A Day in the Life of a Free Black Pepper Pot Woman in Philadelphia | These Roots Episode 3

These Roots, is a series that explores the day to day lives of Black people across America in the 18th and 19th centuries. This episode follows Judith, a free Black Woman who worked as a Pepper Pot vendor in Philadelphia at the beginning of the 19th century.

***Please Note that hugging or touching people in public in the West was not common practice until well into the 20th century. It was included here as a creative choice to illustrate familiarity and care within the Black community.***

Thank you Patreon Patrons for making videos like this possible!

Instagram- NotYourMommasHistory

Credits
Creator and Executive Producer- Cheyney McKnight
Producer- Jerome Outlar, Carolyn Pierre-Outlar
Director- Dallas Alexis
Director of Photography- Moses Akempta
Editor- Moses Akempta

Cast
Judith- Cheyney McKnight
Female Customer- Amanda Wood
Male Customer- Cole Grinnell
Quansheba- Kalela Williams
Judith’s Friend- Jerome Outlar

Special Thanks to
Patreon Patrons
Alyssa Geisman (Subtitles)
Tyler Putman
Michael Idriss
Luke Boyd
Burnley and Trowbridge- Kerchiefs

Images-
"American Anti-Slavery Society, American Anti-Slavery Almanac, for 1839" (New York: S. W. Benedict, 1839), 19.
Samuel J. May Anti-Slavery CollectionDivision of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library

“Kidnapping,” stipple engraving by Alexander Rider in Jesse Torrey, Portraiture of Domestic Slavery (Philadelphia, 1817). Library Company of Philadelphia

“To the President, Senate, and House of Representatives. The Petition of the People of Colour, free men, within the City and Suburbs of Philadelphia, humbly sheweth,” in John Parrish, Remarks on the Slavery of the Black People (Philadelphia, 1806). Library Company of Philadelphia

Music-
Dial M Credits

[elizabethraitanen]

Imagine working in a tavern, coming home to make up the pepper pot and then going out to sell it and having to worry about being kidnapped! Cheney, your videos are important. “Say their names”.

[megj]

Enslaver, this is how history should reference those who felt slavery was justified. This term removes the privilege attached to "owner." Enslaved lets us know free will was not involved for those who lived the life of enslavement. Thank you for these history lessons.

[siriuslyconfused]

The language we use is so important, and these lessons highlight how far we have to come in the way we discuss slavery. When you said “Enslaved people who liberated themselves” instead of textbooks of saying “slaves who ran away”, it really highlighted that fact.

[wildcatste]

"say their names and speak their deeds." that gave me chills. Thank you for lifting up these histories so they are hidden no more!

[AuntBethanys]

My grandmama used to make Pepper Pot (she made hers with Rutabaga) and she told me all about it’s history 💕 thank you for making these videos. I homeschool my son and I use them to help him learn about the REAL history of the US.

[paleylewis]

I love the small moment of stopping to read the papers, and then to show Judith talking about what she read to others in her community. It may seem simple to us today, but we forget how slowly information was spread at the time. And seeking it out and communicating to others had to be purposeful. Especially when those who benefit work to keep it hidden

[mamaguile]

There’s pepper pot in the Caribbean as well. Just shows how connected African Americans and Afro-Caribbean are. All came from the same parts of west Africa.

[CMAlongi]

I had never even heard of pepper pot before this video. (Pasty white Minnesotan girl here.) I immediately googled some recipes because it looks SO GOOD here. Gonna give it a try!

Thank you for these videos! The Fugitive Slave Act is probably one of the worst laws we've ever passed. I hate that it's a part of our history, but it's so necessary to learn about it and its impact. Watching the two women chat about being taken off the street the way me and my friends complain about bad drivers or annoying family members gave me chills.

[lavenderdust]

Let's please appreciate all the love she put into making that pepper pot.
You can clearly see the outmost respect she has for every woman who made that delicious dish and sold it to survive.
Her deep connection with women throughout history is just so touching and empowering. You can FEEL the lives and history of those women coming alive after centuries of being whitewashed and obscured.
I often find myself holding back tears, I can feel what those women felt.
She's clearly the best at what she does, I'm so thankful for her work.

[BeeWhistler]

That regular folks conversation just showed me why people do these reenactments. It’s so hard to relate to anyone from that time but especially people they just didn’t write about the way they should have.

[Nadya]

Pepper pot is a popular dish in Jamaica. I only heard about it from Jamaicans. Now I’m wondering if these recipes came from the same region in Africa and curious to know how it was passed along.

[l.m.]

Cheney, you are truly a powerful voice for a part of history overlooked by most. Say the names...hell, carve those names in stone, shout them from the rooftops, write songs and poems about them, just do not forget. Thank you for this thoughtful and beautifully filmed series.

[xMidnightxRunnerx]

"Do well by yourself!" 🥺 We need to bring that back, that's lovely

[bettinaheuser]

Well... after seeing some of your vids, I, as a german, am absolutely stunned how eurocentric (that's a word?) history is teached in school. I was a history major in school, but we hardly had anything but european history (and historical european politics over and over again) in class. But of course, as a german citizen, all about the IIWW... three times. Or even for times. But even then rarely from the viewpoint of the supressed or "against the regime fighters" (only learned that students like the white rose or Soldiers like Stauffenberg existed, never really talked about them in school), majorly from a political point of view. So I am really happy you provide us with this mostly untold part of history so interested (and less interested tbh, your videos are quite entertaining) folks can educate themselves more. Thank you!

[Oonagh]

I can believe Philadelphia was home to the first foodies. I’m a vegetarian and never once did I go hungry or have a bad meal. Philadelphia was the trip that made me learn to cook tofu, and become a better vegetarian cook. The food isn’t like gourmet, it’s like someone invited you to their house and made you the best meal. I found out what comfort food actually was! I read that Philly was the fattest city in the US, and I say “they have every right!” They ain’t getting fat on junk.

[caribbeantigress]

Hiii we have our version of “pepperpot” here in Puerto Rico. It’s called Sancocho it has tuberous vegetable 🌽 like Ñame, Yautia, Papa, malanga, and beef 🥩 with bone it is very delicious it doesn’t contain hot pepper but we can add “Pique” a sauce made with ají a small piquant chili 🌶 of the tabasco family.The enslaved people here at the hacienda took their rations and made a stew in a pot to eat.

[motherofbeagles]

Did people carry their own cups or bowls to eat on the street? Did they always have a container ready, such as we nowadays always carry a water cup? Thank you - very interesting!

[sammj]

Say their names and speak their deeds. 🧡

Thank you so much. Being Scottish we would have studied European history, very little about American. We learn so much from you, from the clothes to the food. I've always had a passion for food history. We have Mrs. Beeton's book from 1861 and 100 historical recipes which my daughter and I would cook from.

[brittanyb.]

Say their names and speak their deeds. Gave me chills! Proud to have West African blood in my veins. Learning so much from your and I thank you. Learning what they gone through. Makes me weep. Proud of my ancestors. Pushing through. Being strong.

[zelphiaellerson]

Cheney! As a Philly Girl, Thank you for highlighting 'our' famous Pepper Pot soup AND mentioning the convoluted, ever changing slavery laws in PA!