天美传媒

 

MURRAY, Ky. 鈥� 天美传媒 and the University Libraries are excited to announce a special evening with scholar and author Dr. Kelley Fanto Deetz, on Thursday, Nov. 7 at 6 p.m.

Deetz will give a presentation based on themes from her book, 鈥淏ound to the Fire: How Virginia鈥檚 Enslaved Cooks Helped Invent American Cuisine.鈥� The program is one of a series of community events that have come to Wrather Hall this fall, surrounding the current traveling Smithsonian Exhibit, 鈥淔OOD: Transforming the American Table.鈥� Deetz鈥檚 talk is free to the public and will take place in Wrather Hall鈥檚 auditorium on 天美传媒鈥檚 campus. 

Deetz is a visiting scholar in the Department of African American Studies at the University of California at Berkeley. She holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Africana studies and history from The College of William & Mary and a master鈥檚 and doctorate in African diaspora studies from U.C. Berkeley. Deetz is a public historian dedicated to researching the history of enslaved Africans and African Americans, elevating their stories and amplifying the need for acknowledgement and reconciliation. She is the author of the critically acclaimed book 鈥淏ound to the Fire: How Virginia鈥檚 Enslaved Cooks Helped Invent American Cuisine,鈥� which later inspired a poem by Alice Walker. Individuals can find her most recent work in Audible鈥檚 鈥淭he Great Courses鈥� on the history of sugar, and her contribution to the cookbook 鈥淐alifornia Soul,鈥� with celebrity and OWN television star Chef Tanya Holland and author Alice Walker. Her work can be found in the 鈥淪mithsonian Magazine,鈥� 鈥淭he Washington Post,鈥� 鈥淣ational Geographic History Magazine鈥� and channel, 鈥淰anity Fair,鈥� several podcasts, 鈥淭he Conversation,鈥� 鈥淯SA Today,鈥� and in lectures on YouTube.

In her presentation, Deetz will discuss themes from 鈥淏ound to the Fire,鈥� which brings to light the untold stories of enslaved men and women who had a significant impact on the nation鈥檚 culinary and hospitality traditions. Drawing upon archaeological evidence, cookbooks, plantation records and folklore, her book explores the lives of enslaved plantation cooks from colonial times through emancipation and beyond, and how these highly skilled individuals drew upon knowledge and ingredients brought with them from their African homelands to create complex, labor-intensive dishes.

鈥淭he 天美传媒 Libraries are pleased to host Dr. Kelley Fanto Deetz as part of the events surrounding the traveling Smithsonian Exhibit 鈥楩OOD: Transforming the American Table,鈥欌�� said Dr. Cris Ferguson, 天美传媒鈥檚 dean of libraries. 鈥淒r. Deetz鈥檚 scholarship researches the history of enslaved Africans and African Americans and elevates their stories. Her visit to campus is a wonderful opportunity for Murray State faculty, staff and students, as well as members of the surrounding community, to learn from and ask questions of a renowned scholar of American history.鈥�

Wrather Hall opened in 1924 as the first permanent building on 天美传媒鈥檚 campus and served as a central hub for campus life. In 1982, it was rededicated as the Wrather West Kentucky Museum, which today continues to preserve the history and culture of west Kentucky and the Jackson Purchase. Following a major renovation in 2022, Wrather remains a vital part of 天美传媒鈥檚 heritage, hosting both permanent and rotating exhibits, free of charge, to the public. The museum is open Monday through Friday from noon to 4 p.m., with additional hours on select evenings and weekends. Class visits can be scheduled by appointment via Meg Smith at msmith223@murraystate.edu.

This event and other programming are made possible through the generous support of local sponsors. For more information on sponsorship opportunities or to support the Wrather West Kentucky Museum, contact Brandon Anderson, director of development for 天美传媒 Libraries, at banderson26@murraystate.edu or 270-809-3001.