Collard greens are a staple meal among Black Americans, representing survival and resilience. Collards are a signature dish that was served on any given day of the week and served during the major holidays. Collard, Mustard, and Turnip greens are a part of Black American Culture. In fact, during the author’s college days, she would often phone home, requesting collard greens to be shipped to her, because she missed the rich, savory taste, especially on Sundays.
Two years ago, T’arie (T) Todman, of the Winston County Self-Help Cooperative (WCSHC), showed how to prepare collard greens on Facebook. This May, Ms. Shelia Graham of Louisville, MS, gave a tutorial for the members of WCSHC, on how to prepare Cha Cha. As she was teaching the course, she recognized T’arie, affectionally known as T or Mama T, from the Facebook tutorial and instantly challenged her to a collard green cook-off.
On September 27, 2025, the Winston County South Help Cooperative hosted its first collard green cook-off, along with a health information session. Jamika Leeks, a board-certified nurse practitioner, led the health informational session. Jamika provided a comprehensive overview of the impact of Diabetes (Type I and Type II), its risk factors (non-active lifestyle), complications (amputation), preventative care (daily or weekly foot exams), and how to properly treat Diabetes properly (improving food choices and taking prescribed medication(s)). According to facts discussed by Jamika, one out of 7 Mississippians are diabetic. That means better food choices are needed to make a reversal in the number of diabetic individuals. She provided real-life scenarios, allowing the crowd to grasp the stated information. According to Ms. Leeks, following one’s provider’s advice can reduce the risk of complications from Diabetes. At the end of the session, questions were asked and answered, and individuals left with a clear understanding of Diabetes. Cooperatively, we are proud to have a young, vibrant, black female nurse practitioner who provided us with in-depth knowledge of a condition that causes a litany of damage to our community. Once the health information session ended, the program transitioned to the cook-off.
As stated earlier, the collard green challenge was proposed in May of this year, so tensions have been brewing for months. There was lots of excitement for the outcomes of who made the best collards. Although the greens were cooked in entirely different ways, both greens were delicious. The pot prepared by Ms. Shelia was tender and seasoned with a hint of sweet flavor. The other pot, prepared by Mama T, was tender and savory, with a deep, smoky turkey flavor.
Ms. Arlexis Yarbrough of WCSHC put the icing on the cake; she fried chicken and prepared cornbread in the oven and on the stovetop. Additionally, Ms. Shelia made yams, and Mama T made green beans and rice to help fill the stomachs of every participant. The love from those who cooked on Saturday was infused through the food. Everything was delicious, and the participants thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
I’m sure now you, the reader, are trying to see who won this competition. We had ten people to vote. Three of the individuals did not choose either one because they felt that both were good. Two voters chose pot A (Ms. Shelia’s), and four chose pot B (Mama T’s). It was a close call; however, Mama T pulled it off and won the competition.
Currently, at the Winston County Self-Help Cooperative Campus site, we are cultivating a variety of greens. Therefore, we would like to invite other volunteers to cook and compete with their version of greens in a future cooking contest, details of which will be announced shortly.
