St. Louis Scientist Connects Family Food Knowledge to Black Agricultural Legacy
St. Louis plant scientist Antonio Brazelton has discovered a profound connection between his academic pursuits and the generational knowledge passed down by his grandmother, particularly her traditional preparation of "poke salad," which he now recognizes as a form of foraging.…
St. Louis, MO, October 16, 2026 —
St. Louis plant scientist Antonio Brazelton is drawing a connection between his academic work and knowledge passed down through his family, including his grandmother’s traditional preparation of “poke salad.” Brazelton now recognizes that practice as a form of foraging, linking a familiar food tradition with his study of plants.
The connection has prompted Brazelton to explore how generational knowledge and academic pursuits can inform one another. The account of his work describes his grandmother’s preparation of poke salad as an example of Black agricultural wisdom carried through family experience. It does not provide details about the specific preparation or when Brazelton came to understand it as foraging.
A second discovery deepened that exploration: Brazelton found a letter from George Washington Carver at the Missouri Botanical Garden. The letter’s contents, when it was written and how Brazelton encountered it were not provided. The account presents the find alongside his recognition of his grandmother’s knowledge as part of a broader legacy of Black agricultural wisdom.
Brazelton is exploring and carrying that legacy forward, according to the summary of his work. It does not specify the projects, research methods or public activities through which he is doing so. Nor does it describe how the letter has shaped his work beyond placing the discovery in the context of his interest in agricultural knowledge.
Together, the family food tradition and the letter have helped Brazelton see a relationship between personal inheritance and his academic pursuits. Further details about his research, the letter and his grandmother’s practice were not provided.
Story summarized from the original created by Kathleen Rice on www.stlpr.org, see more information here.
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