Summary of Film
“Soul Food Junkies” is primarily set in the deep south of Atlanta, Georgia. The documentary is narrated by Byron Hurt as he proceeds to understand why his father’s struggled to give up Soul Food even after getting sick. “My father went from being young and fit to nearly growing twice his size”(0:01:36), Hurt recalls. Therefore, his father’s struggle with food, made him want to explore black people’s relationship to food. Specifically: The History of Soul Food, Where Soul Food came from, Why Soul Food is so important to Black Cultural Identity. Hurt’s father, Jackie Hurt passed away in 2004 from Pancreatic Cancer at age 63.
Storylines in “Soul Food Junkies”:
“Soul Food Junkies” recounts the story of Byron Hurt’s father at the same time it details the lives of others who have had similar cultural experiences. The film also highlights important people in the soul food and food equity movements. Ms. Peaches from Washington DC is an extraordinary figure, embodying how food activism and civil rights blend. She runs “Peaches,” a restaurant that fed freedom riders, protesters, and civil rights leaders during the March on Washington. She could not pay her bills, but she still fed folks. Peaches believes that “the ability to cook gave [her power].” In another case, Saint Philip’s School in New Jersey is creating change in the food movement for people of color. The school is in a predominantly black neighborhood and serves whole, healthy foods, teaching its young students about food diets, food racism, how to eat healthily, and how to grow your own food. Their program is creating healthy, knowledgeable, and equity-oriented young people.
Aim of “Soul Food Junkies”:
“Soul Food Junkies” aims to explore the questions: “How did Southern food become soul food? Is soul food causing illness in [the black community]?, and Is soul food good or bad for you?” (Hurt). As it explores these questions, the documentary discusses how intermixed black culture and soul food are. One unnamed interviewee said simply: “soul food is black.” The documentary examines the role of food and health-related inequities in the black community as well as the way that food can unify people, creating the possibility for genuine community.
Ideologies of “Soul Food Junkies”:
Important ideologies of “Soul Food Junkies” include: food racism is apparent and rampant in the US, healthy foods need to be accessible, and food and historical education are essential to building a just society.
History of Soul Food:
Soul Food has a long history for African Americans, which stems from the roots of slavery. Blacks were often slaves on plantations during the early 50’s and 60’s. As a result, they had to work twice as hard to indicate their existence. From the film, Soul Food represents the main themes of Love, Togetherness, and Culture. Slavery presented this idea of an economically based system where slave traders studied the slaves they captured and fed them staple crops on plantations such as corn, rice, or yams. This description represents how black people particularly black slaves endured daily constant life struggle.
Slaves often grew their own food, worked long hours both day and night, and were extremely exhausted by the end of the day. They often had to work for their food and provide it for themselves. Hunting and Fishing techniques originated from Africa and were often done with hand-crafted tools.
One of the key supporting narratives in the film was that of Food Historian and Author, Dr. Jessica Harris, whose primary job is to educate the public with historically accurate information. This is her take on slavery and what that looked like for African Americans in relation to race and economy: “Slavery may have been racially based but, it was an economic proposition. It wasn’t economic to put all those people in a ship.” (05:48)
(Thomas, 2017)
Racism in Relation to Food:
Soul food is sometimes known as slave food because, as explained in the “History of Soul Food,” it was created in the context of slavery. In other words, soul food is a product of historical racism. At the same time and partly because of the centrality of soul food (as well as limited access to healthy whole foods), black people and people of color are much more likely to get health-related diseases. For example, Hurt’s father died of pancreatic cancer, and black people are 50-90% more likely to get pancreatic cancer (Johns Hopkins). These illnesses are not fully genetic; they are also caused by systemic/institutional racism. Our society as a whole is systemically racist, which is another way of saying that there are laws, cultural customs, and forms of social organization that benefit white people more than people of color. This is overtly demonstrated by the presence of food deserts. A food desert is a neighborhood that has very few or no healthy food options; residents will often be forced to buy produce from corner stores or even liquor stores because there is a scarcity of grocery stores. Too frequently, it is impossible to buy healthy food in these areas. And we need to contend with the fact that “23.5 million Americans, 6.5 million of them being children, live in food deserts” (Michele Obama, quoted at a Let’s Move conference). The majority of these people who live in food deserts are people of color. This is a byproduct of structural racism (backed up by the Structuralist ideology), and the food deserts contribute to a sort of black genocide. We need to find ways to bring organic, whole, high quality, and affordable produce to predominantly black and brown neighborhoods.
