African Heritage Cultural Work Group
Welcome to our African Heritage Work Group!
African Heritage is defined as individuals with life experience grounded in diasporic traditions, cultures, and heritages, including but not limited to Africa, The Caribbean, South America and the United States.
Our vision
A thriving African Heritage community that enjoys growing, cooking and eating culturally relevant foods and stays active.
Our goal
Bring together a group of people that educates, supports, encourages and promotes traditional foods and physical movements that are specific and culturally relevant to the African Heritage communities.
Our objectives
- Encourage African Heritage youth to participate in healthy lifestyles through activities, programs and events.
- Provide African Heritage individuals, parents and caregivers with healthy lifestyle messaging and community trainings to support healthy living and targeted economic strategies.
- Provide African Heritage community support to encourage the use of traditional foods and culturally specific movements in alignment with healthy lifestyle goals.
Current projects
- A Taste of African Heritage Train-The-Trainer series
- A Children’s Taste of African Heritage partner training
- Supporting African Immigrant and Refugee Families' Transition – Community Conversations
- Food Hero Social Marketing – African Heritage Celebrations
Current research projects
African Heritage Program
A Taste of African Heritage (2nd cohort)
September 15, 2023
The OSU Extension African Heritage program team and our current and new community partners joined together for the second A Taste of African Heritage Train-the-Trainer session.
The day-long training reviewed the six-session curriculum and provided tips for program promotion, preparation, implementation and evaluation.
The training's highlight was a cooking demonstration with attendees led by Chef Elsy Dinvil from Creole Me Up.
Recipe testing on World Jollof Rice Day, celebrated since 2016.
World Jollof Rice Day
August 22, 2023
A social marketing campaign celebrated Jollof Rice, a West African dish, and consisted of:
- A recorded cooking demonstration
- Community cook-along
- Lunch and Learn presentation
- Educational social media posts
- Suggested reading material
Led by OSU Family Moore Center and African Heritage fellow Ainsley Beck, the OSU Extension African Heritage Program and the Food Hero partnered to create this initiative.
Harvest at Sauvie Island
August 12, 2023
OSU Extension African Heritage Program worked with the Portland Fruit Tree Project for the First Annual Harvest at Sauvie Island.
Over 150 attendees were able to pick apples, plums and pears at the historic Howell Orchard while listening to live Morrocan music. African Heritage Program provided taste tests of food and flavored water recipes from Oldways and Food Hero, youth activities and information about OSU Extension.
Harvest event at Sauvie Island
International Afro Latinx, Afro Caribbean, and Diaspora Women's Day
International Afro Latinx, Afro Caribbean, and Diaspora Women's Day
July 25, 2023
International Afro Latinx, Afro Caribbean and Diaspora Women's Day is a 30-year observance providing visibility to confront racism through a gendered lens. Celebrated on July 25, OSU African Heritage Program and Food Hero partnered with African diasporic women to connect through culture, cooking and storytelling.
A Taste of African Heritage Train-the-Trainer
March 2023
This year ten community partners (six agencies) participated in a daylong curriculum training: A Taste of African Heritage. Created by Oldways, A Taste of African Heritage is a six-session nutrition and cooking course that focuses on the connection of healthy West African foods to diasporic regions of the American South, The Caribbean and South America.
A Taste of African Heritage Train-the-Trainer class
African Heritage Work Group team
Co-leads
- Meilana Charles, OSU Extension Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative
- Asia Thogmartin, Ph.D., OSU College of Health, Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative
Members
- Claudia Al-Amin- Community Member
- Egide Dukuzumuremyi, African Family Holistic Health Organization
- Deborah Martin, Preserve Coalition
- Miriam Patterson- Budget Support
- Maureen Quinn Lores – OSU Extension FCH
- Joyce Senior Angulo, Ph.D., OSU Extension FCH
African Heritage - How Food Shapes Our Culture
Members of our African Heritage group joined with community members to explore the rich tapestry of African heritage through the lens of food. These three short videos share personal stories and cultural connections.
African Heritage Work Group partners and collaborators
- African Family Holistic Health Organization
- African Refugee Immigrant Organization
- Arise and Shine
- Black Doula Association- Oregon
- Black Food Sovereignty Coalition
- Black Parent Initiative
- CAIRO
- Ethiopian and Eritrean Cultural Resource Center
- Feed the Mass
- Grandma's Hands
- Home Forward- Humboldt Apartments
- Mudbone Grown
- Multnomah Health Department
- Oregon & Southwest Washington Community Development Center
- Preserve Coalition
- Rooted in Nature Health Care
- Self Enhancement, Inc.
- Somali Oregon Service Center
- WomenFirst Transitional and Referral Center
African Heritage Work Group resources
Oldways - Oldways offers a wealth of online health information and recipes from around the world, including resources for incorporating an African Heritage Diet. Check out Oldways’ A Taste of African Heritage program, with hands-on cooking classes and events.
Plan, Shop Save, and Cook - Discover tips to help you plan nutritious meals for an entire week and taste a healthy, low-cost recipe.
Walk with Ease - Walk With Ease is an exercise program that can reduce pain and improve overall health. If you can be on your feet for 10 minutes without increased pain, you can have success with Walk With Ease!
A list of book titles and Read-a-Long videos to share with the family
Oregon Harvest for Schools - African Heritage
Oregon Harvest for Schools - African Heritage. Learn how Oregon harvests are used to cultivate community and keep tradition alive.
Transcript
Oregon Harvest for Schools - African Heritage
Food Hero African Heritage resources
Food Hero is an initiative of Oregon Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) program and was developed by Oregon State University Extension Service and funded jointly by OSU Extension Service, Oregon Department of Human Services, and the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service.
Food Hero is organized into work groups that inform programming at all levels – direct/indirect education; policy, systems, and environment (PSE); and social marketing through Food Hero. The cultural work groups enhance Food Hero’s reach to communities that disproportionately experience health and resource disparities.
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Ready for cooking at the World Jollof Rice Day event
Photo: Lupita Zamora Estrada -
Cooking lessons at the International Afro Latinx, Afro Caribbean, and Diaspora Women's Day
Photo: African Heritage Work Group -
A Taste of African Heritage Train-the-Trainer Course participants gather for cooking lessons
Credit: Feed the Mass
