In The Room Where It Happens

In The Room Where It Happens

Have you ever seen a movie or read a story about how the heroine is trying to put herself through college and takes a job in a nightclub and strips for a living until one day she meets Mr. Right and together they live happily ever after changing the lives of everyone they meet? Well, this isn't that kind of story. Although, all of our lives were changed by the heroine of my post this week as I continue to honor Black History Month.

A few years ago, I read a news story about a young woman who had flown across country on a flight where a fellow passenger suffered a heart attack. A flight attendant pled for assistance from any passenger who may be a doctor or have medical training. One young woman who happened to be black rushed to the aid of the fellow passenger and was dismissed and rebuked by the flight crew. The young woman explained that she was an ER doctor and could take charge of the situation. But to no avail, she was repeatedly dismissed and asked to return to her seat while they struggled to care for the man who lay suffering on the floor of the airplane. Understandably, the young physician was insulted. Upon arriving at her intended destination and still fuming, she later posted online her views of how the events played out. She was clearly outraged that she was mischaracterized as a just a know nothing pretender. Of course she must have felt like another unvalued black woman. I was all the way in her corner until the end of her post, where she stated, "black women can do more than get mad, twerk, and cook!" Of course I understood that she had no idea just how vicious that statement was for so many women she had not intended to insult.

I thought to myself, "What's wrong with getting mad and not being afraid to show it? Black women aren't afraid to show our anger. We know how to mobilize and make a change for the better. In as much as some may want to disparage twerking, I don't hear anyone complaining to Cardi B who made the twerk work for her all the way into stardom, which has made her voice among those sought out by some of our nation's leading figures. Even on my worst days, I can give a soliloquy of how black cooks have changed the landscape of this great nation of ours, in and outside of the kitchen.

I will give you a brief history of ZEPHYR WRIGHT. Her name alone made her someone worth getting to know. Zephyr Wright was born and raised in East Texas. In 1942 she started working for the Johnson family as a maid and cook to help pay her way through college. She ended up staying with the family through 1969, including the duration of President Johnson's service as Commander in Chief. While Lyndon B. Johnson was in Congress, he and Ladybird were known for great entertaining in their home. This prestige was in no small part due to the amazing meals by the hands of one and only Zephyr Wright. Many say that Johnson's sway with his fellow legislators was partly due to Zephyr's Chile Con Queso and Peach Cobbler. Ladybird once wrote, "I have yet to find a great chef whose desserts I like as well as Zephyr's."

Yes Zephyr was an educated woman and an amazing cook. In fact, many people around Washington know that it is said that Zephyr told then Vice President Johnson of her experiences with discrimination. She informed Johnson of the shared experiences that she and her husband Sammy would encounter whenever they traveled to Texas from Washington to visit family. (Sammy was the driver for Mr. and Mrs. Johnson). When she and her husband had to go to the bathroom, they weren't allowed. She would have to go in the bushes. Also, they were not allowed to stop for a hot meal. They had to carry food in a bag if they were to eat on their journey. In 1964, the year of my birth, President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act. At that signing ceremony, he gave her one of the pens used at the signing. The President said, "You deserve this more than anybody else." I am certain that Zephyr Wright was in the room where many negotiations happened. To this day I have not heard of successful negotiations following a bad meal. Zephyr Wright died in 1988, but her life was very valuable and she made such an impression upon a President that it changed the course of history in our country forever.

PEACH COBBLER

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds of ripe peaches or 6 cups sliced frozen

1 stick butter, melted

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup all purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 cup milk

PREPARATION
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in the selected 9x13 baking dish. In a bowl, add 1/2 cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of flour to the sliced peaches and toss.
2) In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 1 cup of sugar with the remaining 1 cup flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the milk until combined, but not smooth.
3) Reserve 1/3 cup of the batter. Pour the remaining batter on top of the melted butter in the baking dish. Let the batter spread out to the corners of the dish.
4) Spoon the peach mixture evenly over the top of the batter. Using a spoon, dollop small spots of the reserved batter over the fruit.
5) Bake for about 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown, Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.