National Soul Food Month® will celebrate its milestone 25th Anniversary throughout June 2026 with a series of cultural, culinary and educational events honoring the rich history, traditions and influence of soul food in America. Founded in 2001, the month recognizes and celebrates the heritage and history of the foods and foodways of African Americans and peoples from the African diaspora.

The 25th Anniversary celebration will feature special public events, culinary experiences, workshops and heritage programming designed to educate, inspire and connect people through food, culture and storytelling.

National Soul Food Month founder, Charla L. Draper said, “We are incredibly proud to celebrate 25 years of National Soul Food Month. Our goal in celebrating throughout the month is to promote it, educate the public about the food and food-related contributions of African Americans and peoples from the diaspora and motivate people to keep soul food on the table.”

There are several 25th Anniversary events planned to recognize the milestone. The first activity is:

The 25th Anniversary Chicago Heritage Bus Tour—June 4, 2026, 6:00 to 8:30PM
The month-long celebration will officially kick-off with a special Chicago Heritage Bus Tour featuring Chicago Urban Historian Dilla Thomas. Guests will explore neighborhoods, stories and historical landmarks connected to Black culture, and food history. Detailed information and tickets are available on Eventbrite link.

National Soul Food Month Events:

June 9, 2026 Chicago Heritage Bus Tour

June 25, Beyond the Backyard Burger: A Soulful Summer Menu Experience With Chef Dominique Leach

Live cooking demonstration
Tips for summer entertaining
Delicious tastings and light bites
Grilling techniques you'll use for years
Inspiration for memorable gatherings

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June 27, Preserving the Family Table: Archiving Recipes, Food Stories & Culinary Traditions with Culinary Consultant, Karen Wilcher

What happens to your grandmother's famous recipe when no one writes it down? Every family has treasured recipes, food traditions, and stories worth preserving. This workshop will teach how to safeguard your family’s culinary legacy.

How to document family recipes
Ways to preserve food memories and stories
Tools for organizing family food archives
Strategies for sharing culinary traditions with future generations

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- - “Thank you for sharing how our culture lives through cuisine.” - Rahkia Nance.

Left to right: Chef Cliff Rome, Charla L. Draper, Deb Freeman and Stephanie Hart.

National Soul Food Month celebrates the heritage and history of foods and foodways of African Americans and peoples from the African diaspora. The culinary contributions of this group have had an indelible impact on the American menu.

Food is culture and the culture of African Americans is woven into the fabric of the American menu. From the innumerable folks whose creativity, skills and mother wit led to industry changing industrial innovations such as Norbert Rillieux, Edmond Albius, or Frederick McKinley Jones; media personalities like Lena Richards, the first Black woman to host her own television cooking show or Lucille B. Smith who created the first hot roll biscuit mix. The list of those who contributed to this American cuisine is long and in June we will shine a light the legacy of Chef Edna Lewis, an early champion of Southern cookery. Lewis helped educate and mentor generations of chefs and food enthusiasts, while celebrating the African American culinary community and culture

How It Started

Food expert, writer and HistoryMaker®… Charla L. Draper realized traditional soul foods were foods that deserved celebration and needed to be celebrated. So, in 2001, Draper christened June National Soul Food Month. National Soul Food Month appeared for the first time in that year's Chases’ Annual Calendar of Events. The entry in Chases’ Calendar reads:

National Soul Food Month, June 1-30 is a month to recognize, convey and celebrate the heritage and history of the foods and foodways of African Americans and peoples from the African diaspora. The culinary contributions of this group have had an indelible impact on the American menu and on mainstream American life and culture.

From Charla:
My appetite and interest in food was nurtured in a family of great cooks— both of my grandmothers had skills. Our house was always filled with the aroma of good cooking–soul foods, and scratch baking of the buttery, moist melt in your mouth pound cake created by Mom’s mother Gonga. Dad’s mother —Big Mama honed her skills in Shreveport, Louisiana and her menus included seafood gumbo, braised rabbit, and pear preserves. All of these foods were essential in creating our family food legacy.