By Francisco Omar Fernandez Rodriguez Arts & Features Editor The Center for Inclusive Excellence (CIE) worked with the Black Student Union and African Student Association to host a Taste of Culture event honoring Black History Month on Feb. 18. Jerome Burke, director of the CIE, said the dishes were inspired by Jamaican and Ghanaian cuisines. Jamaican jerk chicken, plantains, fried dumplings, Ghanaian oxtail stew, and waakye - rice and black-eyed peas - were served, he said. All of the food was from Sodexo, he added. The CIE has done a series of Tastes of Culture, he said. They held events for Hispanic Heritage Month and Native American Heritage Month. “So we wanted to keep that same spirit for Black History Month,” Burke said. Food is a crucial part of many cultural identities, he said. It’s connected to social events and social spaces. If there is an event where people are gathering and having fun, there’s usually food involved, he added. Having food together is a great way for people to connect to each other and bond, Burke said. It creates spaces for these conversations. “Food is really, really a big part of the Black identity and the American experience,” he added. The way that different meals are prepared are tied to different identities, Burke said. Nigerians, Jamaicans, and Asians all prepare chicken in different ways, and there’s sometimes fun debates on who does it the best. There’s also history and lessons behind the meals, such as the style and method by which they were prepared, he said. Jamaican jerk chicken is a common food in Jamaica, he said. It’s often available even on the streets, and it’s usually inexpensive. “It’s supposed to be meals that, regardless of your socio-economic background, are still affordable and available,” Burke said. Burke traced the history of some of the food to the Maroons. They were runaway slaves in Jamaica, and they could rely on cooking chicken over a fire and smoke, he added. One of the goals of a Taste of Culture is to create a space to talk and learn about identities and cultures, he said. “Outside of you just saying something is tasty, there is so much more to it. “Every time you go to taste a meal, challenge yourself to Google the history of that meal. And I think that will send you down a positive rabbit hole, where you’re able to learn so much about the culture and identity,” Burke said. Doing so can create more understanding and appreciation for others, especially the cultures and people who are usually associated with these meals, he added. Izayah Morgan, diversity peer influencer for the CIE, helped set up and run the event. When asked about the food, he said it was beautiful. His favorite dish served was oxtail. “It was really beautiful how it brought everybody together, and it tasted just as good as it looks,” Morgan said. [ Editor’s Note: Izayah Morgan is the Opinions Editor for The Gatepost. ]