There’s a reason a certain type of home-cooked cuisine is referred to as “soul food”—because it nurtures the spirit as well as the body. From the American South to New York City’s Harlem neighborhood, food is an integral part of culture, a symbol of love, and a way to bring family, friends, and strangers together.

On this episode of Why Am I Telling You This?, President Clinton is joined by “America’s queen of comfort food,” Melba Wilson, whose eponymous restaurant has been serving mouth-watering meals in Harlem—where she was “born, bred, and buttered”—since 2005. In addition to nurturing her native community with food, Wilson also takes care of her neighbors in other ways. In 2021, she was instrumental in setting up a mobile COVID vaccination site for Harlem residents, provided meals to thousands of essential workers, and established the Melba’s COVID-19 Employee Relief Fund to provide financial aid to dozens of restaurant workers who found themselves out of work during the pandemic. She is also serving on New York City’s COVID Recovery and Health Equity Task Force.

There&rsquo;s a reason a certain type of home-cooked cuisine is referred to as &ldquo;soul food&rdquo;&mdash;because it nurtures the spirit as well as the body. From the American South to New York City&rsquo;s Harlem neighborhood, food is an integral part of culture, a symbol of love, and a way to bring family, friends, and strangers together.
On this episode of Why Am I Telling You This?, President Clinton is joined by &ldquo;America&rsquo;s queen of comfort food,&rdquo; Melba Wilson, whose eponymous restaurant has been serving mouth-watering meals in Harlem&mdash;where she was &ldquo;born, bred, and buttered&rdquo;&mdash;since 2005. In addition to nurturing her native community with food, Wilson also takes care of her neighbors in other ways. In 2021, she was instrumental in setting up a mobile COVID vaccination site for Harlem residents, provided meals to thousands of essential workers, and established the Melba&rsquo;s COVID-19 Employee Relief Fund to provide financial aid to dozens of restaurant workers who found themselves out of work during the pandemic. She is also serving on New York City&rsquo;s COVID Recovery and Health Equity Task Force.

President Bill Clinton has always been known for his ability to explain complex issues in a way that makes sense, and for finding a way to connect with everyone he meets. To hear him tell it, this comes from growing up in a family and a culture where storytelling was their entertainment. From a young age, he learned to speak by learning to listen. He found that everyone has a story, and understanding their story is the key to understanding them as people. And if you understand people, it’s easier to make sense of our world. Inspired by this belief, this series will feature conversations with Bill Clinton and some of the most fascinating people of our time—to explore where we’ve been, but more importantly, where we’re going.

Why Am I Telling You This? with Bill Clinton

Melba Wilson: How Food Feeds Our Soul

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/3f93f866-7e23-4266-a185-ae85001050cb/transcript

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