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Taking a seat at Tanorria's Table to discuss racial injustice

You know her as from her regular cooking segments on 13News Weekend Sunrise. What you might not know about Chef Tanorria Askew is that she has eight years of corporate diversity and inclusion training.

INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) — You know her as a contestant on the cooking show "Masterchef." She also does regular cooking segments on 13News Weekend Sunrise.

What you might not know about Chef Tanorria Askew is that she has eight years of corporate diversity and inclusion training.

She sat down with Alyssa Raymond over a Zoom call to talk about racial injustice and supporting local, black-owned businesses.

Q: What kind of emotions have you been experiencing lately?

A: There's a lot of overwhelm. I told someone recently that I feel all the feels. Like yeah, it's about time, but I also feel like really scared and sad and exhausted. I am very fearful for the people I love. I would say the prominent emotion that I feel right now is fear because of just being concerned about my brother and my boyfriend and for the people that I love who are going out in public and being mistaken for someone they're not. But there's also hope and joy mixed in that as well and that goes into that OK, it's about time. Let's do this work.

Q: What's different about it this time?

A: I think what makes it different is that it was videoed. I personally refused to watch the video. I've seen enough injustice on black people and murder that I don't need to watch it. It was recorded, and it is there for human consumption to see that a man was defenseless and still left to be killed. There's no backing out of this. There's no talking in circles to get around it. There's no sweeping this under the rug in this instance, and there are numerous instances of this prior this one just happened to put on video.

Q: How about the protests? And the riots? A lot of people weighing in on how this is not the right way to protest. I've seen a lot of people say well when you've been unheard for so long and you've peacefully done things what else is there left to do?

A: Anytime I see that pop up on social media, I ask. It wasn't acceptable to wear a T-shirt or to kneel or to say something in an acceptance speech or to post something in a blog. And all of those things were done in protest, and so it took this to get the world's attention so what is acceptable protesting? Protesting is to actually speak up against something. It's not meant to go with the status quo and so whatever level of protesting it is — whether it's written word, whether it's damage to property, whether it's marching — all of those things are some form of speaking up against the status quo.

Q: Let's talk about the hashtags trending on social media. What are these and how do we move this offline?

A: So #BlackLivesMatter has been there forever, but it has become an excellent resource for information, and so if anyone just follows a hashtag. I love that you can follow a hashtag now as well as an account. So if you just follow a hashtag, you can find so much information about how to support all of the initiatives with Black Lives Matter. #BlackoutTuesday I think people didn't get the point, but it really was intended to say, "I — as a person who is not of color — I am silencing my voice so that black voices can be heard." That hashtag is great, but I do feel like with that hashtag you're just going to see a bunch of black boxes. Whereas with #AmplifyBlackVoices the rest of this week or the rest of this campaign is then saying, "OK, we had our moment of silence. Now, instead of using our voices to show our work, to spread our influence for our products and our brands and all of those things, we're going to #AmplifyBlackVoices and all of the work that they have been doing." I told a friend of mine who is a black food blogger like myself. I said, "it's about time." She goes, "We've been doing this for years. And we've been using the hashtags and posting the pictures. Curating our art and finally now we're getting the growth that we've been working incredibly hard for." So in that respect, it's great, but at the same time, deep down in your heart, it's like, wow, it had to be this for that to happen.

Q: What are some of the most popular hashtags sharing resources on racial injustice and supporting black-owned businesses?

A: #BlackLivesMatter #BlackoutTuesday #AmplifyMelanatedVoices #AmplifyBlackVoices #blackgirlmagic #unapologeticallyblack #racialjustice #racialequality #blackfoodblogger #nojusticenopeace #blackgirlsrock

Q: Does the momentum for change feel different?

A: It feels more hopeful. It's overwhelming at the same time, but knowing that there is not justice for black people and equality for black people, it's still incredibly scary especially because we live in a world where people don't necessarily care about consequences. So the hate that can be spewed is spewed from all different directions. Whether it's behind a computer screen, through an email as well as just to your face. Growing up I experienced microaggression, and I experienced people spewing racism under their breath, especially a lot of the things I didn't catch on to right away. But now it's right there in my face all the time and that is scary and overwhelming and frustrating. But at the same time, I do feel like a lot of people are making some kind of effort to switch gears. That's what gives me hope.

Q: How do we make sure the conversation continues and doesn't lose momentum?