(Cannon, 2020)
Foodways and Food Systems of African Americans:
Soul food relates to Foodways because African Americans have specific customs and traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation. In the eyes of Soul Food from the film, examples of fresh grown produce, grandma’s mac and cheese, and fried chicken provide a learned experience of what Soul Food means. Cooking together as a family and washing fresh produce by hand like collard greens, for example, provides interactions between families that are able to be passed on from generation to generation. Customs create this representation of cultural traditions and how they impact culture. This film displayed the principle of food as being symbolic, social, and brought in the idea of social constructionism really well through people’s personal experiences.
(Vining, 2012)
Opinion of “Soul Food Junkies”:
Sarah: “This documentary was a very fascinating lens into Soul Food and Black Culture. The representation throughout the film of how black people interact with each other, eat, and the history behind Soul Food was absolutely amazing to watch unfold. The film showed a very interactive lens of soul food with its storytelling. Having people from the community made it special to the individual telling their story and personal experiences. I really enjoyed this film and its message as it relates to health. It allowed a lens that is most talked about: the health of African Americans, and presented it in a way that was inspiring and engaging for the audience. I also agree that this is a must-watch film for all ages and races, to really understand the history of African Americans.”
Eva: “This documentary is a must-watch if you care about social inequity. It was incredibly fascinating. I did not know the full origins of soul food. I am currently reading “Pig Tails n Breadfruit” by Austin Clarke for another class, and that novel helped me learn that soul food is slave food– but this documentary explained to me how and why this is the case. Soul food is so dynamic, and there are many facets to it. It can unify communities, cause health problems, and evidence a history of societal racism, but it can also demonstrate the care and love people have for others. Soul food has an amazing history and is essential to being both American and Black. It is such a powerful food tradition and this documentary lets you in on a piece of history that everyone should know. I highly recommend it. “Soul Food Junkies” made me realize how much work needs to be done to create equity at the intersection of race and food. The documentary also showed me the powerful cultural significance of food; if certain food traditions disappeared, a culture might fray or fall apart.”
References:
Blue, Angela. The Impact of COVID-19 on Food Deserts. 2 June 2020, https://foodbankonline.org/2020/06/02/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-food-deserts/.
Clarke, Austin. Pig Tails ’N Breadfruit: A Culinary Memoir. New Press, 2000.
Hurt, Byron. Soul Food Junkies. God Bless the Child Productions, 2012.
The Caribbean Camera Inc. Why Eat Slave Plantation Food ? 31 Aug. 2017, https://thecaribbeancamera.com/eat-slave-plantation-food/.
Vining, Lynn, and View my complete profile. Southern With A Twist. https://lynn-southernwithatwist.blogspot.com/2012/04/what-is-soul-food.html.
Peartree, M. (2021, February 19). “Everything You Need To Know About Soul Food, According To Chef Millie Peartree” .Retrieved from: https://www.delish.com/food-news/a26356466/what-is-soul-food/.
Robinson, C. K. (2015, October 29). “Soul Food Junkies” sheds light on food-based apartheid in the U.S.” People’s World. Retrieved from: https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/soul-food-junkies-sheds-light-on-food-based-apartheid-in-the-u-s/.
Durden, L.(Producer), & Hurt, B (Director).,Gonzalez-Martinez, S. Nelson, S. (Filmmakers). (2012). Soul Food Junkies [Motion Picture]. Media Education Foundation. Retrieved March 24, 2021, from:
https://owu.kanopy.com/video/soul-food-junkies
Feature Image:
Durden, L. (Producer), & Hurt, B. (Director). (2012). “Soul Food Junkies” Amazon. Retrieved from:
https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Food-Junkies-Byron-Hurt/dp/B00B0TO14G