153A. All You Knead is Love: The Liddell Sisters' Journey to the Love Kitchen

Lead Presenter(s)

Nicole Deasy

Abstract or Description

Twin sisters Helen Liddell Ashe and Ellen Liddell Turner spent their last decades providing free meals to Knoxville residents through their nonprofit, the Love Kitchen. The sisters are revered for their work in the community, and the people and experiences that influenced them throughout their lives provide a rich historical analysis of the African American experience in the twentieth century. Forgotten cassettes, monographs, census records, birth certificates, and newspapers built the context of this work. As first-generation students, Helen and Ellen’s parents and education prepared them for a life of institution-building work. Helen and Ellen’s story joins a growing movement in historical discourse focused on African American women, their social hurdles, and their community contributions.

Mentor

Brandon Winford and Jacob Latham