A: Racial equality or equality for all should be apart of our DNA. It should be so organic and natural that it doesn't have to be a thing. And the only way for that to happen is to build systems within our nation, within our workplace, within our homes that dismantle the injustices and the supremacy that are currently going on. It has to be a part of our DNA. It has to be a natural thing in order for it to not just be a headline. Every single human being has to go on a journey to do the work to dismantle white supremacy and to fight for racial justice — every single person. It is required to go on a journey. There's not one course you can take. There's not one book you can read. There's not one conversation you can have. It is a journey that people have to go on every single day because it is rooted in hundreds of years of injustice.

Q: What are some resources you're promoting right now if people are looking to get educated?

A: Follow social media accounts of people that don't look like you. That is the easiest thing. Even before all this, I told people to give it 30 days. Follow the Black Lives Matter, follow the Equal Justice Initiative social media, follow mine for 30 days. Just to see someone who doesn't look like you express talent and show their art and their heart because a lot of what people post on social media is from the heart. Just so that you can be influenced by someone who doesn't look like you and you see a different perspective. There are a ton of books that can be read. It's as easy as a Google search. Even if you go to my website — Tanorria's Table — or to my social media in my Amazon store, I have a whole section of books that can be read about racial justice. It's going to be uncomfortable and you're probably going to read the book and say I can't relate or even grow defenses, but the whole point is to stress yourself beyond the discomfort. And maybe experience just a raindrop of the discomfort black people have experienced for hundreds of years.

This Conversation Might Get Awkward

I Use To Be A Peacemaker

Q: What is a question you've been asked a lot lately that you're not a fan of?

A: The biggest question that I guess you can say boils my blood is, "What can I do?" There's Google. Just as easy as someone can Google cat videos or Google recipes, you can Google this topic. I do this work with other organizations. I facilitate training now and in the past. And every single time I've done it, I've said if you posture yourself, come in with educated questions then you're going to have a productive conversation. So read a book first. Listen to a podcast first. Read some articles first and then come in with your questions. But if you come in with the question of "I just don't know what to do. I'm so surprised. Please help me how to learn." Then you are putting all of the weight on the black person who is already carrying immeasurable weight. So coming with educated questions is the best piece of advice that I can give someone.

Q: What are some of the best questions you've been asked by friends of other races?

A: I would say that the most thoughtful question is, "How do I support other black businesses? Where can I donate? How can I further advocate after I read these books? How can I support you and put things into action?" Showing that you want to come alongside of someone doing the work instead of expecting that person to do the work for you. Those are the type of questions that will show that you are ready to receive what I have to say and someone knows that you are not about to put up your defenses and actually listen.

Q: What are some of the ways people can find local, black-owned businesses to support?

A: There are numerous resources out there. I know Indy Maven just put out a list of black-owned businesses. There's an app being developed called AwayZone. It kind of helps you do a location search of different black-owned businesses whether it's you want to have dinner or get your nails done, you want to get your hair done, you want to buy a book or something like that. But I think right now even just plug it into Google. Lots of black-owned businesses have postured their online spaces to come up in a search and so, if you do type it in, that will pop up simply. I know when I travel I go to Google for wherever city I'm going to travel, and I want to know what black-owned restaurants there are and go support those. I can even find those things that aren't local just simply by Google.

Local Racial Justice Organizations To Support

Black Owned Indy Food Businesses To Support Right Now

Q: In your family, your next generation is here. Your brother had a baby. A beautiful baby girl. As an aunt, you’re thinking of her and her future, what will you tell her about the start of 2020 and what do you hope to tell her by the end of 2020 or once she’s ready to have those conversations?

A: I just want to eat her up. I do too. She is the cutest little thing too. I don’t even know if her parents know this but every single time that I spend time with my niece Emme I tell her that she is smart. She is kind. She is brave and she is beautiful. And I've been telling her that since the very first time that I held her and I want her to know and to hear that because those are things that I did not hear on a regular basis outside of my family growing up. So I want her to know that in 2020 that's normal to hear. That's normal to know that she is smart. She is kind. She is brave. She is beautiful instead of being told all of the awful things that my generation and generations before her had to hear.

Q: Anything else you want to add?

A: Thank you for going beyond my skill set of food. I tell people all the time food is my passion, but a black woman is who I am. So I appreciate you recognizing that and giving me this platform.

Q: What is your experience in corporate training on diversity and inclusion?

A: I come with eight years of corporate diversity and inclusion training. I was the diversity practitioner for a company here in Indiana and basically spent time championing diversity and inclusion within a corporate space. And now that I am an entrepreneur and have a business of my own and a platform, I am able to definitely be more vocal and speak about things that I am passionate about first being racial justice, social justice, justice for women and generational justice.

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