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Black & Native Origins of The Cookout

The name, THE COOKOUT, carries a rich history deeply rooted in Black and Native American communities. Elements such as barbecuing, Black southern cuisine (including the iconic mac ’n’ cheese popularized in the US by James Hemings), music, dancing, and games have long been associated with what we now recognize as a cookout. Although phrases like “being invited to the cookout” have become increasingly popularized in the US since 2019, the origins of the cookout, particularly the barbecue, date back to the 1400s. The original term, barabicu, later translated to barbacoa, can be traced back to the indigenous Arawak peoples of the Caribbean and Florida (Brownspice).

“Due to the origins of the practice, Europeans associated this method of cooking with savagery and barbarianism” (Brownspice). Nevertheless, the Black community managed to transform this culinary skill into not only a means of communal gathering but also one of the few avenues for economic advancement following the Civil War (Roller). The cookout remains a sacred space for the communities that have upheld this long-standing tradition, serving as a means to protect the seemingly simple act of celebration and fellowship. 

An invitation to the cookout carries both a literal and figurative sense of trust and allyship, to share a seat at our table. Over time, this action has evolved into a highly politicized colloquialism used to determine which “outsiders,” or non-Black and non-Indigenous individuals, can be trusted to enter our community, turning an invitation into a responsibility, and an esteemed honor. It is important to note that receiving an invitation is not an opportunity to appropriate or “observe” these communities; rather, it is an extension of kinship and familiarity.