January 2, 2025 Spotlight on The Pioneer Press & Affrilachian Food Renaissance

BBG Today

BBG Today – January 2, 2025

Spotlight on The Pioneer Press & Affrilachian Food Renaissance

Episode Overview

• Podcast Update: We’re learning AI-enhanced production and appreciate your patience as we work toward daily morning releases.
• Historical Highlight:
  • Introduction to The Pioneer Press, founded by John Robert “J.R.” Clifford—Black Civil War veteran, lawyer, and civil rights pioneer.
  • A look at the January 1915 (Vol. 22, No. 43) front-page editorial, “AS IT APPEARS TO ME,” by Bishop O. P. Fitzgerald, a white Methodist Episcopal bishop with paternalistic 19th-century views on race.
  • The Pioneer Press tagline: “Here shall the Press, the people’s rights, unawed by influence and unbribed by glamour.”
• Modern Perspective:
  • Clifford’s commitment to open dialogue despite differing views.
  • Affrilachia’s Food Renaissance: Crystal Good’s latest article at BlackByGod.org celebrates Black Appalachian cuisine and the women who inspire her cooking journey.

Key Takeaways

1. Pioneer Press Significance: A historic Black newspaper that amplified diverse voices and fought for racial justice.
2. Bishop O. P. Fitzgerald: White Methodist leader whose editorial offers insight into common attitudes of the era toward Black Americans.
3. Affrilachian Foodways: Highlighting today’s cultural and culinary revival, led by strong community figures and rooted in heritage.

Links & Resources

• BlackByGod.org: Read “Affrilachia’s Food Renaissance is My Renaissance…” by Crystal Good.
• J.R. Clifford Info:
  • West Virginia Encyclopedia Entry on J.R. Clifford https://www.jrclifford.org/the-pioneer-press

    Remember to savor the moment.

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