“A [person] who calls [their kin] to a feast does not do so to redeem them from starving. They all have food in their own houses. When we gather together in the moonlight village ground, it is not because of the moon. Every [person] can see it in [their] own compound. We come together because it is good for [kin] to do so. Let us find time to come together physically and enjoy the power of togetherness.”

- Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart

The most significant meal for enslaved people during the week was Sunday supper. Before emancipation, Sunday was both a sabbath and a salve. Sunday was a treasured respite—however brief— offering enslaved people more freedom to gather together and break bread. The meal fed weary bodies; communing with loved ones fed the weary soul. Sunday supper was and, for many Black families, still is a time of shared connection and joy. 

Our Liberation Table meal is inspired by this beloved Black family tradition. As you enjoy your Liberation Table practice or tonight’s meal, allow your bodies to relax and sink into your seats as your ears fill with harmonious laughter. Let the warmth of the food fill your hearts and your bellies. May it open you up to love and connection and foster the transformational conversation, intergenerational healing, and expansive love that Black people so deserve. Our connections to our ancestors and each other have the power to heal our wounds, freeing us to experience life in all its beauty and possibility.

TODAY’S PRACTICE: Host, Attend, or Plan a Liberation Table! 

Download the Liberation Table Guide.

Who will you invite to your Liberation Table?