Contributing to 'Cue: The Black Heritage of Our National Cuisine

Barbeque is a sacred tradition in America. In fact, some folks are probably already judging me just by how I spell it.

But even if you’re a novice, you probably know that American Barbecue originated in the South. And no matter how you spell it, (BBQ, Bar-B-Q, barbeque, or barbecue) grilling or roasting meat over an open flame is so irrevocably united with the Fourth of July that it could never be torn asunder. Right?

But did you know that African Americans, and more specifically Jim Crow-oppressed Southern Blacks, saved the July 4th Barbecue from disappearing into historical obscurity?

First, let me confirm that I’m no expert on this subject, but I have read the works of James Beard award-winning Soul Food Scholar, Adrian Miller, and certified master barbecue judge, Joseph Haynes. Their know their stuff when it comes to BBQ. Andy they also agree that African Americans, and especially those enslaved in the South, are the historical pit bosses of the American Barbeque tradition.

Let’s Start from the Beginning

Cooking meat as celebration has been part of North American history long before colonization. Native Americans were the first BBQers, and their cooking history is a rich one (check out The Sioux Chef). When Europeans arrived in Virginia, they were exposed to the BBQ techniques of the local Powhatan Tribe. Soon, the concept of barbeque became a “melting pit” (wish I could claim that, but it’s Miller’s phrase), of Indigenous, Caribbean, African and European influences. Even the name, barbacoa, is a blend of Arawak, Spanish, and English.

One thing in common with all barbecuing traditions is that it has always been a community affair. People love to grill their meat in groups. And those groups just kept getting bigger. From the 16th to 18th Centuries, B-B-Qing evolved from small family or village celebrations into larger civic events, church and political picnics, and then all-out statewide festivals, sometimes feeding more than 10,000 people.

The cooking method of choice back then was the OG “low and slow,” a large pit with red-hot coals and a few sticks to flip the meat. Although pork is more commonly the barbecue protein of choice these days, back then, it could have just as easily been lamb, beef, raccoon, beaver or opossum. The sauce was a base of vinegar and red peppers; no doubt influences from Africa and the Caribbean, and over time, tomatoes, sugar, and mustard also seeped into the tradition.

What most folks don’t know is that although wealthy white men were often the hosts of this meat merrymaking, the laborious, all-day, back-breaking work required to feed thousands of celebrating Southerners was predominantly done by African Americans, most of whom were slaves.

These slaves weren’t only providing elbow grease. African Americans were true masters of the craft. In fact, Miller asserts that African American participation was essential for true barbecue. For some whites, “what distinguished a barbecue from a bunch of adequately cooked meat seemed to be the involvement of African Americans.” Recipes, iconography and photographs depicted African Americans owning an almost secret BBQ process.

Barbecue and Independence Day

The Declaration of Independence might of happened in 1776, but it wasn’t until after the Revolutionary War in 1783, that celebrating the Fourth of July with BBQ really took off. There were huge Independence Day BBQs as far north as Yankee Philadelphia (1788), as far East as Paris where Thomas Jefferson hosted an expat barbecue dinner (1789), and as far West as Wisconsin—then just a fur trading territory (1791). For decades after, BBQ festivals were organized on Independence Day across the country, and especially in the South. But all of that came to a dramatic halt when the first shots were fired at Ft. Sumter in 1861, marking the beginning of the American Civil War.

After the Civil War, Southerners were less interested in celebrating the 4th of July. Independence BarBQs all but disappeared from public calendars. It looked like the Independence Day Barbecue was on the path to extinction.

Lucky for us, Southern Blacks transformed the July 4th into a celebration of their newly found freedom. In 1901, the Atlanta Constitution reported, “[T]he [Fourth of July] is here, as in most places in the south, given over to the Negroes, who celebrate [it] in truly royal fashion.” For the next century, Independence Day became an almost exclusively African American holiday in the states of the former Confederacy.

It wasn’t until the 1950s with the mass-produced Weber Kettle Grill and Cold War Patriotism that the Independence Day BBQ became a popular choice once again among White Southern Americans, and all Americans in general.

Today’s Fourth of July ‘Cue

Today, the culinary pendulum has swung back the other way, somewhere between Southern Tradition and Cold War Consumerism. I feel like we have the best of both worlds. I can make the kids burgers and hot dogs, while I’m smoking some Texas-style country ribs. I can also reflect on how rich and complicated our American History really is; how much our food heritage can teach us all about diversity and inclusion.

Adrian Miller said it best when talking about how he likes to party on July 4th.

“For me, [the Fourth of July is] about celebrating with friends, family, and loved ones. It’s also a chance to pause and reflect on what it means to “celebrate” a nation that still falls short of its promise, but one that I call home. I live in the country that I love, and I want it to be better. Perhaps having diverse people sitting at a table and enjoying barbecue in all of its glorious forms, even kosher and “vegan,” and respectfully discussing the issues of the day can be a first step to a more perfect union.”

Amen to that!

Happy 4th of July to you all. Any don’t forget to take advantage of our special

Fourth of July Hot Dog and Burger Kits;

reserve via phone (714-474-9096) or email.