State of Black Food Conference: Black Wall Street Edition happening in Tulsa | News

TULSA, Okla. — The State of Black Food: Black Wall Street Edition, a four-day conference centered on Black and Brown culinary excellence taking place in Tulsa, started on Thursday.

The State of Black Food (SOBF) Conference is taking place from Thursday, Aug. 28 to Sunday, Aug. 31.

The conference is presented by Chef Kulture and PBCi in partnership with local Tulsa and Black Wall Street organizations.

“This movement-centered conference brings together visionary chefs, creative entrepreneurs, cultural scholars, wellness leaders, and changemakers to reimagine what’s possible at the intersection of food, equity, and Black excellence,” the announcement read.

FOX23 spoke with Chef Chad Cherry, CEO and Co-Founder of Chef Kulture.

He explained the inspiration behind the creation of Chef Kulture.

“The inspiration came from wanting to have a space where people that look like me could be celebrated in the culinary field,” he said. “What happened a lot is that we have had ideas, contributions, we have been doing so many amazing things culinary wise throughout history, and we’re not often in spaces that actually represent that.”

“I wanted to create a space for people like myself that have been in culinary that love this could come and we could value ourselves, we could do it for us,” Cherry added.

SOBF equips conference attendees with tools for business growth, increased visibility and strategies for health and sustainability within the food industry, the announcement read.

Cherry discussed how the conference connects food with culture and community impact.

“Food is culture,” he said. “Food is also one of the best ways to have community impact. If you want to change a community’s trajectory, you help an independent culinary professional. They’re gonna come to the community, they’re going to feed the community, and when you feed people, you bring people together.  So, that means we gather and we build social capital. That also means we’re gonna spend money in our community, right? That also means we’re gonna train, put good food in. That’s health, that’s nutrition, that’s economic development. So, it ties in everything.”

Cherry said the first thing he wants people to take away from the conference is that they’re building community.

“We are building community, and the purpose of that community is so that we can support each other,” he said.

He said Tulsa is going to become the number one destination for Black food culture in the country.

“Why? Because this is where legacy was birthed,” Cherry said. “As a Black person in this country, sometimes it’s hard to find things that I can be authentically proud of, but I can be proud of the legacy of Black Wall Street,” Cherry said. “I can be proud of coming on this soil and feeling that my ancestors built something here.”

“This legacy is where the future is going to be birthed,” he added.

Cherry said he wants people to know they love everyone.

“We are inclusive, we love on everybody, but we work on equity,” he said. “What we’re doing is we’re helping the group that we feel needs help the most, but it’s love, and it’s love for every single person.”

For more information about the SOBF Conference or to get tickets, click here.