An event called Food for the Soul opens Wednesday at the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center.
The program, open to the public, will celebrate black culture, tradition, and philanthropy, as guests share a meal that pays homage to the theme of love of Soul.
The event will feature keynote speaker Mercedes Jones, creator of Crimson Cupboard, an organization that offers free and healthy food to students struggling with food insecurity.
Neal-Marshall graduate student Josh Jackson says that the center hopes to bring the black community together through this meal and a conversation on giving back to the Bloomington community.
"It’s much bigger than ourselves and bringing together the community and doing what we can to highlight the emphasis of soul and the black community is what our goals are really,” Jackson said.
Events during Black History month such as Food for the Soul often draw a crowd of new community members, and the influx of new faces is integral to the growing impact of the center.
Jackson says “we’re just hoping for it to be an environment where people can learn from Mercedes, but also to be a welcoming environment where people can get a good meal and experience the soul of black folk, that being food bringing us together.”
The event begins at 6:30 pm in the Neal-Marshall Grand Hall.