In every home, in every community, the table is more than just a piece of furniture. It is where stories are told, where laughter echoes, and where traditions are passed down from one generation to the next. For Black families, the table has always been a sacred space—a place of resilience, resistance, and radical joy.
From the Sunday dinner table, where elders share wisdom over collard greens and cornbread, to the repast table, where grief and love intertwine in plates of fried chicken and sweet tea, our tables have held the weight of history and the promise of tomorrow. They are places where our culture is honored, where our recipes are preserved, and where we find nourishment—both physical and spiritual.
The soul of the table is in the hands that set it. It is in the passed-down cast iron skillet, in the well-worn serving spoons, in the careful folding of cloth napkins that remind us of the hands that folded them before. It is in the rhythm of a meal prepared with love, in the seasoning that speaks of ancestry, and in the gathering of people who find belonging in each other.
As we celebrate Black History Month, we honor not only the great figures whose names fill our textbooks but also the everyday moments that shape our legacy. The soul of the table is found in the way we show up for one another, the way we hold space, and the way we create beauty and connection even in the face of hardship.
So this month, as you gather around your table, take a moment to reflect on the history it holds. Who sat here before you? What meals have been shared? What laughter has rung out? What love has been poured into every bite? The soul of the table is the soul of our people—unbreakable, radiant, and ever-reaching toward a future as rich as the meals we share.
Let’s continue to set the table with intention, with love, and with the unshakable knowledge that our stories deserve to be told, our traditions deserve to be honored, and our presence is a legacy in itself.
XO, Tabitha