MSH Black Heritage Museum June Newsletter


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NEWSLETTER

Our Current Museum Hours Are:

Tuesday - Friday: 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Monday, Saturday & Sunday: CLOSED

A courtesy call before heading our way, would be greatly appreciated.

386.478.1934

Celebrating

NATIONAL SOUL FOOD MONTH

While soul food and southern cooking may often be compared, African-American slaves developed soul food’s distinct character by creating outstanding meals from less-than-desirable cuts of meat and produce.
Whether the meal consisted of fried meats and vegetables or bbq and baked goods, the meals served to nourish the body and the fellowship that accompanied it nourished the soul.

According to culinaryhistorians.org, the term “soul food” made its appearance and became popular in the 1960s, giving a name to the flavorful foods, often fried in pork fat, that were becoming known in kitchens and restaurants in cities across the country.

The term "Soul Food" was first used in print in 1964 during the rise of “Black pride,” when many aspects of African American culture—including soul music—were celebrated for their contribution to the American way of life. The term celebrated the ingenuity and skill of cooks who were able to form a distinctive cuisine despite limited means.

However, soul food doesn’t have to be laden with fat. Fresh from the southern garden, it can be just as flavorful as it can be light. Many of the old recipes are new again with spices and herbs and pinches of the old traditions.

(nationaldaycalendar.com)

Books Available at Museum

Here are a couple of soul food books available at the museum for checkout, or you are welcome to stop by and give them a quick read!

"200 Years of Black Cookery"

Recipes by Bea Moten

"Soul Food Cookbook"

Recipes collected by Mary S. Harrell

Auntie's Soul Food Kitchen

We are pleased to announce that the Soul Food restaurant in New Smyrna Beach will reopen soon. Auntie’s is a culturally significant Soul Food restaurant and is the only one of its kind in the New Smyrna Beach area. Like many others, this African American owned restaurant has been affected by the pandemic. Happily, it will reopen soon and will carry the local soul food traditions forward.

Owner: Catherine Zow

Location: 829 Canal Street, New Smyrna Beach, Florida 32168.

2 Soul Food Recipes To Try

To celebrate National Soul Food Month, try out one of these recipes in your own home or eat at a local black owned restaurant this month to show support of NSFM.

Collard Greens

Ingredients:

2 sweet onions, finely chopped
2 smoked ham hocks
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 (32 ounce) containers chicken broth
3 (1 pound) packages collard greens, trimmed
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 ½ teaspoons salt, or to taste
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

Directions:

Step 1: Combine onions, ham hocks, and garlic in a stockpot; add chicken broth. Cook mixture over medium heat until meat is falling off the bone, about 2 hours.
Step 2: Stir collard greens, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper into the broth mixture; cook until greens have reached desired tenderness, about 2 more hours.

Cornbread

Ingredients:

3 cups biscuit baking mix
1 cup white sugar
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ cup yellow cornmeal
3 eggs
1 ¼ cups milk
1 cup butter, melted

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, combine baking mix, sugar, baking powder and cornmeal. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and melted butter until creamy. Stir in flour mixture until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Step 3: Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Serve warm.

(allrecipes.com)

HONORING

Pearlie Thompson

Pearlie M. Thompson, a “tap root” from the New Smyrna Beach Westside was born in Palm Beach County, Florida, and moved with her parents to New Smyrna Beach at an early age. She attended school in New Smyrna and graduated from Chisholm High School in 1955. She later attended Volusia County Community College and became a licensed cosmetologist. It was not long before she realized that this was not a reliable choice. Her dilemma - her customers wanted to get their hair styled and pay later (hair styled on credit). The “straw that broke the camel’s back” was when she had to dig into her personal savings to buy beauty supplies. She gave up being a cosmetologist and went to Atlanta, GA to attend Grady Memorial Hospital School of Nursing. She returned to New Smyrna Beach and met a young man who had returned home from serving in the Army. In 1957, she and Robert Thompson were the first couple to wed in the St. Rita’s Colored Catholic Mission (Church) which is now the Mary S. Harrell Black Heritage Museum. They had three sons. Serving her community as an ambassador for Relay for Life as well as her years of service as a RN working at both Halifax Hospital and Fish Memorial Hospital were happy years to recall. She always welcomed new challenges and opportunities. Kennedy Space Center offered such an opportunity, and she worked at the Kennedy Space Center as an occupational health nurse for 26 years before retiring. As a long-time resident of New Smyrna Beach, Mrs. Thompson continues to be a reliable source for local oral history. Check out her oral history recordings at the Mary S. Harrell Black Heritage Museum.

Ann Harrell

International Day of the African Child

June 16

On June 16th, 1976 In Soweto, South Africa, thousands of black schoolchildren took to the streets to protest about the inferior quality of their education and to demand their right to be taught in their own language. Hundreds of them were shot down; and in the two weeks of protest that followed, more than a hundred people were killed and more than a thousand injured. To honor their courage and in memory of those killed, in 1991 the Organization of African Unity (now the African Union) established the Day of the African Child.

The Day also draws attention to the lives of African children today.

(globaldimension.org)

June Black History Facts

1. June 17, 1775: Peter Salem and Salem Poor were two African Americans commended for their service on the American side at the battle of Bunker Hill.

2. June 2, 1899: Black Americans observed a day of fasting called by National Afro-American Council to protest lynching and racial massacres.

3. June 1, 1921: The Tulsa Race Massacre, which left somewhere between 30 and 300 people dead, mostly African Americans, and destroyed Tulsa’s prosperous Black neighborhood of Greenwood, known as the “Black Wall Street.”

4. June 22, 1937: Joe Louis defeated James J. Braddock to become the Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the world.

5. June 25, 1941: President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an executive order forbidding discrimination in defense industries after pressure from African Americans.

6. June 3, 1949: Wesley A. Brown became the first black graduate of Annapolis Naval Academy.

Congratulations to our Scholarship Winners of 2021!

Katelynn Miller

Will be pursing her education at Daytona State College!

Zaniah Richardson

Will be pursuing her education at Daytona State College!

WANTED

College Intern

Zaria Hayes has been our intern since the summer after her High School Graduation in 2018. She will be leaving us in August this year and moving to Orlando to complete her Senior Year studies at UCF.

We count her leaving as a big loss because of the outstanding contributions she has made during her stay here. All of our office personnel, as well as members of the board of directors and volunteers, will miss her.

We are now scheduling interviews for college students who may be interested in taking Zaria's position on September 1st, 2021. Please call the museum office (386.478.1934), Mr. Harrell (386.416.9699, or Ann Harrell (386.295.0676). A job description, working hours, compensation and other details will be covered during the interview.

Become a MSHBHM Member!

Due to the current Pandemic, the Museum has not been able to hold our Annual Meet & Greet Membership Event. However, your renewed commitment is critical in helping the museum to continue the mission of sharing African American history and Culture as we focus on Telling the Full American Story. So, if you have not done so, please take a moment to renew your Membership today and invite your friends and family members to do likewise. Your renewal gift of any size will be greatly appreciated.

PLEASE JOIN/RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP NOW FOR 2021.