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“A taste of the diaspora: food. fragrance Soul» celebrates the African influence on food and culture.
The family-friendly event, hosted by Open Circle LLC, is scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Gibson Center, 835 Sycamore St., Building H, Titusville.
Guests can enjoy food tastings, workshops, film screenings, presentations, entertainment and much more. The Spice Market will feature vendors from around the world, including healing foods, incense and home goods.
Highlights include a travel presentation by Michelle Talley of Barefoot Treasures Getaways and a presentation by Oldaways on the African Heritage Diet. There will also be outdoor African dance and drumming classes.
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The event pays tribute to historian Dr. Runoka Rashidi, whose legacy includes a lifetime of work to trace Africa’s presence and achievements around the world.
Rashidi, who died in 2021, was one of the world’s foremost researchers of the African presence in ancient societies. He traveled the world, sometimes taking study groups with him, visiting museums and world heritage sites and talking about his studies.
U 2018 interview, he said he hopes to inspire people with his presentations. “I want them to see Africa in a different light. I want them to see themselves in a different light,” he said. “I want them to have a new sense of pride — an identity.”
“I also want them to feel responsible for how we share that information with others and how we use it to empower our community and make the world a better place.”
“We are dedicating the event to Dr. Rashidi because of his dedication to the study and preservation of black culture and his desire to travel the world,” Quimbo Boston of Open Circle LLC wrote in an email. “His ideals align with our event goals, which encourage travel, networking and a cooperative economy among members of the African diaspora.”
According to Boston, one of the goals of the event is to generate interest in learning about the customs and traditions of the African diaspora.
“It also gives the Brevard community an opportunity to try products that are not available in the area,” Boston wrote.
Guests will be able to sample Afro-Latin, Afro-Caribbean, or Afro-American-Creole cuisine from Central Florida restaurants. Samples are included in the price of admission, but food trucks and full meals will also be available.
Face masks must be worn in the food sampling area. Masks are encouraged in other indoor and outdoor areas.
If you go
A taste of the diaspora: food. fragrance Soul.
Where: Gibson Center, 835 Sycamore Street, Building H, Titusville
If: Saturday, October 15 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m
Login: Starts at $20 with student discounts. Free for children under 5 years old.
On the Internet: facebook.com/events/363073585266006
Christina LaFortune is the entertainment and TgIF editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Follow her on Facebook at facebook.com/christinalafortuneon Twitter at @lafortunecor send her an email to clafortune@floridatoday.com.
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