The James Beard Foundation on Saturday held their 2024 Media Awards and North Charleston native KJ Kearney (pictured) was among the winners. He won the award in the “Social Media Account” category for his Black Food Fridays project, which he created during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to encourage the world to support Black-owned restaurants, chefs, caterers, and producers every Friday.
Black Food Fridays has since grown to an account where Kearney shares Black food history and the best dishes, desserts, drinks, and people in Black-owned businesses. Since its debut, Black Food Fridays has grown organically to reach an audience of over 500,000 people across social media. You can learn more about at blackfoodfridays.com, on TikTok, and on Instagram.
Kearney, who was also a nominee in 2022, is a Black food historian, content creator, and food & beverage influencer. He has been featured and quoted in numerous publications including (but not limited to) The Washington Post, Forbes, The Today Show, Business Insider, Eater and Ebony Magazine. You may also have seen him on shows like “Ms. Delicious Brown” (Food Network) or “High On the Hog” (Netflix). He’s currently the host for a PBS Digital Series called “Citizen Better."
You can watch Kearney's acceptance speech below, and you can view the entire list of winners here.