Juneteenth 2024: Black-owned plant-based shared commercial kitchen breaks new ground 

Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice The beats of the talking drum and Fuji music, a popular Nigerian genre, were the soundtracks of the Juneteenth groundbreaking of The Food Studio, Atlanta’s first Black-owned and 100% plant-based shared commercial kitchen. Located in the Nia Building of Pittsburgh Yards, the incubator space will help aspiring food entrepreneurs create successful business ventures and provide the community with access to healthier food options.& Its mission started with the Urban Oak Initiative, a nonprofit organization that fights obesity, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses by educating the youth on the health benefits of eating more plant-based meals. The organization, formerly Helping Hands Ministry, was founded by Robbie Towns in 1997 to address the basic needs of her local Mississippi church and community. That legacy has continued with her grandson chef Kevin McGee, executive director of the Urban Oak Initiative and founder of The Food Studio.  Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice “We’ve never controlled our food systems since we’ve been in this country. Well, now we have an opportunity to get to control our food systems and control our own outcomes,” McGee said. “Food is the most important thing that we have. It’s the only thing...