PLACE RIGHT NOW.

>> Eric: OKAY.

THANKS FOR COMING OVER.

>> Cathy: THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> CATHY: LONGTIME TWIN CITIES FOOD JOURNALIST AND CHEF MECCA BOS STARTED BIPOC FOODWAYS ALLIANCE WITH NATIONALLY RENOWNED CHEF SEAN SHERMAN TO HELP TELL UNDERREPRESENTED FOOD STORIES.

LAST MONTH THEY WERE JOINED BY ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THC BEVERAGE COMPANY, PLIFT, TO CO-HOST THEIR COMMUNAL TABLE DINNER.

ALMANAC'’S KRISTOFFER FERNANDES WAS THERE AND GIVES US A TASTE.

♪♪ >> WE'RE MAKING JUMBALAYA, CORNBREAD, PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE WHICH ARE THE FAMILY FAVORITES OF TODD HARRIS'.

>> TODAY'S STORY IS ABOUT HIS FAMILY AND HIS COMPANY AND WE'RE REALLY TELLING A STORY ABOUT PEOPLE, NOT ABOUT FOOD.

BIPoC FOODWAYS ALLIANCE AND BIPoC FOODWAYS ALLIANCE TABLE WAS KIND OF A MIND MELD BETWEEN MYSELF ND MY PARTNER, SEAN SHERMAN.

SEAN HAS BEEN SPEARHEADING THE INDIGENOUS FOOD MOVEMENT FOR A LONG TIME AND I'M A LONGTIME TWIN CITIES-BASED FOOD WRITER AND CHEF.

ABOUT THE PAST FIVE YEARS, I'VE BEEN MOSTLY CONCERNED WITH BLACK FOODWAYS.

>> AMERICAN HISTORY UST HAS SO MUCH INTERSECTION WITH BLACK AND INDIGENOUS.

SO WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT DOING SOMETHING THAT REALLY HELPS WEAVE THOSE STORIES TOGETHER AND CENTERING IT AROUND FOOD, WHICH IS REALLY KIND OF THE CENTER AND HEART OF EVERYTHING WE DO ANYWAYS.

AND IT REALLY CAME ABOUT OF JUST INCLUDING EVERYBODY, ALL PEOPLE OF COLOR, TO COME TO THE TABLE AND A LOT OF ALLIES TO COME AND LISTEN TO THESE STORIES.

AND ALLOWING MECCA TO HAVE A PLATFORM TO REALLY RECORD SOME OF THESE REALLY IMPORTANT STORIES THAT DON'T GET THE ATTENTION THEY GET.

SO MUCH ACTION THAT STILL HAS TO HAPPEN IN AMERICA, IN GENERAL, TO REALLY CONFRONT A LOT OF THE RACIAL OPPRESSION AND SEGREGATION THAT'S ONGOING AND CONTINUOUS.

AND GETTING INTO THE FOOD BUSINESS IS A REALLY HARD THING.

YOU KNOW, BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY HAS A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS LAYING AROUND TO TRY TO OPEN UP A RESTAURANT OF THEIR DREAMS, YOU KNOW.

>> FOOD IS A REALLY POWERFUL TOOL.

AND I JUST GENUINELY BELIEVE THAT WE CAN HEAR EACH OTHER BETTER IF WE'RE SITTING AROUND A TABLE TOGETHER.

WHAT WE O, WE BRING IN A CO-HOST EACH MONTH AND THIS MONTH IT'S TODD OF PLIFT.

>> THIS RECIPE IS ONE OF MY MOM'S RECIPES.

IT'S MY MOM'S JUMBALAYA.

THINKING ABOUT IT NOW, HOW MANY TIMES IN MY LIFE DID THIS MEAL, WAS THIS MEAL THE MEAL THAT I REQUESTED WHEN I WAS A KID.

THE IMPETUS OF THE BRAND IS TO BE A ACCESSIBLE WAY FOR PEOPLE TO SWAP IN A THC SUBSTITUTE FOR ALCOHOL.

