MSU to host author Kelley Fanto Deetz for book discussion in conjunction with Smithsonian Exhibit

 

MURRAY, Ky. – Murray State University and the University Libraries are excited to announce a special evening with scholar and author Dr. Kelley Fanto Deetz, on Thursday, Nov. 7 at 6 p.m.

Deetz will give a presentation based on themes from her book, “Bound to the Fire: How Virginia’s Enslaved Cooks Helped Invent American Cuisine.” The program is one of a series of community events that have come to Wrather Hall this fall, surrounding the current traveling Smithsonian Exhibit, “FOOD: Transforming the American Table.” Deetz’s talk is free to the public and will take place in Wrather Hall’s auditorium on Murray State’s campus. 

Deetz is a visiting scholar in the Department of African American Studies at the University of California at Berkeley. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Africana studies and history from The College of William & Mary and a master’s and doctorate in African diaspora studies from U.C. Berkeley. Deetz is a public historian dedicated to researching the history of enslaved Africans and African Americans, elevating their stories and amplifying the need for acknowledgement and reconciliation. She is the author of the critically acclaimed book “Bound to the Fire: How Virginia’s Enslaved Cooks Helped Invent American Cuisine,” which later inspired a poem by Alice Walker. Individuals can find her most recent work in Audible’s “The Great Courses” on the history of sugar, and her contribution to the cookbook “California Soul,” with celebrity and OWN television star Chef Tanya Holland and author Alice Walker. Her work can be found in the “Smithsonian Magazine,” “The Washington Post,” “National Geographic History Magazine” and channel, “Vanity Fair,” several podcasts, “The Conversation,” “USA Today,” and in lectures on YouTube.

In her presentation, Deetz will discuss themes from “Bound to the Fire,” which brings to light the untold stories of enslaved men and women who had a significant impact on the nation’s culinary and hospitality traditions. Drawing upon archaeological evidence, cookbooks, plantation records and folklore, her book explores the lives of enslaved plantation cooks from colonial times through emancipation and beyond, and how these highly skilled individuals drew upon knowledge and ingredients brought with them from their African homelands to create complex, labor-intensive dishes.

“The Murray State University Libraries are pleased to host Dr. Kelley Fanto Deetz as part of the events surrounding the traveling Smithsonian Exhibit ‘FOOD: Transforming the American Table,’” said Dr. Cris Ferguson, Murray State University’s dean of libraries. “Dr. Deetz’s scholarship researches the history of enslaved Africans and African Americans and elevates their stories. Her visit to campus is a wonderful opportunity for Murray State faculty, staff and students, as well as members of the surrounding community, to learn from and ask questions of a renowned scholar of American history.”

Wrather Hall opened in 1924 as the first permanent building on Murray State’s campus and served as a central hub for campus life. In 1982, it was rededicated as the Wrather West Kentucky Museum, which today continues to preserve the history and culture of west Kentucky and the Jackson Purchase. Following a major renovation in 2022, Wrather remains a vital part of Murray State University’s heritage, hosting both permanent and rotating exhibits, free of charge, to the public. The museum is open Monday through Friday from noon to 4 p.m., with additional hours on select evenings and weekends. Class visits can be scheduled by appointment via Meg Smith at msmith223@murraystate.edu.

This event and other programming are made possible through the generous support of local sponsors. For more information on sponsorship opportunities or to support the Wrather West Kentucky Museum, contact Brandon Anderson, director of development for Murray State University Libraries, at banderson26@murraystate.edu or 270-809-3001.