This Humble Skillet Serves Up An Amazing History

cast iron skillet with cornbread in it
Via Flickr
Adé Hennis
April 18, 2025

Multipurpose and multigenerational, cast iron skillets have always been in our homes, but there’s much more to these skillets than just cooking.

Enslaved Black kitchen workers used these skillets to prepare a variety of dishes, including cornbread, a Southern tradition that still lives on, combining the use of the oven and stove top, creating a fluffy treat with crispy golden edges.

When millions of our people left the South during the Great Migration, they made sure to bring their skillets along and they stayed in the family for generations, becoming precious heirlooms.

Through the ups and downs of our history, we turned cast iron skillets into something sacred. Some of us have seasoning on our skillets that’s been there for decades, yet, it doesn’t just add a special flavor, but serves as a reminder.

You can never scrub the history out of a cast iron skillet. We didn’t keep using these skillets just because of their versatility; they are precious pieces of family history. And just like we protect and add to those layers of seasoning, we must protect and add on to our history.

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