Add Passion and Stir

“You can change people’s moods really fast with food.” This sentiment is at the heart of all that Greg and Subrina Collier believe. A husband and wife team behind six successful restaurants including Charlotte, NC’s-acclaimed Leah & Louise and the founders of the Bayhaven Food & Wine Festival, a three-day celebration of Black foodways, Subrina and Greg are at the forefront of the movement to increase the number of Black-owned business, Black chefs, and Black leaders in the hospitality industry. For them, this movement is about more than representation, as Greg Collier noted, “Representation is important. Being seen is important. But if there is a thing, funding is the most important thing. If we had half the opportunities other chefs had you would see different types of restaurants.” In this episode, part of Add Passion & Stir’s ongoing Rebuilding series, we connect with two inspiring leaders in hospitality who are creating pathways to economic empowerment for Black culinarians.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In his more than 30 years in the industry, Chip Wade, President of Union Square Hospitality Group, has seen all sides of hospitality – from the kitchen to HR and real estate development. Throughout his career, he’s been a champion for expanding leadership diversity in the hospitality industry. “In our industry we are woefully underrepresented with women in key leadership positions and that is the same for people of color,” noted Wade when we connected with him as part of Add Passion and Stir’s ongoing Rebuilding series. This work requires looking at how the hospitality industry has been designed and who it was designed for. For Wade, this means fostering a culture that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive, not only for employees, but also for partners and guests: “We want our workforce to look like the city of New York. And last time I looked, New York was the second or first most diverse city in America.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Stephen Satterfield is the founder and CEO of Whetstone media and host of the critically-acclaimed Netflix docuseries High on the Hog. Satterfield is using education about the relationships of Black people with food and agriculture to inspire and galvanize. “Not seeing yourself as a part of a cultural narrative is deeply, deeply damaging,” he says. “I'm advocating for the language of food as a means of accessing difficult conversations, and generally waking people up about all of the connections that we have with environment, culture, society, that are right in plain sight.” He also wants his work to play a part in national healing. “I hope my work can be a small part of bringing back this ancestral knowledge, this deep knowledge that is in our bones that has also given us life and opportunity, and even in 2022 has the capacity to radically undermine the systems that continue to harm us and keep us down.”This episode is part of Add Passion and Stir’s ongoing series Rebuilding which connects with leaders from across media, restaurants, education, government, and beyond to learn how they’re reimagining and redesigning their industries to make sure everyone feels a sense of belonging.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As the daughter of a teacher, a teacher herself, and the former Chancellor of DC Public Schools, Kaya Henderson believes in the power of education. In this conversation, part of Add Passion and Stir’s ongoing Rebuilding Series, Henderson recounts how she grew up in a household with an ethic of “to whom much is given much is required” and how that instilled a desire to give back. An opportunity to teach in the South Bronx as a member of Teach for America sparked Henderson’s love of education: “I taught middle school Spanish in the South Bronx for two years. It completely changed my life, changed my outlook, changed my trajectory.” Her experience in education led her to realize that formal education systems don’t offer enough opportunities to develop children’s cultural identity and specifically offer space to discuss Black contributions in an accurate, identity-affirming way. This led her to found Reconstruction, an online education platform that “teaches Black Glory, Black Love, Black Genius, Black Kindness, and Black Excellence.” Henderson describes the mission of Reconstruction as “a reckoning around how we tell the full truth about history and our historical context is complicated…When kids know themselves they act differently in the world. When kids have been fed a steady diet of negative things about themselves then they don’t believe that they can succeed.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sharif El-Mekki is the founder and CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development, which is focused on revolutionizing education by dramatically increasing the number of Black educators. “People are naive enough to think that once you enter a school, racial bias disappears,” says El-Mekki. “If a Black child has a Black teacher, they have a higher sense of belonging, they’re less likely to be suspended or expelled. They have more access to rigorous courses, higher attendance, better grades.” El-Mekki sees the work as a form of activism. “Educational justice and racial justice are connected and cannot be separated,” he stresses. Join us to learn more about a truly different approach to equity in the classroom and beyond.This episode is part of Add Passion and Stir’s ongoing series Rebuilding which connects with leaders from across media, restaurants, education, government, and beyond to learn they’re reimagining and redesigning their industries to make sure everyone feels a sense of belonging.