National Soul Food Month in June is steeped in tradition, tracing its heritage back generations.
While soul food and southern cooking may often be compared, African-American slaves developed soul food’s distinct character by creating outstanding meals from less-than-desirable cuts of meat and produce. Whether the meal consisted of fried meats and vegetables or bbq and baked goods, the meals served to nourish the body and the fellowship that accompanied it nourished the soul.
According to culinaryhistorians.org, the term “soul food” made its appearance and became popular in the 1960s, giving a name to the flavorful foods, often fried in pork fat, that were becoming known in kitchens and restaurants in cities across the country.
However, soul food doesn’t have to laden with fat. Fresh from the southern garden, it can be just as flavorful as it can be light. Many of the old recipes are new again with spices and herbs and pinches of the old traditions.
HISTORY
Charla Draper founded National Soul Food Month in 2001 to celebrate the rich history of soul food.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Take a tour through soul food heritage. Graze the flavors and spices of the heritage. Have a conversation while you’re at it and feed your soul. Listen to the history of the food, where it’s traveled, how it’s changed through the years. Use #NationalSoulFoodMonth to share your favorites on social media. Visit culinaryhistorians.org to learn more.
On January 11th, National Arkansas Day recognizes the Natural State and the 25th state to join the union.
Populated by Osage, Caddo, Quapaw tribes when French and Spanish explorers arrived in the area, Arkansas teems with streams, lakes, and rivers. Its eastern border is the Mississippi River. Little Rock may be its capital, but Arkansas is also known for big rocks and lots of rocks and minerals. It’s the Quartz Crystal Capital of the World, has the only diamond mine in the U.S., and the Magnet Cove region contains 102 varieties of minerals.
Arkansas earns the name “Natural State” with over half the state is forested and more than 1 million acres in Ozark National Forest. But that’s not all that contributes to the apt nickname.
Hot Springs National Park became America’s first national preserve in what later became the National Park System. When Arkansas was still a territory, officials recognized the unique qualities of the hot springs and requested the area be set aside and protected. President Andrew Jackson signed legislation on April 20, 1832, designating four sections of land which included the hot springs and adjacent mountains “…reserved for the future disposal of the United States (which) shall not be entered, located, or appropriated, for any other purpose whatsoever.”
When Arkansas first became a state in 1836, how to pronounce the name of the 25th state was up for debate. Was it Arkan-saw or Ar-kansas? The issue was settled in 1881 when the State General Assembly passed Concurrent Resolution No.4. It stated the state’s name would be pronounced Arkan-saw and spelled Arkansas.
Nestled along the Mississippi River, Arkansas swells with delta, Civil War era, the blues and jazz, and Western migration history. The worst maritime disaster in United States history occurred on the Mississippi River just north of Marion, Arkansas. Greater than the Titanic disaster, the Sultana steamboat exploded on April 27, 1865, just weeks after the end of the Civil War and the assassination of President Lincoln. Over 1,800 souls perished.
Official Arkansas
State Capital – Little Rock
State Nickname – The Natural State
State Motto – The People Rule
State Bird – Mockingbird
State Amphibian –
State Dinosaur – Arkansas fridays
State Butterfly – Diana Fritillary Butterfly
State Flower – Apple Blossom
State Animal – White tailed Deer
State Folk Dance – Square Dance
State Nut – Pecan
State Drink – Milk
State Tree – Flowering Dogwood
State Gemstone – Diamond
State Insect – Honeybee
Art and History
For a complete list of Arkansas State and National Parks & Historic Sites visit www.arkansasstateparks.com and www.nps.gov. Check out a few of the featured sites around the state below.
Enjoy Arkansas’ natural beauty and fascinating history. Uncover hidden treasures and soak up all of Arkansas’ impressive views! Use #NationalArkansasDay to share on social media.
On December 14th, National Alabama Day recognizes the Heart of Dixie.
The 22nd state to join the union, Alabama has played pivotal roles in U.S. history, scientific advancements and its magnificent landscapes attract visitors from far and wide.
Alabama enjoys 60 miles of shoreline along the Gulf Coast. While the coastal region is dotted with swamps and bayous, it also includes beautiful sandy beaches. Move northward from the coast, and the lowlands provide the fertile soils of the Black Belt, land that long yielded productive cotton crops. The Northern half of the state is dominated by the forested hills and valleys of the Appalachians.
