No. 01Amazon
Handmade Wooden Kwanzaa Kinara
A handmade wooden kinara in red, black and green for the seven nights of Kwanzaa.
Real-life use: The centerpiece for Kwanzaa, December 26 to January 1, year after year.
Check price on AmazonCulture & heritage · 8 picks · Updated
Gifts for the Cookout, the Card Table and the Family Reunion T-Shirt Committee
Some things are sacred: Grandma's cast iron, the spades table, the reunion T-shirt with the matching colors, and the unspoken rule about who's allowed to bring the potato salad. This guide celebrates the kitchens, card tables and holidays (Kwanzaa, Juneteenth and every Sunday dinner) that hold Black families together, with books by Black authors that belong on every shelf.
Every pick links to Amazon for the current price. How we choose. We may earn a commission from links. Disclosure.
The picks
No. 02Amazon
Jubilee by Toni Tipton-Martin (Cookbook)
Toni Tipton-Martin's James Beard Award-winning tribute to two centuries of African American cooking.
Real-life use: Holiday menus and Sunday dinners rooted in history, with recipes that work today.
Check price on AmazonNo. 03Amazon
The Cooking Gene by Michael W. Twitty
Michael W. Twitty's history of Southern food, told through his own family's story. A gift for the family historian.
Real-life use: A thoughtful read for the person who already knows every family recipe.
Check price on AmazonNo. 04Amazon
On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed
Annette Gordon-Reed's short, beautiful history of Juneteenth, written from her Texas roots.
Real-life use: A meaningful Juneteenth gift and a perfect book-club pick.
Check price on AmazonNo. 05Amazon
Lodge 12-Inch Cast Iron Skillet with Silicone Handle Holder
Every family has one cast iron skillet nobody else is allowed to wash. Start the next generation's.
Real-life use: Cornbread, fried chicken, peach cobbler and a lifetime of seasoning.
Check price on AmazonNo. 06Amazon
Smilejoy Double-Six Dominoes in Wooden Box
For the cookout corner where the slaps are loud and the trash talk is louder.
Real-life use: Dominoes in a wooden box for reunions, cookouts and holiday afternoons.
Check price on AmazonNo. 07Amazon
Bicycle Standard Playing Cards (2-Pack)
Two fresh decks for spades. Reneging is still a federal offense.
Real-life use: Spades, bid whist and every card game that ends friendships for 15 minutes.
Check price on AmazonNo. 08Amazon
Black Culture Trivia Party Game (Fourth Edition)
Trivia that sorts out who really knows the culture and who's just been nodding along.
Real-life use: Game night with cousins, friends and the in-laws who think they're ready.
Check price on AmazonPairs Well With: Ready-Made Bundles
Pairs well with
Kwanzaa Gathering
Light, history and a book for the table.
- AmazonHandmade Wooden Kwanzaa KinaraCheck price
- AmazonJubilee by Toni Tipton-Martin (Cookbook)Check price
- AmazonOn Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-ReedCheck price
Pairs well with
Cookout Commissioner Kit
Skillet, dominoes and cards. Bring your own trash talk.
- AmazonLodge 12-Inch Cast Iron Skillet with Silicone Handle HolderCheck price
- AmazonSmilejoy Double-Six Dominoes in Wooden BoxCheck price
- AmazonBicycle Standard Playing Cards (2-Pack)Check price
More from the family table
Nigerian AmericanJollof-ready, party-proof gifts for the whole crew.Puerto RicanCoquito, mofongo and parranda-ready gifts.White Elephant & Game Night GiftsGifts that get stolen at the swap and played all night: card games, block towers and a bal…The Know-It-All Brother-in-LawHarder trivia and a cube he swears he can solve.Culture & HeritageGifts for every family at the table, written with love.
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