As Grand Valley State University’s Kirkhof Center began to fill Friday with the sights and smells of soul food, lines of anxious faculty and students began to form.

Enticed and encouraged by volunteers proclaiming “free food,” attendees began a journey into both history and culinary art that was open to all.

Hosted by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, “A Taste of Soul Food” offered students, faculty and staff the opportunity to try traditionally-made, historically-accurate soul foods. The menu items were modeled after the same foods made by African slaves before the civil rights movement, which were cooked with table scraps and any other foods that were easy to obtain.

“Some of the items were leftover items,” said Bobby Springer, the associate director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs. “We don’t have it today, but pig was one of the items that a lot of families ate many different parts.”

An effort was made to preserve what little they could and in doing so, soul food was born.

“It still has a wonderful taste,” Springer said. “I know I grew up on this type of food.”

Due to its success last year, the OMA decided to bring the event back and plans on continuing it. The OMA has received widespread support from other university offices.

“It’s a celebration of Black History Month and not a lot of people really know what soul food is all about,” said Brenda Mitchner, associate director of housing and residence life. The OMA asked for volunteers and Mitchner decided to help out.

“I’m out here with my loud mouth saying ‘free food,’ but it gives them an opportunity to taste (it),” she said.

The menu included candied yams, chicken, cornbread, collard greens and macaroni and cheese.

“Most European Americans don’t know what collard greens are,” Mitchner said.

Springer mentioned that many students are shy or apprehensive about trying it, but once they do, they like it.

Springer said macaroni and cheese seemed to be last year’s favorite dish.

“Most people have macaroni and cheese, but there’s a craft that goes into this one that is a little bit different,” he said.

The event opened at noon with two tables of food and a 30 minutes later, one table was gone and the second was running out.

Springer said he sees the event as achieving two goals in one.

“On the flip side of that, too, you have some people who are accustomed to this but they don’t have the chance to eat it unless they go back home or for holidays,” Springer said. “It gives them the opportunity to have it as well.”

jcampbell@ lanthorn.com