Black collectives is cooking freedom: Black epistemologies in food and health

Abstract

The formulation of Black epistemologies in food and health cannot be dissociated from the observation of nature, the community dynamics of land use, and the ways and foundations rooted in African and Afro-diasporic cultures. This knowledge stems from ancestral practices of resistance that comprise strategies for organizing life towards peace in quilombola communities. In this case study, we analyze the presence of Black epistemologies in the field of food and nutrition in experiences of quilombola communities based on academicscientific and popular references. The open-access dissemination and scientific materials produced in the CulinAfro (UFRJ), Rede Ajeum, Crioula Curadoria Alimentar, and Baobá (UERJ) projects were analyzed, as well as the experience of the “Quem Ocupa, Cuida” project from the ”Cozinha Ocupação Nove de Julho” of the Movimento Sem-Teto do Centro (MSTC), through participant observation carried out during the 35th São Paulo Art Biennial, “Coreografias do Impossível,” in 2023. Initiatives led by Black women, both inside and outside universities, became evident. These women bring to the center of their practices and knowledge in food and health the Black communities with their multiple identities, cultures, contexts, limitations, and potential.