ALCOHOLISM IS A REAL THING IN OUR FAMILY.

PROVIDING SOMEONE WITH SOMETHING THAT THEY STILL ARE GOING TO FEEL AN EFFECT, STILL GIVE THEM A LIGHT, HEADY BUZZ, ALLOWS THEM TO UNWIND, IT DOESN'T REQUIRE ALCOHOL.

WE'RE READY TO HOST ONE OF THE TABLES AND WE'RE OING TO SHARE THE STORIES OF PLIFT, ALL OF OUR PERSONAL STORIES, OVER A REALLY KILLER MEAL WITH SOME NEW FRIENDS.

>> WE STRIVE TO DO A VARIETY OF THINGS WITH THIS NEWLY FORMING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.

THIS IS A DINNER PARTY, NOT A MEETING, NOT A CLASSROOM.

THIS IS A PLACE TO HAVE FUN.

IT'S ALSO A PLACE TO TELL UNDERTOLD STORIES.

AND I HAVE BEEN SAYING, IT'S A PLACE TO TELL UNDERTOLD FOOD STORIES, BUT I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY MORE OF A PLACE TO TELL UNDERTOLD PEOPLE STORIES.

>> ON AUGUST 1st, MINNESOTA BECAME HE 23rd STATE TO LEGALIZE REC CRATIONAL -- RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.

AS PART OF THE LEGISLATION, THE NEW OFFICE OF CANNABIS MANAGEMENT ESTABLISHES A DIVISION OF SOCIAL EQUITY.

IT WILL BE TASKED WITH IDENTIFYING SOCIAL EQUITY APPLICANTS FOR BUSINESS LICENSES AND PROMOTING DEVELOPMENT, STABILITY, AND SAFETY IN COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED DISPROPORTIONATE, NEGATIVE IMPACT FROM CANNABIS PROHIBITION.

>> THERE'S A COUPLE HINGS GOING ON IN THE WORLD WE LIVE IN.

ONE OF WHICH IS THIS EUPHORIC FEELING WE ALL FEEL AROUND THE DECRIMINALIZATION AND THE LEGALIZATION OF CANNABIS, BUT THE REALITY OF IT IS IS THAT THE PEOPLE HO ARE MOST OFTEN LEFT BEHIND ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR.

>> MECCA BOZ HOPES TO KEEP BRINGING IN MORE CO-HOSTS FOR HER TABLE SERIES.

>> WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP THESE GOING AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.

IT COSTS MONEY, OF COURSE.

WE'VE DONE FIVE OR SIX OF THESE.

WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A PAUSE IN AUGUST FOR FUND-RAISING.

>> AND SHARING MORE INTIMATE CONVERSATIONS, LIKE TODD HARRIS'?

>> AS WE WERE PUTTING THE TABLE TOGETHER, MY SISTER, ALICIA, WHO'S SITTING AT THE END OF THE TABLE, SHE REMINDED ME THAT THE FIRST MEAL THAT WE EVER SHARED TOGETHER WAS MY MOM JUMBALAYA.

BECAUSE MY MOM COULDN'T BE HERE, AND I KNEW THAT ME AND MY SISTER SHARED THAT MEMORY, I ASKED HER TO COME MAKE HER CORNBREAD, BECAUSE WHEN SHE PULLS UP TO MY HOUSE AT MEALS, SHE NORMALLY MAKES CORNBREAD, AND IT'S FIRE.

[ Laughter ] SO, I WANTED HER TO BE HERE, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE STORY OF PLIFT IS A PAINFUL ONE FOR HER.

ALL THESE FLAVORS ARE THINGS THAT BRING ME SO MUCH JOY.

AROUND MY MOM.

BUT THIS DRINK IS GOING TO FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE THE WAY FAMILIES LIKE MINE HAVE TO SOCIALIZE.

SHE DIDN'T WANT TO BE HERE BECAUSE HER STRUGGLES WITH ALCOHOL ARE REALLY REAL FOR HER ND I DON'T BLAME HER, BUT I WANTED TO REPRESENT HER IN A WAY