As the United States commemorates 250 years of its national journey, the Willow Hill Heritage and Renaissance Center Museum in Portal invites the public to reflect on the untold stories that shaped America through “A Taste of Struggle.”

The daylong cultural and culinary experience highlights the resilience, ingenuity and enduring traditions of African American communities in the South.

Set for Saturday, May 23 beginning at 1 p.m., the event explores how food became both a means of survival and a powerful expression of culture for enslaved Africans and their descendants. Through live demonstrations, storytelling, music and historical interpretation, visitors will experience the culinary roots of the historic Willow Hill community. Also, they will gain a deeper understanding of how African American foodways helped shape the American identity over the past two and a half centuries.

Food for the event will be prepared by Cincinnati restaurateurs Jelani and Nikki Jackson, owners of Richie’s Chicken and Soul. As descendants of the Willow Hill community, they carry forward culinary traditions rooted in Southern Black heritage and the legacy of the Great Migration, during which many families from the region relocated to northern cities such as Cincinnati, Ohio.

Museum historian Dr. Alvin D. Jackson, MD, will provide historical insight throughout the event, connecting slavery-era cooking traditions to modern soul food culture and examining the role African American foodways played in shaping the broader American experience.

Visitors may tour the museum grounds, observe live outdoor cooking demonstrations, and engage with interpreters in period attire who will bring history to life through personal narratives and educational presentations.

The event concludes with a traditional communal meal prepared throughout the day. While daytime activities are free and open to the public, the evening dinner serves as a fundraiser supporting the museum’s preservation, educational, and community programming efforts.

For ticket information, got to: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/tduue33

As America marks its Semiquincentennial, A Taste of Struggle reminds visitors that the nation’s history is incomplete without recognizing the labor, culture and contributions of African Americans, whose traditions helped sustain and define the country from its earliest days.