Re-centering Black Women in Food with Quayla Allen ‘12, MAFS ‘22
2012 alumna and current Master of Food Studies student Quayla Allen isn’t afraid to explore complicated relationships. In this interview, Allen acknowledges sometimes bittersweet feelings as both an alumna of Chatham in its former iteration as an all-women’s school, and an incoming graduate student and recipient of the Edna Lewis Foundation Scholarship, whose current work centers on uplifting Black women and addressing issues of equity within the food and beverage world— just like Edna Lewis did.
How would you define your experiences as an undergraduate student at Chatham, and your alumna experience?
My undergraduate experience at Chatham College for Women was bittersweet. There were real obstacles for Black women and first generation college students and I was always disheartened by the fact we never had any Black women faculty and staff to show up for women like me [Editor’s note: for more on Chatham’s current commitment to diversity and inclusion, please click here]. At the same time, I found community with brilliant women who really taught me how to show up and share space with other women. That’s not to say there wasn’t tension as we all were coming into our own together, but we were always cheering for each other up close and far away.
My absolute favorite Chatham memory as a student was always Battle of the Classes. I was such a fun creative outlet and bonding activity for us. I’ll never forget when Amber J. Phillps ‘12, Jenn Van Dam ‘12, and (now Dr.) Allie Reznik ‘11 and I filled my tiny Geo Metro with tons of restaurant-size canned goods to bring back to campus for the canned food drive as part of the BoC week. My favorite memories, moments, and places were wherever they and Leah Spix ‘12 existed. That remains true until this day.
Ironically enough, my favorite alumni memory is when we were all fighting to keep Chatham a women’s college. While the circumstances were less than ideal, there were women buying flights for their Chatham sisters to fly to cities with town halls and others organized childcare for fellow sisters who were mothers. The community of multi-generational Chatham women was an incredible sight and drove home just how magical women-centered spaces are if you let them be.
What attracted you to Chatham for your graduate studies?
The Food Studies program came to Chatham my junior year and with it came Program Director Alice Julier. I had zero plans on coming back to Chatham after graduation and especially after the co-ed fiasco. Yet something felt disingenuous about studying food anywhere outside of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh was my first home and the place I learned to love food it felt only right to come home to do it.
Honestly it’s the fact that Alice Julier was still leading the charge that I even entertained the idea of returning to Chatham. The reality was I’d be returning to Chatham in the midst of a pandemic and heightened racial tensions, so it was important that my educators were intentional and thoughtful in these moments. I knew Alice could rise to the occasion and I knew I would thrive because of it.
CRAFT (The Center for Regional Agriculture, Food, and Transformation at Chatham University) was another selling point when I was applying to the Food Studies program. I’m working on identifying ways to weave equity and inclusion into the culinary trails, as well as creating a hiring guide book for a local client. It’s exciting to have the opportunity to incorporate my skills of recruiting and racial equity programming to support the mission of CRAFT. Overall, I’m super impressed by what CRAFT has been able to do for our region and I’m excited to be able to contribute!
You took some time in the “real world” between your undergrad and grad. Any advice for people thinking about returning to school after some time away from academia?
My biggest piece of advice is to go for it IF it makes sense for your journey! I actually think students with “real world” make for better and more engaged students. The almost 10 year gap between entering Chatham as an undergrad and again as a graduate student was filled with some pretty life-changing moments. Not that you have to wait 10 years to return to school, but I’d definitely recommend spending time exploring your interests and interrogating the life you want to figure out if school would help get you there. Ultimately, if you do decide to go back to school, give yourself grace and be patient as you get acclimated to things.
What are your goals for your time at Chatham, and how has your previous experience informed them?
As I was transitioning into this program, I was tapped to lead racial equity programs for Sundance Institute (home of the Sundance Film Festival). What I love about that work is the ability to create a shared vision with my colleagues for a Sundance they all want to be a part of. The same is true for my future work with Black and women of color in the food & beverage industry. My solutions are rooted in the curation of safe and supportive environments for Black women to actualize their own solutions, while serving in a role that allows me to weave in the networks and resources they need for their work. I want to push them to the forefront for telling stories in both oral and gastronomic mediums and ultimately build spaces that challenge the status quo and create opportunities for them to thrive in whatever capacity they want to serve in.
Edna Lewis is a big name in the culinary world, but might not be as well known to the general public. What does her legacy mean to you?
Edna once said that it was a, “lifelong effort to try and recapture those good flavors of the past". I think her contribution to the food industry and southern foodways has proven that to be true. For me, her sentiments feel like a calling to the front line of re-centering Black women in this industry. Her legacy, and the legacies of all Black women chefs/cooks, are the foundations of future work. It’s time that we, Black women, feel the agency and have the opportunity to own our flavors, our recipes, and identities in American foodways.
Interested in the exciting and multi-faceted world of Food Studies? Chatham offers both an undergraduate Food Studies major and minor, and a graduate Food Studies program with an optional MBA. For more on CRAFT at Chatham, please visit their website, and check out the Food in Uncertain Times conference on November 5th and 6th.
