Page 29 - Florida Sentinel 9-4-20

National
Inside Charlotte's Hottest Black-
A Family Rode Out And Survived Hurricane Laura; Then Their Generator Killed Them
Owned Food Truck, What The Fries
Despite a pandemic, two Black chefs out of Charlotte, NC have managed to nearly triple business for their loaded fries food truck. What The Fries can easily be deemed the city’s most sought after food truck, and we had a chance to speak with Chef Jamie Barnes and Greg Williams on getting to this place after five years of being in business.
Jamie and Greg met while at- tending Johnson and Wales Uni- versity in Charlotte. The two formed an instant bond and have done everything from working to- gether in restaurants to Greg being a groomsman in Jamie’s wedding.
The idea for the business came after signing up for The Great Food Truck Race.
“We made it pretty far in the competition, but they didn’t select us in the end,” Greg Williams told Travel Noire. “We decided to just keep the loaded fries con- cept because we knew it was an easy way for us to get creative with our dishes.”
Becoming one of the hottest food trucks was no easy feat. For years the men worked to get peo- ple to accept the name and brand, including catering corporate events serving boxed pasta lunches— so that people could get a taste of their culinary talent.
They eventually made the leap and purchased an old FedEx de- livery truck, that they converted into the What The Fries food truck.
“It hasn’t been easy. We can’t tell you how many times we’ve
WHAT THE FIRES
broken down on the side of the road or had fryers go out. But we kept pushing.”
Now, the men are hoping to take their business to the next level by opening the first brick and mortar location. For the last four or five months, both Greg and Jamie have been on the hunt for the perfect location around Char- lotte.
Trying to find that “just right” first location has come with its own obstacles. The men have been turned down by landlords who ei- ther don’t see their vision or aren’t sold that they can bring in the same business they do for the truck.
“It’s frustrating,” Greg said. “Sometimes I think skin color plays a part in it. We have the cre- dentials and the proof is in our fol- lowing. It’s only a matter of us getting over this hurdle, and we will be fine.”
Until then, the What The Fries truck will continue to make its way around the city. While the menu changes up often, the best sellers right now are the lobster mac fries and the chicken sand- wich with housemade pickles and special yum yum sauce.
Everyone knew Rosalie Lewis as the first Black woman postal service super- visor in Louisiana. Her hus- band, John Lewis, was a Kroger truck driver who knew every bayou backroad. On Thursday, they hunkered down with three other fam- ily members to ride out the historic Hurricane Laura, with winds so powerful it shredded nearby homes. They survived; their house did too.
Hours later, four of them were dead from generator fumes.
“It’s an awful reminder that even when you do everything right, these things can happen,” Frances Spencer, a cousin who’d heard her relatives
were fine right after landfall, told BuzzFeed News on Sat- urday. “People forget that often the death comes in the aftermath.”
As of Sunday, 14 people in Louisiana were confirmed dead after the Category 4 hurricane’s 150 mph winds — the strongest to ever strike the state — threw homes from their foundations and substantially damaged enough infrastructure that hundreds of thousands of people will live without water and electricity for weeks.
The subsequent thick, sticky heat and rain drove residents to power up portable generators to keep their bodies, food, and med- ication cool. As a result,
eight people in Louisiana died from carbon monoxide poisoning, their ages ranging from 24 to84. In Texas, at least four people died from generator fumes.
When placed inside or in a confined space, carbon monoxide, a colorless, odor- less, tasteless gas emitted from generatorscan turn deadly within minutes. But in the chaotic and stressful aftermath of a storm, resi- dents often forget the danger — despite early and ongoing warnings from officials.
The family is still trying to figure out how and why this happened. Spencer said the generator was in the garage. But, somehow, she said, the door leading into the house got cracked open.
PingHwa Okorie: The Nigerian Entrepreneur Designing Swimwear For Black Women's Bodies
PingHwa Okorie’s pas- sion for the beach came early in life. Okorie, whose father is Nigerian and mother is Tai- wanese, traveled to tropical destinations often.
But during those many trips to the beach with her family, she felt that the swimwear she bought were never quite right. That’s why she created her own.
“Growing up in Lagos, it was hard to find swimwear that I loved and felt comfortable in. I wanted to create something that was soft on the skin, that was high quality and sophisti- cated and that’s how Salt and Sunscreen were born,” she
PINGHWA OKORIE
said. “As a beach lover and
traveler, I’m always looking for pieces that are fashion-for- ward and chic. Now I can bring that beauty and style into pieces for all women.”
In 2019, Okorie created Salt and Sunscreen. The brand is based on the beauty of an African woman—the feminine physique and accentuated curves. The swimwear line is made to make you feel effort- lessly chic in.
“Whether you’re lounging poolside or on an exotic get- away, these suits are made to make you shine,” said Okorie. “All our designs are adjustable and have that soft to touch feel.”
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