By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
‘Taste of Struggle’ 1-8 p.m. Saturday at Willow Hill
Food historian Clarissa Clifton, seen here cooking on the Willow Hill Heritage & Renaissance Center campus during a 2014 event, is one of several experts who will prepare meals during the" Taste of Struggle" event Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Willow Hill
Food historian Clarissa Clifton, seen here cooking on the Willow Hill Heritage & Renaissance Center campus during a 2014 event, is one of several experts who will prepare meals during the" Taste of Struggle" event Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Willow Hill Center)

The Willow Hill Heritage & Renaissance Center, near Portal, presents “A Taste of Struggle:  Foodways and Folkways of a Former Enslaved People” this Saturday, April 29, with free activities open from 1 p.m. through 5 p.m. followed by a special dinner, for those who purchase tickets, beginning at 6 p.m.

Those free afternoon attractions during the 1-5 p.m. period include cooking demonstrations, ice cream churning, museum tours, storytelling and access to vendors.

It all takes place at the Willow Hill Center, 4235 Willow Hill Road. In addition to the historic Willow Hill School which houses the museum, the campus includes the relocated and restored Bennett Grove School, the last extant one-room schoolhouse that served African American children in Bulloch County, and the Willow Hill Pavilion, which is used for outdoor education programs as well as events such as Saturday’s dinner.

Presenters, entertainers and honored guests expected to attend include Gullah Geechee cultural historian Jamal Toure’, The Saltwater Players, SirDeepy Frazier, cultural artist and storyteller Lillian Grant-Baptiste, Odessa Grant, Gregory Grant and Black farmers.

Food historian Clarissa Clifton, chef Cheryl Henry and pitmasters John “Bobbie” Robinson and Curtis Clifton will prepare a full meal outdoors over an open pit, as was done during slavery. Goat, hog and chicken will be the main dishes, with lots of choices of side dishes and desserts.

Guests are welcome to observe the preparation for free or just come for a few hours, the WHHRC publicity flyer states

Dinner will be served under the outdoor pavilion at 6 p.m. for those who have purchased tickets, with fellowship projected to last as late as 8 p.m. Dinner ticket prices are $50 for seniors (age 75 and older) and students, and $80 for the general public.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.willowhillheritage.org. See “A Taste of Struggle” link at the top of the home page.

The event webpage displays the full menu and a list of the museum’s current exhibits open for tours. The newest is “The Waters of Ghana Meet America,” curated by Dr. Kurt Knoerl, a Georgia Southern assistant professor of history who is director of the web-based Museum of Underwater Archaeology.