Data shows that Black Americans are moving to the South in rapid numbers. What is acknowledged as “The New Great Migration” that started in the 1970s and has increased in the decades to follow is a reverse migration to the Jim Crow segregation laws that affected millions of Black Americans.
From the early 1900s to 1970, Black people fled their homes in the South to escape racial segregation. Today, more and more African Americans are moving to the Southern United States with huge numbers in Texas, Georgia, Florida, and other regions.
Some are making this move for economic or personal reasons, educational or career advancements to foster a deeper connection with their cultural roots, to be closer to family, or simply because they want a change of environment. Whatever the case may be, more and more Black people are embracing and delving into their Southern ancestry or culture.
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For those who are either L.A. natives who have never been to the South, or born in the South and are now residing in L.A, or craving for a taste of that Southern lifestyle, Justin Cox has created an event just for you.
The Hotwater Cornbread Southern Food and Music Festival (HWCB) is, as described by Cox himself, a “family reunion you don’t have to age out of, and one you can grow into.” HWCB’s first event was in June of 2023, and since then, has graced the community with five events. It takes place at The Beehive, an event venue in South Los Angeles.
Cox wants the community to know that HWCB is an inclusive, all ages, intergenerational festival and is a place you can attend with your kids, bring a special someone on a date to, possibly find your special someone at, and spend quality time with friends and/or loved ones.
With over 100 Black vendors, thousands of attendees, and crowded lines that wrap around the venue, guests are ensured a great time with amazing, diverse food and music all while supporting Black entrepreneurs.
Cox was born and raised in Vista, California, a small suburb in San Diego. His hometown was very small and quiet. He told the Sentinel that he was the only Black kid in his classes and school.
“As a kid, I craved cultural experiences with other people that looked like me,” he stated.” “But being from Vista, California, those experiences just weren’t going to happen.”
By the time he was in middle school, he was certain he wanted to attend an HBCU. Fun fact: he would call Morehouse admission office on a regular basis to ask about their admission process. In other words, he was determined to experience Black culture.
“When they finally realized I was only in the seventh grade, they advised me to reach back out in another four years,” he laughed.
By the time he was old enough to apply to college, he was already one of the top track and field athletes in the country and being recruited by Division 1 universities. He put his HBCU dreams aside and attended the University of Southern California (USC) on a full ride track scholarship.
He studied business and history while at USC, and after graduating, he continued to study marketing and business at Cornell University.
Cox credits his love for the South to his late aunt Vera, who was originally from Texas, but resided in Los Angeles. As a child, he would stay with her while his parents were traveling out of town. He said he would hate it because there were no kids around, and he couldn’t go outside and play because his parents thought it was too dangerous.
He would spend weeks inside with his aunt, and during these times, she began exposing him to Southern cuisine and culture. She would make him various dishes, but one particular dish that she created wasn’t like any other dish, and that was hot water cornbread.
“My aunt Vera passed away a few years back, but she left me with something – a desire to introduce other people to Southern cuisine and culture like she did me. Hot water cornbread was born from this experience, but it didn’t end there.”
Here we are, many years later, and Cox has used his childhood memories with Aunt Vera to create one of the biggest food festivals on the West Coast. This is the type of event where you will see families with kids of all ages riding horses and being entertained by various activations, but also adults partying it up in Club Collard Greens, the 21-and-over area.
“I had horses growing up, so I’m trying to expose Black people to different things in essence,” he emphasized.
His goal is to create events that show the nuclear family. His desire to see Black families together stems from him being raised to see White families together. He explained how the only other place you see family structure is in the church.
“With these events, I’m trying to bring all ages together because we have a role in shaping what the Black future will look like,” Cox stressed.
Aside from HWCB, which will be back more than likely in May, Cox is also responsible for the Trap Poetry Jam, a poetry event for those who love spoken word. He told the Sentinel that the best way to describe Trap Poetry is when Def Comedy Jam meets House Party.
He is the founder of Ol’ Dirty Planters, which connects basketball culture to floriculture by turning basketballs into recycled plant pots.
He has created an indoor version for HWCB in the winter, Club Collard Greens that is all about Southern music. His next event will be Saturday, Jan. 27.
When he is not planning events, he is an amazing photographer.
Follow Justin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justinj_photos/. For more information on HWCB, visit: https://www.hwcbfestival.com/quick-links or https://www.instagram.com/hotwatercb/. To learn more about Trap Poetry Jam, visit: https://linktr.ee/trappoetryjam or https://www.instagram.com/trappoetryjam/. Follow Ol’ Dirty Planters on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oldirtyplanters/
