The Family Reunion Legacy

Virginia Ali

CHEF & FOUNDER, BEN'S CHILI BOWL
The Family Reunion’s 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

Virginia Ali is a truly incredible woman. Her earthly life began on her parents' Virginia farm on December 17th, 1933, and today she is as vibrant as ever. She smiles whenever recounting her fond memories of childhood on the farm, her deep involvement in her family's country church, her college studies at Virginia Union University, and moving to Washington, DC as a young woman to find her destiny.

As her beloved DC community knows so well, Virginia's historic destiny found her the day she met Ben Ali, her husband and partner in life, love, family, and business. The dynamic newlyweds opened the doors of the now iconic Ben's Chili Bowl on August 22, 1958. Today, 63 years later, this institution has become a place of fond memories for countless friends from DC, Maryland, Virginia, and all around the world.

Known affectionately as "Mom" or Mrs. Ben, Virginia has touched the lives of everyone she has encountered. Although she has achieved near celebrity status, her demeanor has never changed – with all her natural poise and sophistication, she still exemplifies the pure, wholesome values instilled by her parents. She lives a philosophy of giving love and kindness to everyone she meets, and as a result she is cherished and respected in a way that is very rare these days. In fact, at this point she is considered the "Matriarch of U Street" and countless DC residents call her "Mom."

In addition to all the hours she has put in at Ben's Chili Bowl, Virginia has also made time for many other meaningful endeavors. She has served on the Board of Directors of For Love of Children, The Thurgood Marshall Center for Service and Heritage, the Islamic Society of the Greater Washington Area, and Cultural Tourism DC among others. Over the years, Virginia and Ben have received countless awards and accolades including the prestigious America's Classics Restaurant Award from the James Beard Foundation. They were inducted into the DC Hall of Fame in 2002 and were later given the Key to the City by Washington, DC Mayor Adrian Fenty. More recently, the Smithsonian placed Ben's Chili Bowl on its list of the 20 Most Iconic Food Destinations Across America.

With all that she has accomplished thus far, Virginia isn't resting on her laurels. As her family, friends, and employees will attest, she is a true dynamo who encourages those around her to live fully and strive for excellence in all areas of life. She gives generously of herself and her time, and despite all the recognition and accolades, she is perhaps best known for her kind, loving nature and her very sound wisdom. Virginia is truly a people person, and we are all very thankful for everything she gives us by simply being herself.

Alexander Smalls

JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNING CHEF, RESTAURATEUR
The Family Reunion’s 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

Alexander Smalls is no stranger to culinary curating and storytelling; his most recent undertaking has been the creation—the founding and orchestrating—of Alkebulan: the first modern contemporary African dining hall, which opened in October of 2021 for Dubai Expo 2020. The dining hall, whose prototype includes ambitious plans for opening additional venues in London and Harlem, expects a total of 15 million visitors to the Dubai location by the end of March.

Alexander Smalls’ prolific path is marked by a plethora of copious achievements: he is a James Beard Award winning chef, author, and raconteur was the visionary co-owner of renowned restaurants Minton’s and The Cecil — NYC’s first Afro-Asian American restaurant, which was named “Best New Restaurant in America” by Esquire in 2014. Over the past three decades, this South Carolina native has traveled the world studying the cooking techniques and foodways of the African diaspora.

Smalls has always brought elements of his birthplace into his menus. As the former chef-owner of celebrated restaurants, including Café Beulah, the first fine dining African American restaurant in NYC, Sweet Ophelia’s in Soho, and Shoebox Café at Grand Central Station, Smalls has received great acclaim in the restaurant scene, including cooking at the James Beard House, being named one of Zagat’s “NYC Restaurant Power Players You Need to Know” and being honored with the Legacy Award in 2014 by The Amsterdam News, one of the oldest African American newspapers in the country. Furthermore, in addiiton to the accolades, Smalls has had many awards bestowed upon him. He received a 2019 James Beard Award, with chef JJ Johnson and Veronica Chambers, for their cookbook, Between Harlem and Heaven.In 2020, Smalls was bestowed the Creative Spirit Award from the Black Alumni of Pratt by his dear friend the inimitable Ms. Cicely Tyson. He’s received additional recognition for his other written work, dating back to his first memoir and cookbook, Grace the Table, foreword by Wynton Marsalis, which features recipes from his upbringing he calls Southern Revival cuisine. His most recent book, Meals, Music & Muses: Recipes from my African American Kitchen, has beenacclaimed by New York Times and Los Angeles Times.

Smalls’ work goes way beyond the kitchen; he is also a world-renowned opera singer and the winner of both a Grammy Award and a Tony Award for the cast recording of George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess” with the Houston Grand Opera. Smalls will debut his new recording title, “Let us Break Bread together,” in June 2022. Alexander Smalls sees his career in the world of hospitality as an activist and advocate for the foodways of the African Diaspora. He is dedicated to elevating, educating, and expanding the narrative, visibility and brilliance of African food in the world. When he’s not traveling, Alexander Smalls resides in Harlem, where he is active in the community on nonprofit boards and with community initiatives.

Dr. Jessica B. Harris

FOOD HISTORIAN, AWARD WINNING AUTHOR, JOURNALIST
The Family Reunion’s 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

Dr. Jessica B. Harris, considered by many to be one of the ranking authorities on the food of the African Diaspora, is the author, editor, or translator of eighteen books including twelve cookbooks documenting the foodways of the African Diaspora.

She is a sought-after speaker and has lectured widely and written extensively for scholarly and popular publications. Harris consults internationally and conceptualized the award-winning cafeteria of the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture.

She is currently leading the Culinary Institute of America's new African Diaspora Foodways initiative. Dr. Harris is also lead curator for the exhibit African/American: Making the Nation's Table to be presented by New York's Museum of Food and Drink in 2022.

Dr Harris holds numerous awards and accolades including our 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Johnson & Wales University.

In 2019, her food-related works were inducted into the James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame and she is the 2020 James Beard Lifetime Achievement awardee. Dr. Harris taught at Queens College/CUNY, New York, for five decades and is currently professor emerita at that institution.