Available to book
Deah Berry Mitchell
Diversity and Inclusion
Food and Nutrition
Social Impact
Explore the living history of Black America with Deah Berry Mitchell, historian, cultural preservationist, and food scholar. Deah brings the past into sharp focus through food history, augmented reality, and community storytelling. A Julia Child Foundation Fellow, former James Beard Awards judge, and PhD candidate at the University of North Texas.
Historian
Black History Month
Juneteenth
MLK Day
Digital Expert
Academic
Educator
Entrepreneur
Innovator
Author
Interactive Keynote
Deah Berry Mitchell is a historian, food scholar, and cultural preservationist whose work uses storytelling, scholarship, and technology to bring Black American history out of the archive and into lived experience.
A PhD candidate in history at the University of North Texas, Deah is the founder and CEO of Nostalgia Black Group, a multimedia company dedicated to preserving Black cultural history through writing, public speaking, tourism, research, and technology. She created Deep Ellum AR, the first augmented reality app in the United States developed by a woman to highlight Black history, and founded Soul of DFW Tours, producing sold-out bus tours combining food history and local Black cultural heritage. Funded by the City of Dallas, the app is now used in classrooms, walking tours, and cultural institutions across North Texas.
Deah's work connects academic research with public storytelling, helping organizations understand how food, place, and memory shape cultural identity and consumer experience. Her expertise in Black Texas history and digital heritage tools supports museums, tourism boards, educators, and corporate audiences seeking more authentic narratives and community engagement strategies for strategy and curriculum design applications.
Audiences leave Deah's sessions with a grounded understanding of Juneteenth history, Black Southern foodways and the role of storytelling in preserving cultural memory. Deah also demonstrates how technology can be used to surface hidden histories and how community-rooted entrepreneurship can build sustainable cultural and economic impact across education, tourism, and corporate sectors.
Book Deah to bring lived history, academic insight, and cultural storytelling to your next event.
Topics, sessions and talks
Join Deah Berry Mitchell, a PhD student specializing in American Historical Foodways, to explore Black culture through cuisine and local history. Deah's work aims to preserve Black cultural heritage and amplify the voices of Black-owned restaurants. She received the 2023-2024 Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy & the Culinary Arts Fellowship in Food History. Attendees will gain insights into Black culture's rich culinary traditions and historical significance.
Deah, an expert in Southern and African American food and culture, will deliver an inspiring talk this Black History Month. The event will delve into the rich history of these cuisines, exploring their cultural significance and evolution. Attendees will better understand the historical context and cultural impact of Southern and African American food traditions.
This talk, led by Deah Berry Mitchell, combines Juneteenth celebrations with exploring Black food history. Attendees will learn about the cultural significance of Juneteenth and how traditional foods can play a role in the festivities.
Deah can discuss the pivotal role of Dallas/Fort Worth in igniting civil rights across the USA, delve into the history of Freedmen communities, or highlight the significant impact of local Black women on American history. Attendees will learn about the crucial contributions of these communities and individuals to the broader civil rights movement. Deah is currently developing a history app for the City of Dallas.
Deah's talk, "Discovering Texas' Successful Black Entrepreneurs: 1875-1975," delves into the inspiring stories of Black business leaders who thrived in Texas over a century. Despite facing systemic challenges, she highlights their innovative strategies, resilience, and significant contributions to the state's economy. Attendees will learn about the historical context, key figures, and the lasting impact of these entrepreneurs on their communities and beyond.
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frequently asked questions
Something we've not covered here?
Email deah.berry.mitchell@getapeptalk.com or call PepTalk on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US), and one of our speaker agents will contact you within hours to confirm Deah's availability and fees. If you can, please include your budget upfront – it helps us fast-track your request. It’s also helpful to know the date, format (virtual or in-person), location, and a bit about your audience.
Deah Berry Mitchell structures her sessions around the integration of academic historical research with public storytelling, drawing on her PhD-level scholarship in American Historical Foodways to contextualise Black Southern culinary traditions within broader narratives of cultural memory and place. She supplements this with technology demonstration, using her augmented reality app, Deep Ellum AR, to show how digital tools can surface archival histories for general audiences.
Deah Berry Mitchell speaks on Black American foodways and culinary history, Juneteenth traditions, and Black History Month, with a focus on Southern and African American food culture and its historical significance. She holds a 2023–2024 Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts Fellowship in Food History and is a PhD candidate in history at the University of North Texas.
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Three to six months ahead is comfortable for most events, and 12 months is better for large conferences, peak-season dates or one specific in-demand speaker. Shorter timelines are workable, and PepTalk regularly fills last-minute and replacement bookings within days. Availability is the constraint, so get in touch as soon as you have a date.
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