Throughout this Women’s History Month, Angela Bassett and Regina King have set the tone for excellence and determination. Bassett’s “Queens” series on National Geographic launched at the beginning of the month and chronicles female wild animal leaders in their natural habitats. She dramatically narrates each episode as lions, hyenas, monkeys and others battle it out for survival.
They’re sometimes ruthless and calculated, yet willing to negotiate when necessary. That’s human nature, so it’s fascinating to watch them maneuver in ways you never knew animals operated.
Meanwhile, King’s masterful portrayal of iconic political figure Shirley Chisholm in Netflix’s “Shirley” gave me chills. As the pioneering Black congresswoman running for president in the 1972 Democratic primary, she fought fearlessly to be taken seriously. My favorite moments of the flick were whenever someone uttered the word “can’t” to her, she'd do a double take and retort, “Can’t?!” as if the word was foreign to her. I absolutely loved that.
I can only imagine the barriers women entrepreneurs face in the food and beverage space. They often hear the word “can’t.” They’re sometimes forced to be ruthless and calculating. And if they don’t know how to negotiate, then they might not survive.
We only get to see the beautiful fruits of their labor, but behind the scenes is grueling hard work. I spoke to many of these women earlier this month at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California. The largest natural products show in North America attracted more than 65,000 attendees in its 27th year, and the high number of female entrepreneurs was impressive.
So many of the 3,300 booths were filled with smiling female faces determined to woo you over to sample their tasty goods. I noticed two major themes: Quite a few of these female founders collaborated with each other so that their sections were doubly energetic and engaging. And from vibrant packaging to focusing on wellness, their products distinctly target female consumers looking for women’s health solutions. Some of the highlights: energy and protein bars, specialty teas, low-sugar nonalcoholic adult beverages, dairy-free products, savory snacks and chocolate candies.
Of course, I couldn’t allow Women’s History Month to pass by without amplifying some of these companies on a larger platform. My latest FOX-Chicago segment does exactly that, so please watch when you get a moment. I feature sustainable tinned fish company Fishwife; snack fave GoodSAM; nonalcoholic brand Kul Mocks; and plant-based milk tea refresher Twrl.
Equally important, Dine Diaspora announced the winners of its seventh-annual Black Women in Food Awards earlier this month. The global initiative honors women throughout the ecosystem, including restaurateurs, chefs, food journalists, beverage masters, food-and-beverage producers and activists.
I was fortunate to serve as a judge this year, which is how I scored the sweet gift box above filled with treats. I’m also serving as a moderator on a panel during the second-annual Black Women in Food Summit discussing the future of the food industry and how Black women fit into the mix. The event occurs April 26-27 in Washington, D.C.
I’m super excited to be a part of this event because for a long time Black female entrepreneurs have struggled to get recognition, funding and more for their businesses. It’s a rare opportunity for them to gather in a space where they can find real solutions to help their unique situations. There was also a sense of community and fellowship at last year’s conference, so I expect this one to be even more beneficial for attendees.
We are truly all in this together.
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Great column!