235: KJ Kearney, Black Food Fridays (North Charleston, SC)

Just 7% of U.S. businesses overall were Black-owned before the pandemic, according to data from a University of California, Santa Cruz study, and, of course, black-owned restaurants were only a portion of that number. In 2020, North Charleston, SC native KJ Kearney began the Black Food Fridays Instagram account with a simple idea -- it would be a way for people to find and support Black-owned restaurants. It has since evolved into multiple platforms highlighting dishes, desserts, drinks, and the people who make them in black-owned restaurants, as well as larger discussions at the intersection of race, food, and history. The Instagram account alone now has more than 31,000 followers, and KJ has partnered with corporations from Pepsi to Amazon to bring awareness to black food businesses all over the country. He’s led food tours, held his first live event, and participated in panels and discussions. He and Anela Malik also host the Fix Your Plate podcast on the Eat Drink Dine Network.