Omar Tate, Chef, Artist & Social Activist

This Black History Month, we recognize how food can carry traditions forward and create space for connection beyond the plate. Chef Omar Tate uses food to tell stories rooted in Black history and lived experience. Through his cooking, writing, and public speaking, he highlights the importance of ancestral ingredients and traditional techniques in Black foodways. His work shows how food can preserve cultural memory, strengthen community, and pass knowledge from one generation to the next.

“I make food in ways that relate specifically to Black experiences and Black foodways and do so with respect to the agricultural traditions of Black people. I believe that food as art, as with any art, is a form of messaging and storytelling. I intend for folks to ingest love and knowledge in every bite.”