The BCA is a nationwide non-profit educational and networking organization of hospitality and food service professionals. Incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in 1998, our mission is to create exposure and provide educational and professional opportunities for culinary and hospitality professionals of color. We accomplish this objective by providing quality educational and employment resources, job coaching, mentoring and assistance with placement, and networking support. Additionally, the BCA exposes inner-city high school students to the culinary arts through workshops and opportunities that introduce culinary arts as a viable career option.

In 1993, three graduates of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, including the current president, Alex Askew, met to discuss issues concerning African-Americans in the culinary and hospitality industries. The resulting organization, the Black Culinarian Alliance, was created to analyze and address the lack of education, awareness and exposure for African-Americans in these fields. The Black Culinarian Alliance would prove beneficial for both African-Americans and the culinary and hospitality industries. With education as a cornerstone, the organization moved forward in promoting career opportunities for African-Americans in the culinary and hospitality fields. Operating as the Black Culinarian Alumni Chapter of the Culinary Institute of America, it was the first membership of its kind for minority graduates of a culinary institution.

Incorporated as the Black Culinarian Alliance in 1998, and now known simply as the BCA, membership is composed of all ethnic groups and represents one of the largest percentages of professional women in the industry. Embracing this inclusion and understanding the rapidly growing multicultural audience and marketplace, the BCA continues with its objectives and remains focused on its mission as it pertains to all culinary professionals and students of color.

http://www.bcaglobal.org

• Alex Askew
• (212) 643-6570
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