Saturday February 7. 2026

FEEDING FREEDOM: COOK IN POWER CELEBRATION

round white ceramic plate filled with waffle
round white ceramic plate filled with waffle

A day honoring Black stories, recipes, and resilience


Kids & Families: Storytime and Creative Play

10 AM - 11:30 AM (no exhibition access)

MOFAD invites kids and families to explore food, creativity, and culture through play. Using provided materials, toys, and craft supplies, children will build their own “plates” filled with their favorite foods while reflecting on what food means to them and their families. Through guided prompts and storytelling, kids will be encouraged to share where their favorite foods come from, who cooks them, and when they are eaten. This activity introduces young participants to the idea that food carries stories, traditions, and memories, while keeping the experience playful, accessible, and age-appropriate for families.

Purchase Tickets for Morning Program



Young Adults & Teens: Zines, Games, and Food Stories

1 PM - 3 PM (ticket includes exhibition admission)

Teens and young adults will explore food, identity, and storytelling through zine-making and interactive games. Participants will create their own mini zines reflecting on food traditions, family recipes, and the ways food shows up in their lives and communities. Guided activities and prompts will encourage participants to share stories, reflect on cultural connections, and learn from one another in a collaborative environment. Games and group activities will support conversation and connection, making this session both creative and social.

Purchase Tickets for Afternoon Program



Adults Only: Drunk Trivia

6 PM - 9 PM (exhibition open from 6 to 7, trivia from 7 to 8:30)

The day concludes with an adults-only evening program centered on food, history, and friendly competition. Participate in a lively, team-based trivia game focused on food history, culture, and Black culinary traditions. Trivia will be alcohol-friendly, playful, and social, with prizes awarded to winning teams. Connect, learn, and celebrate Black foodways in a relaxed, festive atmosphere.

Purchase Tickets for Evening Program

Museum of Food and Drink

55 Water St 2nd Floor Brooklyn, NY 11201

Saturday February 7, 2026

Kids & Families 10 AM - 11:30 AM, Young Adults & Teens 1 PM - 3 PM, Adults Only 6 - 9 PM

Museum of Food and Drink

55 Water St 2nd Floor Brooklyn, NY 11201

Saturday February 7, 2026

Kids & Families 10 AM - 11:30 AM, Young Adults & Teens 1 PM - 3 PM, Adults Only 6 - 9 PM

Museum of Food and Drink

55 Water St 2nd Floor Brooklyn, NY 11201

Saturday February 7, 2026

Kids & Families 10 AM - 11:30 AM, Young Adults & Teens 1 PM - 3 PM, Adults Only 6 - 9 PM

Museum of Food and Drink

55 Water St 2nd Floor Brooklyn, NY 11201

Saturday February 7, 2026

Kids & Families 10 AM - 11:30 AM, Young Adults & Teens 1 PM - 3 PM, Adults Only 6 - 9 PM

Program Host

Alifa Watkins

Alifa Watkins (she/her) is a Boston-based brand and visual designer and educator who creates accessible, story driven experiences for public agencies and mission driven organizations. She holds a Master of Public Health from Columbia University, a BA in Women’s Studies with a minor in psychology, and has completed a UX design certificate with additional training in digital marketing.

Alifa began her career running community based programs that centered BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. Today, she uses that experience to help mission driven teams translate complex histories and on the ground work into visual stories, experiences, and materials that inform, empower, and celebrate the communities they serve. Across her practice, Alifa is committed to making both information and visual culture more inclusive, culturally grounded, and empowering.

Alifa is the creator of Feeding Freedom: Cook in Power, an exhibit concept that explores the legacy of Black women who cooked for United States presidents and highlights their cooking as an act of survival, resistance, and cultural leadership. She is the great granddaughter of Daisy Mae Bonner, the cook who prepared meals for President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia. Daisy’s story is Alifa’s family entry point into a much longer lineage that reaches back to the first Black enslaved women who cooked for United States presidents. At home, Alifa loves using food science to cook delicious meals for herself, friends, and family, carrying that legacy of cooking in power forward in her own kitchen.

