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June 29, 2021, 12:11 p.m.

New Netflix series fights erasure and honors the influence of Black cuisine in America

Summary

"High on the Hog" tells the sweeping history of African-American food — first as a book and now in a highly acclaimed four-part series on Netflix. Special correspondent Charlayne Hunter-Gault talked with some of the show’s creative team about why this approach has sparked such interest. The story is part of our "Race Matters” series and our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

Five Facts

  • What is “High on the Hog”?
  • Who is “High on the Hog” about?
  • Why did the show's creators make “High on the Hog” according to this segment?
  • Where and When do “High on the Hog” stories take place?
  • How do the executive producers of the show hope that “High on the Hog” will impact its viewers?

Focus Questions

“High on the Hog” was created to prevent erasure of acknowledgment of the Black influence on American cuisine. Why do you think the producers thought that was an important goal? Media Literacy: What does this news piece want you to think about? What might somebody learn from this? Do you think the type of media they used directly influenced what takeaways you might remember more?

For More

  • To see the full trailer for the Netflix series, click here .
  • See this article for an excerpt from the “High on the Hog” book.

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