibe.com and we might print some of your responses in a future newsletter.
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