Food for the soul

Fried catfish, rib tips and collard greens greeted attendees of the 11th annual Soul Food Festival on Saturday afternoon at Karst Farm Park. And along with the unhealthy fare came health care screenings for attendees. \nWith DJ Toe Toe spinning hip hop, and everything from Beastie Boys to DJ Unk, members of the Bloomington community mingled while exploring the booths of various businesses and organizations in between plates of Cajun and soul food.\n“A lot of people call soul food ‘comfort food,’” said Kevin Mimms Sr., part owner of Mimms Catering, one of five restaurants selling food at the festival. “It originated with a lot of things that were economical, not always the most desirable cuts, but people found ways to make it delectable.”\nAny type of greens and ribs are the staples of the soul food diet, but fried catfish, cornbread and fried green tomatoes are also common dishes, said Elizabeth Mitchell, the chair of the festival. Catfish seemed to be the general favorite for attendees.\n“I’m a southern boy – I grew up in Mississippi, so I’m looking for the catfish,” said Adrian Land, a graduate student studying microbiology at IU and a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity. Members of the fraternity volunteered with the event’s setup and take-down and distributed information about their philanthropic undertakings during the event.\nAnother IU student, Shalonda Guy, who is in her third year of law school and is a graduate student in the School of Public and Environmental Affiars, represented Delta Sigma Theta sorority at the festival. Her organization was promoting voter registration in the community, especially the black community. She also favored the fried catfish above all the foods there.\nThe festival let several organizations from around the community set up tables and advertise their services. Entrepreneur Jessie Hood used the event as an opportunity to advertise her new business, Jessie’s Boutique, which sells evening and casual wear with African designs and Afro-centric accessories.\n“This is an opportunity to reach out and build clientele, to show people what I have to offer and find out what else they might want,” Hood said.\nSeveral health care booths at the festival also provided information about health care concerns for black community members.\n“We are here to give information about types of cancer that disproportionately affect the African-American community and reach out to people that normally we don’t,” said Tricia Bock, a representative from the American Cancer Society. Her focus was on breast cancer, prostrate cancer, colon cancer and lung cancer. \n“They are the ‘big four’ for everyone, but sometimes because of access to screenings and sometimes because of cultural factors, African-Americans are hit especially hard by them,” Bock said.\nRepresentatives from the IU School of Optometry also manned a table to give information about annual eye exams.\n“We want to stress that it is really important to get an annual eye exam,” said Jenny Nance, a third- year optometry student. \nBlacks generally have a higher rate of diabetes and hypertension, which puts them at risk for ocular complications, Nance said. \n“You can go blind from diabetes, and the symptoms are hard to detect, so many people don’t even know they have it until they visit an optometrist,” she said. \nIn line with the health aspect of the festival, several soul food cookbooks were on display, donated by New York authors, offering suggestions for healthier preparation. \nAttendees of the festival were also treated to a special performance by the Arlington High School Drum Line and the dance troupe Couzins in Motion, as well as improv performances from some of the younger attendees. People said there was something for everyone at the festival, and it was hard not to have a good time.\n“It’s always good to be out to meet and greet people in the community,” Mimms said. “It’s a beautiful day and a great atmosphere.”