In the classroom this week we read Sankofa: A Culinary Story of Resilience and Belonging, a story about a child named Kofi who grapples with his Ghanaian American identity when his school holds a potluck. Kofi learns that what many people call the best rice, Carolina Gold, came from enslaved West African people who braided the grains into their hair to ensure their families’ survival.
In the kitchen we made jollof rice, a staple of West African cuisine. It is fragrant, spiced, savory, colorful, and perfect paired with a simple, crunchy Nigerian coleslaw to balance the heat. The first graders are complete pros at this point in the unit, it’s incredible to behold!
