To honor Black History Month, Mentoring Positives will be hosting a special Muriel’s Plate culinary experience featuring African American chefs in Madison who will assist Mentoring Positives youth with the preparation of soul food meals for the next three weeks.
Mentoring Positives Inc. is an innovative, referral-based mentoring program that works directly with kids and families in a variety of ways in the Darbo/Worthington area and beyond. Last spring, Muriel’s Place storefront, named after the late mother of Will Green, the founder of Mentoring Positives Inc.., became a new place on Madison’s East Side where community members could dine in and eat pizza made by Mentoring Positives students. 
Since then, the students have learned how to cook many types of food.
“During this month, we will feature Black chefs who will come in along with the kids who will come in after school, and they’ll put the meal together and prepare it for people in the community,” Green tells Madison365.
During the month of February, youths from Mentoring Positives will be offering a weekly “Muriel’s Plate,” a delicious dinner that is made by young people who are being mentored by Madison-area chefs to learn core culinary concepts that they will be able to use for the rest of their lives.
Tonight’s Muriel’s Plate will feature baked chicken, mustard greens, dirty rice, cornbread, dressing, and German chocolate cake prepared and served by Mentoring Positives youth with guest chefs Devine & Nicole of Devine Grilling. You can choose a meat or vegetarian option. The veggie option will include larger side portions.
Next Thursday, Muriel’s Plate will feature food from Walking Jerk, started by Daijah Birchette, a Madison entrepreneur who launched the city’s first Black woman-owned vegan food truck. The night will also feature food from Locos. “Some people can opt to dine in and the kids serve them up and other people will order it to go and take it out,” Green says.
The series closes out on Feb. 28 with brisket, collared greens, mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, sweet potato cornbread, and banana pudding prepared and served by Mentoring Positives youth with guest chef Carmell Jackson of Melly Mel’s Soul Food.
Each week, there is also the option for community members to donate a meal or meals for the Black History Month Soul Food series that Mentoring Positives can then provide to residents of the Darbo neighborhood or other people in need. The donation also helps to pay the youths who prepare and serve the meals.
“We appreciate the people who have been donating the Muriels Plate meals to families in the past. We hope that they continue to do that during Black History Month,” Green says. “I think it’s wonderful that these great meals are only $15. That’s a great deal.”
Every week, the kids are learning culinary skills from some wonderful chefs, but they are also learning about business and marketing. “I’m about to take the program to another level because not only do they learn about business, they learn how to cook meals. There’s a certain excitement to have people eating your food.”
Mentoring Positives hosted its first Muriel’s Plate series back in October and November of last year.
“The young people are going to be able to use these skills throughout life … they won’t be eating out all the time. They are learning how to cook great meals,” Green says. “On top of this, we have a marketing company coming in and this allows them to work on the skills in advertising and marketing that they have learned here.”
On top of helping out the students, Muriel’s Plate raises money for small, Black-owned businesses. “We give the chefs a stipend, and then we pay the kids so the kids work in shifts,” Green says.
To purchase tickets for the Black History Month Muriel’s Plate, click here.
“We are going to keep building on the success we’ve had with Muriel’s Plate. There’s so much that they get out of this,” Green says. “There’s no reason not to come out during Black History Month. The cooking is all done for you!
“And you’re supporting these kids …they are putting a lot of love into these foods. The message is getting out and I think people are definitely catching wind of what we’re doing. I really appreciate the support we’ve been getting on this initiative.”
