Part memoir and part food history, Bibb Country explores Lonnae O'Neal's journey as she learns more about her family's history through the lens of Bibb lettuce, a popular strain of lettuce named for the white, slave-owning Bibb family of Kentucky.
Five years ago, Andscape Senior writer Lonnae O'Neal grabbed some seeds for her summer garden, which included seeds for Bibb Lettuce. Lonnae would soon learn that Bibb lettuce is much closer than her backyard garden--she is a direct descendant of Kentucky's Major Richard Bibb.
Her great-great-great-grandmother, Keziah, was owned by Major Bibb who originally spliced the seeds to create Bibb Lettuce, still a delicacy two hundred years later. It is widely believed that Major Bibb had a child with Keziah and is thus the beginning of the line for our author. And the beginning of the infamous Bibb Lettuce empire in slave-holding Kentucky.
For years, the author researched her Bibb connection, including attending a joint reunion with all Bibbs, Black and white. The reunion was photographed by ESPN for this title. She and her family have recently received 1/13 of the Bibb Plantation that was deeded to her forebears a century ago.
For those who love historical non-fiction. For those who devoured the mega-best seller The 1619 Project, and High On The Hog, which became a Netflix special, this reader is primed for this book.
About the Author
Lonnae O'Neal is a senior writer for Andscape. She was a top five winner in the 2019 Associated Press Sports Editors contest, and is a two-time recipient of the National Association of Black Journalist's Salute to Excellence Award for projects and general reporting. Prior to joining Andscape she was a Washington Post reporter and columnist for two decades, during which she received the 2016 Society for Features Journalism Award for excellence in commentary.
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