06/19/2026
On June 19, 1865, the news of freedom finally reached the last enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, two and a half years late, but freedom all the same.
Visiting family in Mississippi as a kid, that history was all around you, in a way we don’t always stop to feel up here in New Hampshire. It stuck with me.
You can’t tell the story of barbecue without this day. The craft, the patience, the whole hog. So much of it built by Black pitmasters who rarely got the credit. We cook in their tradition every time we light the smokers.
Collards, purple hull peas, sweet potatoes, grits — soul food, suffering & resilience turned into something worth gathering around.
Today we honor those who gave us these traditions and foods. We hope you’ll join us.