With Derek Haynes, The Chocolate Botanist

Vanilla IS so Black! How Black is it you ask? It’s way blacker than the bleached concept we’re often spoon fed. Vanilla is anything but basic! This orchid is not only bursting with flavor as delicious as its history! Let’s change the way that we view vanilla, as each ounce of its glory is a true labor of love and necessity! Let’s reverence vanilla as the queen she is! 

This program aims to provide a nuanced understanding of vanilla’s botanical origins, highlight the pivotal role of Edmond Albius in its cultivation, and address historical nuances surrounding Black communities and their relationship with vanilla. It also explores vanilla’s cultural significance in Mexican and African cultures, offering insights into its diverse culinary and cultural roles globally.

In-person and on Zoom. Register >

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Following in the footsteps of notable Black plant researchers and scientists like George Washington Carver and Percy Julian is no easy task, but Derek Haynes is more than up to the challenge. With a background in plant biology, and formerly working in vaccine and therapeutics development using non-traditional plant-based technologies, Derek certainly practices what he preaches. Plants offer so much more than home decor, and Derek wants to show you how. He understands that the ancient and the modern don’t need to compete, but rather can work together in harmony, offering viable solutions to pressing questions like food insecurity and mind-body-spirit holistic wellness. 

Merging together education, his signature wit and humor, and his keen love for plants and science, Derek’s mission is to pull the traditional knowledge of our ancestors into the mainstream. Known affectionately as The Chocolate Botanist on Instagram, Derek has built a community of over 70k like-minded people, who have come to respect both his incredible depth of knowledge and the palpable joy he cultivates with the subject matter. 

His earnest passion has landed him features in The Guardian and Lifehacker, and he has been a guest on renowned podcasts like Black in the Garden and In Defense of Plants. He has also worked with the North Carolina Botanical Garden in developing educational workshops on botany and plant science. Through his dedicated commitment to fostering community and providing the necessary tools to expand knowledge, Derek is solidifying his place in the plant world—continuing to pave a new and sustainable path for the next generation of young, Black botanists.