ARRIVING IN THE KITCHEN
A lmost 10 years ago I asked the question where are all the female and minority chefs in my book, “Here I Am!” I remember getting asked that question a lot back in those days by reporters and TV host wanting to interview and have food demonstrations done by women and people of color. I believe also the pressure was there to be more inclusive.Try to find other people than the usual one person who was EVERYBODY’S go to minority. I almost cried one time when a reporter asked me for information on black chefs who were in white tablecloth dining establishments. I could think of nobody! All of my friends were educators or worked in hospitals, catering companies or cafes not fine dining white tablecloth
restaurants. Of course we were there! Women and people of color doing their thing at white table cloth establishments. I just was clueless! Somewhere in my head I decided to find more people who looked like me in this industry. This introvert was already schooled to always speak to people of color and women when you see them because we always seem to be in a minority at events and conventions. It was pure glee, unabashedly that would introduced myself when I saw one of my peers who looked like me in the same space. Counting chips in the cookie was the norm and shamefully so easy to do. In my adjunct teaching days women have always been the majority in my classrooms. But somehow this never translated into management in the kitchens. Women were put to work often in the places and spaces that paid the least amount of money. Not sure exactly why that is. I don’t believe there’s any one reason. It could be the lack of support the ladies have at home especially when there’s a child involved.. Kind of hard to take care and feed babies, do school work, and so on when you have to work a 12 hour day and most of that is during the dinner hour. Maybe the lack of equal pay that women have endured versus what men have been paid contributed. Having no leadership to support your endeavors in moving up the management scale can be defeating. And sadly it could also be the lack of women just stepping up and boldly taking control of what possibilities exist. I have seen all of this or I have heard the stories from colleagues and friends in this industry. “If it is to be it is up to me” is the phrase of a song we used to sing in Sunday school class growing up. I was raised to believe in the power of positive thinking so the song, this phrase resonates with me to this day. Women are here, we are growing in our fields of expertise, we are finding ways to thrive and be a blessing to others. I look forward in my role of National President to help other women reach their full potential and to help others become the leaders we want to see. n
I BELIEVE WE COULD/ SHOULD RUN AN ACF AD
HERE — FOR THEIR NATIONAL EVENT? CAN WE GET THEM TO SUPPLY A FILE?
KIMBERLY BROCK BROWN, CEPC, CCA, ACE, AAC
EXECUTIVE CHEF CULINARY CONCEPTS, LLC SUMMERVILLE, SC PRESIDENT AMERICAN CULINARY FOUNDATION
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