As the original capital of the Confederacy until May of 1861 during the American Civil War, the small town of Montgomery set the stage for the secessionist government. Nearly 100 years later, the Civil Rights Movement would find a home and erupt across the state marching its vision to the rest of the country.
Official Alabama
State Capital – Montgomey State Nickname – The Yellowhammer State, State Motto – We Dare Defend our Rights State Bird – Northern Flicker State Game Bird – Eastern Wild Turkey State Amphibian – Red Hills Salamander State Flower – Camellia State Fish – Large Mouth Bass State Crustacean – Brown Shrimp State Fruit – Peach State Fossil – Basilosaurus cetoides State Mineral – Hematite State Tree – Southern Longleaf Pine State Song – Alabama State Quilt – Pine Burr Quilt
Agriculture, Military and Meat & Three
Bringing diversity to agriculture at a time when the boll weevil was wreaking havoc on cotton crops, George Washington Carver provided the opportunity for successful planting and harvesting of a legume that continues to be popular not only in the south but across the United States. The peanut brought new farming methods and agricultural stability to a suffering southern industry.
Home of the Tuskegee Airmen, the 332nd Fighter Group, the first African American military aviators, the science team that helped put man on the moon, and the first African American woman in space, Alabama is another state that keeps looking to the sky.
In Alabama, and all across Southern states, the meat and three will fill you up with more satisfying comfort food than you can find anywhere other than your mother’s kitchen. The restaurant style includes a mouth-watering homemade meat of your choosing – crispy fried chicken, juicy sweet ham or tender roast beef – and then a selection of three sides. A roll and dessert are usually included as well. All this is served in a relaxed, downhome atmosphere.
Alabama Flavor
Fried Catfish Shrimp Grits Boiled Peanuts Fried Okra Fried Pickles Biscuits and Chocolate Gravy Peach Cobbler Pecan Pie Banana Pudding
For a complete list of Illinois State and National Parks & Historic Sites visit www.alapark.com and www.nps.gov. Check out a few of the featured sites around the state below.
Explore Alabama’s rich history and remarkable landscapes. Get to know their people, culture and uncover the hidden places of Alabama! Use #NationalAlabamaDay to share on social media.
On November 30th, National Mississippi Day recognizes the home of the Delta blues and the 20th state to join the union.
How did you learn to spell Mississippi? Was it the M-I crooked letter-crooked letter-I-crooked letter-crooked letter-I-humpback-humpback-I rhyme? Or did you keep track of the seconds by counting one Mississippi, two Mississippi? If you did, you’re not alone. Millions around the country recall doing this and other similar word associations with the name Mississippi!
The Mississippi River flows into the Gulf of Mexico along the western boundary of the state and derives its name from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi which means “Great River.”
It was along the Mississippi Delta that the blues developed in the middle to late 19th century. Within a few decades, blues music would slowly grow in many ways creating a crop of musicians and variety of new genres.
Official Mississippi
State Capital – Jackson
State Nickname – Magnolia State
State Motto – Vitute et armis
State Bird – Mockingbird
State Toy – Teddy Bear
State Flower – Magnolia
State Wildflower – Coreopsis
State Reptile – American Alligator
State Cookie – Butter Cookie
State Stone – Petrified Wood
State Shell – Oyster Shell
State Tree – Southern Magnolia
State Song – Go, Mississippi
State Butterfly – Spicebush Swallowtail
Civil Rights
Both the American Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s were uncertain, turbulent and violent times for Mississippi. Even though the Civil War brought about freedom for enslaved people, that was more than half of Mississippi’s population and the economy had been ruined.
Nearly 100 years later circumstances had not much improved when Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. ignited the movement that would bring voices and faces to the story.
Natchez Trace
One of the most prolific features of the state is the Natchez Trace. In existence for thousands of years, this ancient pathway was beaten down by the hooves of bison. Hunting and gathering mound builders later used the path which became an ideal road for transporting goods. Today, it’s both a 444-mile scenic parkway and natural timeline through the history of three states (Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama).
There are many fun and fascinating tidbits about Mississippi to explore. For example, did you know while hunting in Sharkey County, President Roosevelt came upon a bear he refused to shoot which is how we came to have the teddy bear today.
For a complete list of Mississippi State and National Parks & Historic Sites visit mississippistateparks.reserveamerica.com and www.nps.gov. Check out a few of the featured sites around the state below. Mississippi State Parks
Join us for a trip through Mississippi’s historic places and discover her untold stories. Listen to America’s music while traveling all the highways and byways on National Mississippi Day! Use #NationalMississippiDay to share on social media.
