Before there was an American Thanksgiving, there was gratitude spoken in every language under the sun.
In this immersive episode, Beyond the Table travels across continents and centuries to explore how people around the world give thanks through food, ritual, and community. From the yam festivals of West Africa to Caribbean Harvest Sundays, Indigenous harvest ceremonies, and modern diaspora feasts — Thanksgiving, Everywhere reveals that gratitude isn't bound by borders or myth.
Written and produced by Amanda Clemons, this story-rich soundscape blends history, memory, and music to remind us that giving thanks is not a holiday it's a way of living.
Explore the episode references below to learn more:
Jessica B. Harris, High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America (Bloomsbury, 2011)
Michael W. Twitty, The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South (Amistad, 2017)
Toni Tipton-Martin, The Jemima Code: Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks (University of Texas Press, 2015)
Isabel Wilkerson, The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration (Random House, 2010)
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage – African American Foodways Collection
National Museum of the American Indian – Harvest and Green Corn Ceremony Resources
Caribbean "Harvest Sunday" traditions documented by the Barbados Museum & Historical Society and Jamaica's Institute of Jamaica
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