I would like to think that I'm like
the home girl, Rachel Ray.
My name is Tanya Denise Fields
otherwise known as mama Tanya.
I am the founder
of the Black Feminist Project here in the South Bronx.
I started the Black Feminist Project
not only to help women in my community
but also to save my life and the lives
of my children.
Started with my own journey with health.
At my highest, I was 310 pounds.
Simultaneously.
I was raising a chronically asthmatic child.
I found out just how important it is to have healthy food.
And so I decided to start working with other organizations
and empowered people in our community to demand more.
And in that 15 years, we have seen a shift.
There are definitely more farmer's markets
than there were when I first started this work.
And I am really proud to say
that I've been a part of that in my community.
Welcome to Mama Tanya's kitchen.
Mama Tanya's kitchen is a direct result
of me doing work on the South Bronx mobile market.
We were offering things a lot of times
that people had never seen before.
Blue potatoes Green eggs.
And so what I started doing was food demos.
And those food demos,
because in the world of social media
I would record them and post them.
And people would respond to them so well
then all of a sudden the light bulb went off in my head
and I was like, I could actually turn this
into like a lifestyle and a food thing
for people in my community,
because oftentimes we are ignored
in the lifestyle and food genre
and people have been responding to it very well.
You know, I would, I would like to think
that I'm like the home girl, Rachel Ray.
You know.
(laughs)
We are opening up a 2000 square foot
community center called the Alice Fields community center
for black women, femmes, and girls.
Alice Fields was my grandmother.
And she is an example
of the unsung heroes that we have in our community.
It will have a commercial kitchen.
It will have community space where people
can have small gatherings.
It will be a reflection of what this community deserves.
Mama Tanya, I don't even know.
I don't even know where to begin.
You know, I try and share with people every day that
that you can change the world.
Can you, can you speak to everyone watching
how it feels for you
and what drives you to serve your community?
You know, I'm, I'm trying to, first of all, hi, Rachel
(laughs)
(screams) Hi
I'm so excited to be here.
I'm so excited to have you.
I am like the South Bronx home girl, Rachel Ray
like that's it, I'm trying to make food accessible, right?
In all of the ways
Yes
People in my community.
You have made food accessible, right?
When we think about lifestyle la genre.
Rachel has made food accessible.
And so that is a very similar energy that I bring
to food justice work that I bring
to my little online burgeoning community
of Mama Tanya's kitchen followers.
And as I watched that tape
you know, I'm like, girl, don't cry.
Don't have your false eyelashes come off
because I'm like, that's
(both laugh)
I'm like, you like, don't have that moment
on TV girl.
Because I'm like, I do that.
That's what I do every day.
I do this work for my community.
I do this work for myself first and foremost.
There's no sense of altruism here.
This is not about, you know,
I went to some abroad program and then came back and decided
that I would save this particular group of folks.
These are my people.
And so I think for me, what the difference has been
has been that I had an amazing, you know
seeing my grandmother, God rest her soul on tele.
You know, like
(cries)
this woman who raised
I don't want you to get upset.
I want you to stay in that happy place.
You started with bringing joy and your fullest sense
of self to yourself
That's it that's it Rachael.
And honoring yourself.
And honoring your grandmother
and and and her spirit and her guidance
and her importance in your life.
And from that, this is how we grow.
Tanya, you were doing so much to feed your community
and it is valued not only by us
but our friends at Wonderful Pistachios.
They are giving you $10,000.
(cheers)
Keep doing your amazing work.
$10,000.
That's a whole lot of pistachios
That is a whole lot of pistachios.
That is, in fact, wonderful.
Thank you so much.
(Cheerful music)