The Northwest Black Food Sovereignty Coalition (BFSC) is a mission-impact-driven organization based in Oregon.

They serve as a collaboration hub for Black and Brown communities to confront the systemic barriers regarding food, economic, and environmental inequalities. Their mission is to ignite Melanated communities to participate as owners, movement leaders, and culture bearers within food systems, placemaking, and economic development.

According to census.gov, in Portland, Oregon, African Americans make up 5.6% of the city's population, and Latino Americans make up 10.3% of the city's population. According to portlandoregon.gov, the median household income for African Americans is $33,968, for Latino Americans, it is $40,163, and for White Americans, it is $60,801.

Due to the economic and social disparities that people of color face, such as rapid gentrification, the Black Food Sovereignty Coalition believed that the community and the organization could be a part of the positive change that the city of Portland claims to be.

The Grandma's Hands program is a platform for Black grandmothers to share family recipes and food traditions with future generations and reclaim their history.

They provide fresh produce and resources grown by Black farmers. In addition, the program hosts a weekly virtual and in-person community cooking gathering. Participants also learn how to prepare the featured recipe.

Due to community interest, the program decided to create a Grandma's Hands Cookbook dedicated to Black Oregonians and Black people nationwide.

BFSC is an organization that thrives and depends on volunteers and community professionals. Because of the global pandemic, the demand for the program grew, and there was a need for an ethnographer, writer, and editor immediately. I assisted with grant writing, and following such, I was onboarded as a freelance ethnographer, writer, and editor.

To connect the older and younger generations of Black Portland together through storytelling, sharing food recipes, collaborative cooking, organizing, and active listening, via Grandma's Hands Cookbook.

Researched the history of Portland's Black and Brown communities.

Consulted with program directors about the intricacies of Melanated communities.

Consulted with program directors about the direction of content for the cookbook.

Volunteered at local community service events to learn more about individuals and the community.

Interviewed Grandmothers in the Portland metro area about their family heritage, culture, and cooking traditions.

Proofread and edited the transcribed interviews.

Wrote short-bio profiles on each Grandmother's story and their shared recipe for the cookbook.

Assisted the program director with writing and editing the introduction and index sections.

Offered a 30-minute follow-up video meeting after submitting project assignments.

Outreached to all the participating Grandmothers.

Recorded ten audio interviews with different Grandmothers in the community.

Completed ten written profiles about the Grandmothers.

Proofread and edited ten transcripts.

Writing an ongoing project report.

Provided clarity and direction for the Grandma's Hands Cookbook project.