Dr Psyche Williams-Forson

Dr. Psyche discusses her doctoral research on the association between Black people and chicken

Dr. Psyche Williams-Forson is a distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of American Studies at the University of Maryland College Park. With a passion for material culture, Dr. Williams-Forson focuses her research on African Americans' lives in the United States from the late 19th century to the present. She is a multidisciplinary academic, serving as an affiliate faculty member of the Theatre, Dance, and Performing Studies, the Departments of Anthropology, African American Studies, The Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and the Consortium on Race, Gender, and Ethnicity. Her extensive research in this area employs cultural studies, intersectionality, and popular culture to inform our understanding of historical legacies of race and gender representation.

In Nicolette's second PhD interview, Dr. Psyche discusses her doctoral research on the association between Black people and chicken, which turned into just one chapter of her broader research. Their conversation explores the foodways of Black people, Southern food, and the legacy of slavery, which resulted in African slaves' agricultural knowledge. The discussion also touches on the complexity of factors contributing to Black people's health, including trauma and violence, and how food choices are not solely responsible. They highlight the importance of understanding that choosing what to eat is a middle/upper-class conversation, and food shaming should be avoided. Instead, we need to consider factors such as taste, access, availability, affordability, and knowledge of how to prepare food. Dr. Psyche emphasizes that eating is a necessity, and we need to help people where they are.