Régine Michelle Jean-Charles – Land, Body, History

THE ROOT AND THE ROUTE:

West African Foodways: Talk and Taste

WRITTEN BY WGS EDITORIAL CONTENT PRODUCER INTERN, SOFIA WILKINSON (she/her), PHOTOS BY REESE MOORE (she/her)

Grouper, broken rice, tomatoes, yuka, and cabbage are just a few of the ingredients in the traditional dish of Senegal, thieboudienne (“tea-boo-Jen”). Thieboudienne (pictured below) translates to “rice and fish” and is cooked with vegetables, herbs, and spices in a rich tomato sauce. But thieboudienne is more than a meal; it represents Senegal’s culinary identity through its spices and cooking methods. Although it Three women and one man discuss Senegalese cuisine at West African Foodways event, a part of the Land Body History series

Three women and one man discuss Senegalese cuisine at West African Foodways event, a part of the Land Body History series

may seem like a simple dish, it has a history as rich as its sauce. This discussion, cooking demo, and sampling explore thieboudienne’s origins.

In this discussion, moderated by WGS Director, Dr. Lauren Ravalico, with WGS Scholar-in-Residence, Dr. Régine Michelle Jean-Charles, Chef Bintou N’Daw Young, and History and African Studies Assistant Professor Dr. John Cropper, discuss the history of how thieboudienne came to be.

Before we dive into the multifaceted history of the dish we must first acknowledge the foodways of the dish. Jean-Charles refers to foodways as “how food moves throughout the continent, but also, the diaspora.” She emphasizes the importance of knowing and acknowledging what she calls the “roots” and “routes” within Africana Studies and the diaspora. We often focus on the origin of things without thinking about how they even got there in the first place, or in this case, the “route” they took to get there. Of course, it is important to acknowledge that thieboudienne is an African dish, but versions are also present in the Caribbean and the tomatoes came from the “New World.” Thus, we begin to see the foodways “roots” and “routes” unfold.

Cropper describes thieboudienne as “historically dynamic” and reminds us that tomatoes are not native to Africa. Tomatoes were introduced in 1492 after “Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” Yet, N’Daw Young reminds us that because Saint-Louis, Senegal, is a port of trade, new foods were constantly being brought in. Specifically, it was the Portuguese who brought stew and tomatoes to Senegal’s port city. These items were discovered by the Wolof. Furthermore, the recipe calls for rice, which originates from China.

Quote from Land, Body, History event: West African Foodways

Nonetheless, the star of the show is Senegalese. The fish, one of the main ingredients, is a staple in Senegal. So, although this dish consists of “New World” ingredients that ended up in Africa, the way it is cooked and the spices and herbs make it a Senegalese specialty. We get thieboudienne by using staple foods like fish and conch and throwing Africanized tomatoes, spices, and herbs all in one pot.

The diversity of ingredients is not the only thing that makes this dish special. The fact that this dish is constantly “en route” makes it a great example of foodways and the way food is affected by diaspora.

Variations of thieboudienne are present in many African and Caribbean countries. Whether it’s a difference in spices or not including an ingredient, thieboudienne has become a popular dish throughout the diaspora. We now know that thieboudienne is rooted in the “New World” but en route with the African diaspora. Furthermore, thieboudienne is not the only example of foodways brought up in the discussion and demonstration.

N’Daw Young provided the audience with the traditional dish she learned from her grandmother and a popular juice drink in Senegal called Audience at Land, Body, History event: West African Foodways

Audience at Land, Body, History event: West African Foodways

sorrel. Sorrel is also known as Vsop but predominantly known as Hibiscus. This juice, when made in Senegal, is quite simple, yet much like thieboudienne, this juice is constantly “en route.” In the Caribbean, they add more stuff like ginger and other ingredients. Where I am from in Mexico, it is called Agua de Jamaica and consists of sugar, hibiscus, and water. In Mexico, Hibiscus, being called Jamaica, is a perfect example of the root and the route. Because it is common in Jamaica, the name stuck. Despite this, the same ingredients used in Senegal or the Caribbean are not used in Mexico, showing the route it took.

The purpose of this event was not only to teach the audience about thieboudienne and guide them through the culinary world of Senegal but also to discuss the importance of foodways.

Moreover, something as simple as a country’s traditional dish can have a deep history. The discussion, demonstration, and tasting, West African Foodways: Talk and Taste, is more than a culinary exploration; it celebrates heritage and identity. It is an in-depth analysis of the roots and routes that foods take worldwide, specifically throughout the diaspora.

So, next time you’re enjoying a dish from a different country, stop and think about its roots and the routes the ingredients have taken to become the dish they are today.

