Summer Pocket Talk • Session 3
Food, Memory, and Migration: The Stories We Tell Through Roti
What stories can a simple flatbread tell? Join The Roti Collective as we share research on the connections between South Asian, Caribbean, and East African food traditions in DC. Through stories of migration, memory, and resilience, we'll explore how roti connects communities across generations and borders and invite you to be part of this growing community research project.
🗓️ Saturday, August 15
⏰ 2:00pm-3:30pm (Doors at 1:30pm, talks begin promptly at 2:00pm)
📍 Georgetown Neighborhood Library, 1st Floor Reading Room (3260 R St NW, Washington, DC 20007)
🚌. Transit option: Bus D80/D82, Street Parking
⬇️ RSVP, see longer details below
RSVP Form ⬇️
What can roti teach us about history, identity, and community? Join the Roti Collective, led by Dr. Mariam Durrani and her team, for a conversation exploring roti as a globally shared food tradition and a powerful lens through which to understand migration, memory, and cultural change.
Through public events, community-engaged research, and creative collaborations, The Roti Collective examines how roti-making practices are sustained, adapted, and reimagined as communities navigate migration, colonialism, patriarchy, and capitalism in the 21st century.
This year, with support from the AU Humanities Truck, the Roti Collective has expanded to the Roti and Injera Collective of DC to map the intersections of South Asian, Caribbean, and East African food traditions in Washington, DC. We will share insights from our research exploring DC food spaces as places where time, place, and memory converge, revealing shared histories and connections across diverse communities.
Learn about our research so far and hear our vision for a community-engaged study of intergenerational food traditions that link local communities through experiences of migration, displacement, mutual aid, and resistance to neoliberal gentrification. Whether you are interested in food, culture, history, storytelling, or community organizing, this event offers an opportunity to engage with the stories that connect us and discover ways to get involved in the project.
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The Summer Pocket Talks are a series of interactive presentations and discussions, designed to kindle broader conversations and insights on timely issues and topics. All are welcome! As an attendee, you will hear from thinkers from the social sciences and humanities, be able to ask questions and discuss with speakers and other attendees, and connect with other interested in pressing topics. Complimentary tea and light refreshments are provided!