Why do I care about the ups and downs of Black barbecue? Because this goes much deeper than just loving barbecue. It’s because I’ve been radicalized by something that I watched on television. Actually, it’s more about what I didn’t see than what I saw. 

In May 2004, I was intrigued by a Food Network promotional commercial for a one-hour special titled Paula’s Southern BBQ. At the time, I knew much more about barbecue than I did about the host, Paula Deen, and I hoped that Deen would be presenting more of an overview of southern barbecue culture rather than simply a cooking lesson or a cooking competition. I tuned in for the show. By the time the credits rolled, though, my mouth was hanging open—not from an appetite for barbecue but because I was stunned that not one single African American had been interviewed on camera. I saw shots of Black people in the background doing the actual work, but they were anonymous and voiceless. Today it may seem naive, but I recall thinking, as I turned off the television, “Is this what Black barbecuers have become? They’re just B-roll footage now?” Maybe I had misread the ads for the show—perhaps it had been promoted as Paula’s Scandinavian Barbecue, Sponsored by Alabama White Sauce?

It’s easy to beat up on Deen, given the racism and improper appropriation allegations that surfaced against her five years later, but I think the show’s production team shares the blame. They are the ones who scout…