If your self-care comes in the form of comfort food, Angela Davis is just the person you need to follow. And no, we’re not talking about the famed political activist, though this self-taught chef, food photographer, and mom of two is an activist in her own right. Also known as The Kitchenista, Davis turned her personal passion into a career after being let go from her job as an accountant in 2012. For six years now, her successful blog, The Kitchenista Diaries, has been encouraging food lovers to create mouthwatering, healthy meals at home.
But her road to entrepreneur hasn’t always been a piece of cake. “Freelance income is tricky, especially with food!” says Davis. “There are times of year where I’m crazy busy and times where I’m coming up with new ways to stream income.”
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And if that sounds tricky enough, imagine doing it as a Black woman in an industry dominated by white chefs, cooks, writers, and editors. “If you compare our work to our non-Black peers, there’s a lot of them who get the opportunities on networks. And that’s because it’s mostly white people at the top making the decisions.”
But Davis is still forging ahead with unique ways to get her content out there. Last fall, she turned her healthy spin on Black cuisine into Sunday Dinner with The Kitchenista, a curated dinner series in Washington, D.C. inspired by her popular #kitchenistasundays posts.
When you’re an other in your field, like she is, she has an important piece of advice: “Find your tribe!” she says. “And when you do make it to the top, look out for other Black women. You can always find time for people, especially those who are just starting out, because at one point, that was you.”
Black Is The New Black is Refinery29’s celebration of 20 Black women who kicked down doors in their fields this past year. Black women who are reminding the world that we are not a trend or “a moment.” We’re here — and we’ve been here. Check out the full list.
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