Join MECA for this special for a discussion with this panel of chefs, cookbook authors and activists for food justice to discuss current situation in Gaza and the fight for a more socially and economically just world.
Featuring: Laila El-Haddad, Jocelyn Jackson, Crystal Wahpepah, and Reem Assil in Conversation
Small nourishing bites provided by Reem’s, Mandela’s, People’s Kitchen Collective, Nyum Bai, and Wahpepah’s Kitchen.
Wednesday, March 6, 6 – 8pm
Oakstop: 2323 Broadway Oakland, CA 94612
Laila El-Haddad is an award-winning Palestinian author, social activist, policy analyst and journalist. Her books include Gaza Mom: Palestine, Politics, Parenting, and Everything In Between and critically acclaimed The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey. She writes for numerous newspapers and speaks frequently on the situation in Palestine.
Jocelyn Jackson’s passion for seasonal food, social justice, creativity, and community led her to found JUSTUS Kitchen, and co-found People’s Kitchen Collective. She creates food experiences that inspire people to reconnect with themselves, the earth, and one another with the goal of collective liberation. And she starts every meal with a song.
Crystal Wahpepah, an enrolled member of the Kickapoo Nation of Oklahoma. is acclaimed for being one of the first Native America women to own a catering business and for her business Wahpepah’s Kitchen in Oakland. She views her business as a portal to food sovereignty and a reclamation of Native ancestral knowledge.
Reem Assil is an award-winning Palestinian-Syrian speaker, author, & chef based in Oakland. With food as a tool, Reem uses Arab hospitality to build strong, resilient community. Her widely reviewed book, Arabiyya: Recipes from the Life of an Arab in Diaspora, celebrates the food and spirit of Arab cuisine.