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I Rice!
A Black Voice News Special Report
By Aryana Noroozi
A Black Voice News report funded by the California “Stop the Hate” project.
Rice is as an ancient grain with a global history traceable for thousands of years. It is an integral part of many culinary traditions and for centuries has served as a food bridge traversing continents and connecting cultures.
In this series, Black Voice News traces and maps the history of rice while also examining the grain’s impact on culture and connection. The series is designed to expand understanding of how the grain arrived in the U.S., the role it played in America’s slave trade, how it currently presents itself on plates and what it means to those preparing and enjoying the dishes it occupies today. In addition, artists provide interpretive renderings of their experiences with rice and the place it holds in their lives and/or Black culture.
Still I Rice! is part of the Black Voice News series, Centerpoint: The Healing Power of Cultural Connections, funded by the Stop the Hate campaign administered by the California State Library.
Origins: The History of Rice in American Culture
Today, rice stands as an ancient, but prominent, cross-cultural staple grain with a global history traceable for thousands of years. Whether you are enjoying paella, jambalaya, cơm chiên, or another rice centered dish, this grain serves as a food bridge across centuries, continents and cultures. The earliest traces of rice identified by archaeologists begin with…
A Visual Archive: Rice’s History in African American Culture
A Conversation with University California Riverside’s Professor of History Natasha McPherson To understand the history of rice in America, Black Voice News sought to explore historical records, accounts and images. Examining not only the grain’s impact on the slave trade, but on enslaved communities, was critical to understanding and portraying the grain’s role in American…
“Un-Gumbo”
Brandi T. Biggles, known as Chef Brandi to the Southern Californian culinary community, fell in love with cooking as a child by spending time in the kitchen beside her mother and grandmother. After unexpectedly losing her mother at a young age, Biggles found comfort and connection to her late mother through recipes. Not only are…
Traditions and Core Memories: Stories through Rice
“Core” and “traditional” are words that 25-year-old Ly-Bach Truong uses to describe specific childhood memories as he recalled what it was like growing up in an intergenerational household. The memories aren’t merely experiences from a specific time or place, rather everyday life remembered through meals and snacks. Truong’s mother, DieuQuyen Nguyen, immigrated to the U.S.…
“Middle Passage into the Future”
Theresa Polley-Shellcroft, Guest Artist | Aryana Noroozi, Reporter-Curator In the process of documenting and understanding the history of rice, Black Voice News reached out to the community for their insight and expression of the history of rice within African American culture. We held an open call for Black artists to create art to be featured…
A Tale of Two Rices
T. Faye Griffin, Guest Writer and Artist In the process of documenting and understanding the history of rice, Black Voice News reached out to the community for their insight and expression of the history of rice within African American culture. We held an open call for Black artists to create art to be featured as…
Sitting Pretty
Delgreta Brown, Guest Artist | Aryana Noroozi, Reporter- Curator In the process of documenting and understanding the history of rice, Black Voice News reached out to the community for their insight and expression of the history of rice within African American culture. We held an open call for Black artists to create art to be…