Scenes from the Land, Body, History event: West African Foodways

LAND, BODY, HISTORY THROUGH LIVED EXPERIENCE:

The Inspiring Work of Dr. Régine Michelle Jean-Charles

WRITTEN BY WGS EDITORIAL CONTENT PRODUCER INTERN, SOFIA WILKINSON (she/her) WITH WGS DIRECTOR, LAUREN RAVALICO (she/her)

Energy in the room shifts when Dr. Régine Michelle Jean-Charles (she/her) enters. There is a swoosh. A buzz. You can feel it.

My Approaches to Research and Practice in WGS class had the honor of welcoming WGS Scholar-in-Residence, Dr. Régine Jean-Charles, as a guest speaker to kick off the Land, Body, History series. Since the series explores voices and expertise from global Black feminist perspectives, Dr. Jean-Charles was the perfect fit. Not only is Jean-Charles a Black feminist literary scholar and cultural critic, but her familial and cultural background has deeply influenced her research and work as a scholar.

Dr. Régine Jean-Charles is the daughter of Haitian immigrants to Boston. She came of age in what she characterized as a typical immigrant household: patriarchal, with high educational standards and awareness of gender. One of the first things she noticed growing up was that despite her male elders knowing both French and Kreyòl, her grandmother did not: “How come Grandma only speaks Kreyòl?” Eventually, she realized that Grandma didn’t speak French because she was a woman. Jean-Charles also came to understand that some of the women in her family hadn’t had the best childhood, or more specifically, girlhood.

The influential women in Jean-Charles’s family sparked something in her. She often wondered: “What did a happy girlhood look like for Haitian women of the older generations?” It was an inchoate feminist question that gnawed at Jean-Charles, even as she lived a very different kind of girlhood from her matriarchs. Multilingualism, education, and success were hallmarks of her and her three sisters’ intense, Catholic, and often joyful upbringing.

With a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. from Harvard University, Dr. Jean-Charles is now Dean’s Professor of Culture and Social Justice, Director of Africana Studies, and Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Northeastern University in Boston. Her teaching, writing, and activism center on the topics of Black feminism, rape culture, girlhood studies, race, gender, and justice. An expert in Black France, Sub-Saharan Africa, Caribbean literature, Black girlhood, Haiti, and the diaspora, Jean-Charles is the author of three books: Conflict Bodies: The Politics of Rape Representation in the Francophone Imaginary (2014), Martin Luther King & The Trumpet of Conscience Today (2021), and Looking for Other Worlds: Black Feminism and Haitian Fiction (2022).

Dr. Jean-Charles’s daring and groundbreaking work does not stop there. She is also a founding board member and volunteer for A Long Walk Home, Inc., a non-profit organization whose mission is to use “art to educate, inspire, and mobilize young people to end violence against girls and women.” She became committed to this sort of feminist artivism while trying her hand at acting as part of a volunteer education project when she was a graduate student.

What is it, then, that makes Jean-Charles’s immense body of work so unique? It’s all about her point of view. When this scholar-activist looks through archives, she doesn’t just see disadvantaged Haitian girls; she sees her grandmother, aunts, friends, cousins, and even her mother. She understands the importance of access, the importance of having her books translated, and the importance of work done not only on Haiti but in Haiti.

Jean-Charles is the kind of scholar who tries to find things outside of what is easy. She digs deep and probes disturbing truths in honor of her ancestors–in honor of all women.

She also believes that both/and is crucial to feminism since she is both deeply spiritual and a Black feminist. By embracing the both/and approach to feminism, she embodies a nuanced understanding that acknowledges and celebrates the complexity of experiences within race, gender, and justice. An active member of her church community, Jean-Charles blends faith and feminism beautifully through an intersectional lens that calls for action.

As we navigate complex social issues and strive for a more just and equitable world, Jean-Charles’s work serves as both a guide and an inspiration.

At the beginning of her time as a guest speaker in my class, Jean-Charles used an icebreaker I had never heard: “I want everyone to go around the room and share something professional, personal, and peculiar.”

At that moment, I realized how vital lived experience is and that Jean-Charles didn’t just come to talk about her research methods. She wanted to know with whom she was speaking. Jean-Charles made me think of my roots. My lived experiences with land, body, and history have shaped how I approach my research and live my life.

Dr. Régine Michelle Jean-Charles reminds us of the incredible power of storytelling and of bearing witness to lived experiences. In honoring her Haitian heritage, advocating for marginalized voices, and delving deeper into more than just what’s easily accessible, she invites us to envision a future where every woman’s voice is heard, every story is valued, and every identity is respected.

It was energizing to share space and dialogue with this inspiring feminist. She embodies what land, body, and history signify as vectors of knowledge.