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Who is responsible for solving our major social problems? Former Massachusetts Governor and Bain Capital Senior Advisor Deval Patrick discusses the roles of government and business in solving our society’s most intractable problems. “[Government] policy is not that interesting or important in the abstract, it matters where it actually touches people.” After his term as governor, he founded and built an impact investment fund that helped push the industry. “No one sector is going to be able to solve those issues alone, and business has to be part of solutions because it’s so fricking big. What if we could prove that [business has] a false choice; if you could get superior returns and measurable, demonstrable positive human or environmental impact at the same time.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How do you get a seat at the decision-making table? Actor and black-ish executive producer Anthony Anderson talks about how black change agents like himself participate in societal decisions and help involve diverse communities. “I like to think of us as agents of change… what makes [black-ish] timely is that we talk about real issues and how it affects us in real time… telling the story in an organic way.” Anderson is also a change agent in his own community. “You can’t have a seat at the table unless you're moving the needle and the way the needle moves in America is economically… It's about investing and reinvesting in yourself and in your community. And then that way you are a force to be reckoned with because now you have the ability to make change, real change.” Anthony Anderson is an Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actor and the star and executive producer of ABC’s critically-acclaimed sitcom “black-ish” where he portrays Andre “Dre” Johnson. He also currently hosts the ABC game show “To Tell the Truth.” Anderson is also executive producer of both “black-ish” spin offs “grown-ish” and “mixed-ish” as well as “Road Trippin’” which airs on SnapChat. Anderson has received six Emmy nominations, two Golden Globe nominations and three Critics Choice nominations for his role on “black-ish.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chef Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park in New York city rocked the culinary world when he announced his three-star Michelin restaurant would re-open with a meat-free menu. Host Billy Shore connects with Chef Humm to learn more about what motivated the change: "My hope is that we can show that we can create these magical moments that are luxurious and delicious without using meat."Chef Humm noted our current food system is not sustainable, "This is not an anti-meat move. This is more a pro-planet move." The shutdown of Eleven Madison Park during the pandemic, gave Humm time for reflection and a reevaluation of his priorities.  As part of this episode, we re-visit an earlier conversation with Chef Humm during the height of the pandemic, when Humm transformed Eleven Madison Park into a food provider of 5,000 meals a day in partnership with Rethink Food NYC. “The recipe I want to really share with the world is the recipe of doing what we’re doing, but also feeding the people in need, under one roof,” he says.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Can we shift a historic stigma towards people living in poverty? Princeton poverty researcher and author Kathryn Edin describes welfare reforms in the 1990s that were based on fear that recipients would become dependent on the system and how changes to certain tax credits in the $1.9 trillion COVID relief American Rescue Plan will give more Americans support to move out of poverty. “We have turned 400 years of history about how we treat the poor and think about the poor… on its head,” says Edin. “The message [these new credits] is sending to people who are struggling is, ‘we trust you and we want to support you.’ This is literally the opposite of the message we’ve been sending for over 400 years.” This conversation explores how we can all work to make these new credits permanent.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How do we continue to care for each other as the pandemic draws to a close? Congressman Mike Thompson from California’s 5th District and influential Sacramento chef Patrick Mulvaney discuss how the pandemic has affected the food and wine industries. Congressmen Thompson and Mulvaney partnered with funders, including No Kid Hungry, Sacramento County, and community members to deliver more than 250,000 meals through schools and seniors during the pandemic. Both changemakers are hopeful about building America stronger after the pandemic. “I’m excited about the things that we can do. If we work together, there’s no stopping us,” Thompson believes. “What I feel now is hope… There’s a sense that any of us that have made it this far are going to live to see the other side,” says Mulvaney.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Can you build a successful and fun brand around serious social justice topics? Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream discuss feeding hungry kids, police reform and how businesses can make a difference on social issues. “Passing legislation that is going to reduce child poverty in the US by 40% is huge – it’s pretty much the best news I’ve heard in quite a long time,” says Greenfield about the American Rescue Plan, the latest COVID relief package that includes critical provisions that will help fight the hunger crisis. Ben & Jerry’s is also focused on police reform through the Campaign to End Qualified Immunity. “What we need to seize about this moment is the issue of racial justice… The reality is if we are not able to pivot from protest to policy right now, all those protests were for nothing,” Cohen believes. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When is philanthropic giving the most meaningful? Bestselling author John Grisham and Share Our Strength Board member Renee Grisham discuss their partnership, philanthropy and why they have made child hunger and police reform their central philanthropic causes. “There is plenty of food in this country… but the framework isn’t always there to get the food on the table for these hungry kids. You have convinced us that this is one problem that can be solved in this country,” John says. “It takes all of us...We all want to feed children, and I see that as a huge bridge builder in a time when we need it,” agrees Renee.