WANDA Marks Decade of Empowering Black Women in Food Systems

The anniversary celebration features the Grocery Retail for All Summit and culminates in the 6th Annual Sisterhood Supper on June 20 at the Farm at Kelly Miller. This year’s gathering pays homage to the 50th anniversary of Edna Lewis’s seminal work, The Taste of Country Cooking, with a menu curated by WellBody Kitchen. Tambra Raye Stevenson, founder and CEO of WANDA, frames the week as a necessary correction to the national narrative, noting that while Black women have sustained the nation’s food systems for centuries, their leadership remains systematically undervalued.

Supported by the Jane Bancroft Robinson Foundation and Whole30, the initiative aims to bridge the gap between historical recognition and future investment through the Food Shero Freedom Fund. Journalist Ashleigh Demi, who will host the supper, describes the event as a vital space for gathering around shared history and collective strength. Melissa Urban, CEO of Whole30, points to the organization’s holistic approach, which connects culture, leadership, and health, as a model for community-centered transformation.