The identities of cultures are often woven into the dishes that grace their tables. It’s a link that’s helped define Dr. Jessica Harris’ career.
The scholar holds a doctorate degree in performance studies from New York University, as well as a master’s degree in French Literature from Queens College, a License ès Lettres from the Université de Nancy, France. In fact, it was this international connection that first prompted her interest in food and culture.
“I have always been an international person. I was the first non-UN related child to go to the United Nations International School, or so I’ve been told,” she said. “My doctorate is on the French-speaking theater of Senegal. On my first trip to Senegal, I was struck by connections to food I knew. That was the beginning.”
Harris went on to work as an English professor at Queens College, City University of New York for 50 years until her retirement. During that time, she has also explored the connection between African American culture and the cuisine that shaped it. Harris became a prolific writer on the topic. Her articles have appeared in major food magazines including “Gourmet,” “Saveur, Food & Wine,” and “Southern Living.” Harris has also published 12 books documenting the foodways of the African diaspora. Her bestselling book, “High on the Hog” was the basis of a 2021 Netflix documentary series of the same name.
She was inducted into the James Beard Foundation Cookbook Hall of Fame in 2019 and received the Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020. As a consultant for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., she conceptualized and curated the museum’s acclaimed cafeteria.
“The motto of the Museum of Food and Drink in New York City is ‘food is culture.’ That is so true. We are, in fact, what we eat and our history invariably turns up on the plate. It is therefore important to understand the food of a culture in order to understand the culture, and the culture to understand the food,” she said.
Her impressive résumé has garnered attention on both a national and international scale. It also caught the eye of the Coastal Georgia Historical Society.
“Dr. Harris came to our attention when a society board member visited the exhibit, ‘African/American: Making the Nation’s Table,’ and shared how much she enjoyed learning about the topic,” said society curator Mimi Rogers.
“Dr. Harris curated the exhibit and has studied what our region contributed to African American cuisine. We thought our audience would enjoy a program on this food-related history from such a respected scholar and pioneer in her field.”
The organization reached out to see if Harris would be willing to travel for a lecture on St. Simons Island. And the stars aligned. She will present a program titled, “African/American: Making the Nation’s Table” at 3 p.m. Sunday at St. Simons Presbyterian Church, 205 Kings Way, St. Simons Island. The lecture is free, but registration is required. Those may be made by visiting coastalgeorgiahistory.org.
The program is inspired by an exhibit developed by the Museum of Food and Drink showcased at the Africa Center in New York City in 2022. Dr. Harris served as lead curator for the exhibit, which explored the influence of African foods on American cuisine. This particular talk will feature information about how Coastal Georgia traditions and agriculture have affected regional cuisine through the decades.
For Sherri Jones, executive director of the society, the talk offers a rare opportunity to hear from an eminent scholar.
“Dr. Harris is recognized as the world’s foremost expert on African and African American cuisine, and we are excited to bring such a significant scholar to our area,” Jones said.
For her part, Harris hopes attendees will walk away with a better understanding of the link between West Africa and the Lowcountry.
“I will (share) this using illustrations from a quilt that is too large and too fragile to travel, but that was a centerpiece for a museum show that I curated for the Museum of Food and Drink. I got special permission from them to use them and this will be the first time they’re used outside of the show,” she said. “The quilt was designed to visually illustrate African American culinary history, and my lecture, in broad compass will present that history with a special emphasis on Georgia.”