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What will it take for Americans to trust each other again? Long-time New York Times columnist Frank Bruni talks about his days as a restaurant critic, his goals as an op-ed columnist and the current state of civic discourse in America. “Based on which [cable news channel] you’ve gone to, you can have an understanding of events and reality that is almost diametrically opposed to somebody else’s. That makes it so much more challenging to find common ground,” observes Bruni. “I always try to return to a plea for civility, decency and understanding,” he concludes.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How can we make the culinary industry more inclusive and accessible? How can we work together to overcome gender and racial discrimination in the industry? These questions are important to best-selling cookbook author and food writer Julia Turshen. In this episode, Turshen shares her approach to cookbook writing and how she achieves her accessible style, including Simply Julia released in March 2020. She also shares the origins of her on-going initiative Equity at the Table, a digital directory that supports women of color, LGBTQ and gender non-conforming people in the food industry. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Will women ever be proportionately represented in Congress? Political journalist, novelist and cookbook author Jennifer Steinhauer discusses her book The Firsts: The Inside Story of the Women Reshaping Congress which examines the remarkable group of women elected to the 116th Congress in 2018. This insightful, hopeful conversation about women's political power with one of America's most astute political journalist is an exploration of the ongoing impact of the most racially, ethnically, socially, and professionally diverse class of female lawmakers. As Steinhauer notes, “If women continue to look in the mirror and see themselves as lawmakers, the way men have for generations, women have an endless ceiling.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“How can I help? That was the question I kept asking myself,” says former teen idol and acclaimed television writer and producer Shaun Cassidy. Cassidy shares how he is helping during COVID-19 by supporting No Kid Hungry and the Santa Ynez community through his wine label, My First Crush. “COVID came along and I saw a lot of our friends… farmers, growers and winemakers suddenly really hurting. Then I saw our schools close. I saw our restaurants close and I knew a lot of people were going to be in trouble,” explains Cassidy. “I thought, here’s an opportunity to not only help the folks I live with, but to help all of these kids.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How are so many of our most important issues tied to what we eat? What is the relationship between food and issues like climate change? James Beard Award-winning food writer Mark Bittman talks about food, climate change, social justice and his new book, Animal, Vegetable, Junk. “You can’t fix any justice issues, environmental issues, nutritional issues without fixing food. Food is at the center of just about everything,” claims Bittman. “It’s not going to happen from the top down. The push has to come from lots and lots of ordinary people. That push needs to be focused on food, but it also needs to focus on racial justice and gender equality and so on down the line.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What’s the key to building a purpose-driven career? Author, business school professor and social change pioneer Bill Novelli discusses doing well by doing good and his new book, Good Business: The Talk, Fight, Win Way to Change the World. “Tomorrow’s leaders are in our classrooms today… They want a purpose as well as a paycheck,” says Novelli. “Wherever you are in your career, whatever organization you’re part of, you can make a positive, social difference. The way I like to say it is, you can make a dent in the universe,” he adds. “We are in a tough time. We are a nation divided. We need to find the pragmatic center."See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How has the role of the media changed over the last four years? CNN anchor and chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper discusses journalism, politics and his work in support of causes like No Kid Hungry and military veterans. “We’re in a war over facts. Right now, two of the biggest stories are about that - people who deny COVID and the seriousness of it and people who deny the election results. In both cases, the leading purveyor of disinformation is the President,” Tapper says. “There is the potential for journalism to be better. There is the capacity for people whose eyes have been opened during the Trump administration to stay engaged and stay outraged,” he believes. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In an excerpt from Conversations on Food Justice, a collaboration between Share Our Strength and the Aspen Institute’s Food and Society Program, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (ME-1) moderates the discussion with former Obama Administration Secretary of Education Dr. John B. King Jr. and former Congresswoman Donna Edwards (MD-4) on systemic racism in food policy. “Systemic racism operates to create structural barriers… This is the system that we created over 400 years. If we want something different we have to actively work to dismantle those systems,” explains King. “The system suggests that there’s something wrong with trying to figure out how to feed yourself and your family, that there is something negative about doing all that you can to access food,” notes Edwards. “We could center healthy eating and nutrition in our public policy. We choose not to,” says King. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.