Edna Lewis

Illustration by Brittanie Mitchell

Edna Lewis was born April 13th, 1916 in a town founded by formerly enslaved people of the African diaspora which included her grandfather. These freed people bought the land and founded a vibrant farming community there called Freetown. Here Ms. Lewis would master a Virginia-style of Southern cooking, anchored in the use of farm-fresh ingredients. That being said she was an early promoter of supporting local food systems and would become known for putting Southern food on a pedestal.