JOCELYN
JACKSON

CULINARY ARTS

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FIXED PRICE MENU

A Conceptual Menu + Tablescape Installation

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CHEF’S MESSAGE Jeronimo Yanez grew up in Saint Paul, MN and was eight years old when he first had the thought that he would like to be a police officer. His dream was to protect and serve his community. At 19 years old, Philando Castile had just grad
To dissect this case through the lens of culinary arts I wonder, what culture did Jeronimo feed from that would allow him to take a life so swiftly? What has been served in this instance? Not protection. Not justice. This conceptual menu and its pre
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PRAYER We begin with a prayer. Seventy-four seconds of reflection on our ancestors and the wisdom and lessons they laid out for us before we were even born. Reflection on how they were of service to the community and how they protected their families
DRINK Where do the seeds of racism and bias come from? Children reflect the values and experiences of their caretakers. Are those experiences glimpses of unconditional love and treating others as we would want to be treated? Or are they divisive exam
As we grow, we collect more lived experience and more patterns of behavior. I imagine, given their close ages, it was possible that Jeronimo and Philando may have gone to some of the same high school games or events in Minnesota. Did these high schoo
MAIN DISH Stopped twice by the same cop five years apart. What needed to be different the first time so that the second time wasn’t fatal? The first stop was right after Jeronimo joined the police force. Had he already experienced the adrenaline and
DESSERT Jeronimo had a child the year before he killed Philando. Did becoming a father teach him more empathy and loyalty? Did it make him more protective and willing to dehumanize suspects perceived as a danger? Offering lastly a red velvet cupcake
This menu provides a look at the influences and beliefs that led to Jeronimo succumbing to the inherent violence of his position and murdering Philando. At the menu's heart is the truth that allowing these traditions and cultures of fear, violence an

Chef’s Message

At 19 years old, Philando Castile had just graduated from high school and decided to begin working in the cafeterias of Saint Paul Public Schools. For fourteen years he protected and served school.

On July 16, 2016, Officer Jeronimo Yanez conducted a traffic stop and pulled Mr. Castile over in his car for a broken taillight. Seventy-two seconds later, Philando had been shot seven times by Jeronimo. Jeronimo was 29 and Philando was 32.

It was revealed that, in his lifetime, Philando had been stopped by police over 40 times. It turns out that one of those times, five years before he was killed, Philando and Jeronimo had crossed paths — in that instance, also under the premise of a broken taillight. This made me wonder how close their lives were, as they grew up within miles of one another.

To dissect this case through the lens of culinary arts, I wonder what culture Jeronimo fed from that allowed him to take a life so swiftly? What has been served in this instance? Not protection. Not justice.

This conceptual menu and its tablescape presentation will explore how these men, so close in proximity, both had instincts from young ages to protect and serve, but the intersection of their lives ended with one killing the other.

We set the table for two and explore who we needed Jeronimo to be in that moment through community nourishment.

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Case Overview

Philando Castile, a licensed gun owner, was driving with his partner, Diamond Reynolds, and her four-year-old daughter. Officer Jeronimo Yanez and another officer pulled them over for a busted taillight and asked for Mr. Castile’s license and registration. Mr. Castile told Yanez that he had a licensed firearm present, and Yanez told him not to reach for it. Mr. Castile tried to tell the officer that he wasn’t, and Ms. Reynolds also told Yanez that he was not reaching for it. As Mr. Castile was saying, “I’m not pulling it out,” Yanez fired seven close-range shots that hit him five times. Philando Castile died at approximately 9:37 p.m. Moments after the shooting, Diamond Reynolds began live streaming on Facebook showing Philando Castile’s blood covered body and an officer pointing a gun at him. The world was transfixed by the images from the night of July 6, 2016, in Falcon Heights, Minnesota.

 

Community Cooking Session

On March 4, 2021 we gathered to prepare two recipes from Jocelyn's menu, a Hibiscus and Chia Cooler and Spiced Black Eyed Pea Spread with Teff Crackers.

The Artist

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Jocelyn Jackson’s passion for culturally significant food, social justice, creativity, and community is rooted in a childhood spent on the Kansas plains. Jackson founded JUSTUS Kitchen to create healing food experiences that inspire folks to reconnect with themselves, the earth, and one another, with the goal of collective liberation. She is the co-founder of the People’s Kitchen Collective (PKC) based in Oakland. It is a large-scale community dining project that uses food, art, and education to address the critical social justice issues of our time while centering the lived experiences of Black and brown folks. Jackson is also the Chef in Residence at the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco, CA.

@justuskitchen

The Artist Extends Special Thanks to Contributors:

Frances Calloway Jackson
Kansas

Ayana Ivery
Deneishia Jacobpito
Lance Smith

Consultants:
Lindsay Oda
Saqib Keval
Sita Kuratomi Bhaumik