The History of African Americans and Barbecue

The most celebrated barbecue chefs in America’s barbecue-obsessed culture today fit into a couple of archetypes food writer Adrian Miller calls “White Dudes Who Barbecue”—you’ve got the tattooed, bearded urban hipster, the “Rural Bubba” in overalls and a ball cap, and the fine-dining chef in the white jacket. But for centuries in this country, African Americans were widely considered the undisputed experts of barbecue. How did Black barbecuers end up in the margins of a tradition they built? Adrian Miller is an award-winning author and certified barbecue judge with the new book “Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue.”