Vertamae grosvenor biography of nancy grace

Vertamae grosvenor biography of nancy grace: Enter Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor, a proud “Geechee

Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor April 4, — September 3, was an American culinary anthropologist, griot , poet , food writer , and broadcaster on public media. Later she lived in Paris before settling in New York City. She was active in the Black Arts Movement and performed on Broadway. Her travels informed her cooking and appreciation of food as culture.

She was known for her cookbook-memoir, Vibration Cooking: or, The Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl , and published numerous essays and articles. She produced two award-winning documentaries and was a commentator for years on NPR , serving as a contributor to its NOW series. Grosvenor also appeared in several films, including Personal Problems , an independent film by Bill Gunn , Daughters of the Dust , about a Gullah family in during a time of transition on the Sea Islands , and Beloved , based on Toni Morrison 's novel of the same name.

She was in a National Geographic documentary about the Gullah people. Vertamae Smart was born in as a pre-mature twin; her twin brother died at birth. She grew up speaking Gullah , as her parents' families had been in the area for centuries and were part of that ethnic group and culture. In this area, Africans were concentrated in large populations on relatively isolated Sea Island plantations and in the Low Country; they developed a unique creole culture and language with strong ties to Africa.