The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) in the College of ACES is dedicated to fostering a vibrant, welcoming, and supportive community where every individual can thrive. Our wide range of programs and partnerships create opportunities for leadership development, cultural engagement, mentorship, and professional growth. By advancing equity and inclusion across the college, ODEI works to ensure that students, faculty, and staff feel valued, empowered, and equipped to achieve their fullest potential.
Sade Meeks: Food as Resistance!
The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ACES ODEI) and the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition (FSHN) warmly invite you to join us for two days of engaging and thought-provoking programming with registered dietitian and founder Sadé Meeks.
Thursday April 16th 2026
Food is Resistance Documentary Showing
180 Bevier Hall
at 2:00pm
Join us for a screening of Food as Resistance, a powerful documentary featuring Sadé Meeks, registered dietitian and founder of GRITS (Growing Resilience in the South). This film explores the intersection of food, culture, and social justice, highlighting how communities use food as a tool for resistance, healing, and empowerment. Following the screening, engage in a live Q&A with Sadé Meeks as she reflects on her work, storytelling, and the role of food in advancing equity and resilience.
Cooking Demonstration (Registration Required)
ARC Instructional Kitchen
at 7:00pm
Join us for an engaging cooking demonstration with Sadé Meeks, registered dietitian and founder of GRITS (Growing Resilience in the South). Through this interactive experience, Sadé will highlight the power of food as a tool for cultural expression, resistance, and community healing, while sharing stories and techniques rooted in tradition. Participants will leave inspired to think more deeply about the connections between food, identity, and equity. Register now before spots fill up!
Friday April 17th 2026
Lecture and Discussion
180 Bevier Hall
at 11:00am
Join us for a thought-provoking lecture and discussion with Sadé Meeks, registered dietitian and founder of GRITS (Growing Resilience in the South). In this session, she will examine the systemic realities that shape our food systems and explore how reclaiming and reframing cultural food narratives can serve as a powerful form of resistance, identity, and community empowerment.
Soup and Stories: Breaking Bread Across Cultures
Join us each month for Soup and Stories, an inspiring seminar series where culture, community, and conversation come together! Each session features a dynamic guest speaker who shares a powerful cultural story from their own lived experiences, paired with delicious soup and bread inspired by that culture. This isn’t just an event it’s an opportunity to celebrate diversity, broaden perspectives, and build meaningful connections through the universal language of food and storytelling. Come hungry for both knowledge and flavor, and leave with a full heart, a full stomach, and a deeper sense of community.
Schedule
October 28, 2025 @ 12pm
Storyteller: Ms. Dimitria Johnson - From Mom to Ally to Advocate: Parenting an LGBTQIA+ Child
November 21, 2025 @ 12pm
Storyteller: Yanaba Schroeder - Kinship Through Cultivation: Addressing Health and Reconnecting to Tradition
February 20, 2026 @ 12pm
Storyteller: Crystol Smith - Holding Complexity: A Mixed-Race Woman's Journey Toward Understanding Privilege
March 13, 2026 @ 12pm
Storyteller: Sydney Turner - Creating Space in Activism: Advocacy work in Reproductive Health
April 24, 2026 @ 12pm
Storytellers: Dr. Lorraine Munoz, Michael Smith, and Oscar Alvarado - Uplifting Community: Reflections from ACES Alums
Register for the event by completing this form.