Alifa Watkins

Alifa Watkins (she/her) is a Boston-based brand and visual designer and educator who creates accessible, story driven experiences for public agencies and mission driven organizations. She holds a Master of Public Health from Columbia University, a BA in Women’s Studies with a minor in psychology, and has completed a UX design certificate with additional training in digital marketing.

Alifa began her career running community based programs that centered BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. Today, she uses that experience to help mission driven teams translate complex histories and on the ground work into visual stories, experiences, and materials that inform, empower, and celebrate the communities they serve. Across her practice, Alifa is committed to making both information and visual culture more inclusive, culturally grounded, and empowering.

Alifa is the creator of Feeding Freedom: Cook in Power, an exhibit concept that explores the legacy of Black women who cooked for United States presidents and highlights their cooking as an act of survival, resistance, and cultural leadership. She is the great granddaughter of Daisy Mae Bonner, the cook who prepared meals for President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia. Daisy’s story is Alifa’s family entry point into a much longer lineage that reaches back to the first Black enslaved women who cooked for United States presidents. At home, Alifa loves using food science to cook delicious meals for herself, friends, and family, carrying that legacy of cooking in power forward in her own kitchen.

Alifa Watkins

Alifa Watkins (she/her) is a Boston-based brand and visual designer and educator who creates accessible, story driven experiences for public agencies and mission driven organizations. She holds a Master of Public Health from Columbia University, a BA in Women’s Studies with a minor in psychology, and has completed a UX design certificate with additional training in digital marketing.

Alifa began her career running community based programs that centered BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. Today, she uses that experience to help mission driven teams translate complex histories and on the ground work into visual stories, experiences, and materials that inform, empower, and celebrate the communities they serve. Across her practice, Alifa is committed to making both information and visual culture more inclusive, culturally grounded, and empowering.

Alifa is the creator of Feeding Freedom: Cook in Power, an exhibit concept that explores the legacy of Black women who cooked for United States presidents and highlights their cooking as an act of survival, resistance, and cultural leadership. She is the great granddaughter of Daisy Mae Bonner, the cook who prepared meals for President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia. Daisy’s story is Alifa’s family entry point into a much longer lineage that reaches back to the first Black enslaved women who cooked for United States presidents. At home, Alifa loves using food science to cook delicious meals for herself, friends, and family, carrying that legacy of cooking in power forward in her own kitchen.

Alifa Watkins

Alifa Watkins (she/her) is a Boston-based brand and visual designer and educator who creates accessible, story driven experiences for public agencies and mission driven organizations. She holds a Master of Public Health from Columbia University, a BA in Women’s Studies with a minor in psychology, and has completed a UX design certificate with additional training in digital marketing.

Alifa began her career running community based programs that centered BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. Today, she uses that experience to help mission driven teams translate complex histories and on the ground work into visual stories, experiences, and materials that inform, empower, and celebrate the communities they serve. Across her practice, Alifa is committed to making both information and visual culture more inclusive, culturally grounded, and empowering.

Alifa is the creator of Feeding Freedom: Cook in Power, an exhibit concept that explores the legacy of Black women who cooked for United States presidents and highlights their cooking as an act of survival, resistance, and cultural leadership. She is the great granddaughter of Daisy Mae Bonner, the cook who prepared meals for President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia. Daisy’s story is Alifa’s family entry point into a much longer lineage that reaches back to the first Black enslaved women who cooked for United States presidents. At home, Alifa loves using food science to cook delicious meals for herself, friends, and family, carrying that legacy of cooking in power forward in her own kitchen.

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©2025 MOFAD. All rights reserved.

Stay updated on food culture with us

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

©2025 MOFAD. All rights reserved.

Stay updated on food culture with us

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

©2025 MOFAD. All rights reserved.

Stay updated on food culture with us

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

©2025 MOFAD. All rights reserved.