February 5, 2026 is the 230th anniversary of James Hemings’ documented manumission (freedom) date in 1796—marking the self-initiated emancipation of arguably the most consequential yet least recognized figure in foundational American culinary arts and history.

By Tonya Hopkins, aka The Food Griot — “Sharing Savory Stories on the Makings of America’s Cuisines”

Co-Founder, The James Hemings Society (with Ashbell McElveen, Founder)

We may not know the specific day on which James Hemings (1765–1801) was born (as was the attempted dehumanizing ‘norm’ for enslaved in America), but we do know his manumission (aka “freedom”) date:

On February 5, 1796, America’s first classically trained chef de cuisine—who had been enslaved and owned by Thomas Jefferson for most of his life—received his manumission deed (freedom papers). You can view those documents in the slideshow above, along with the hyperlinked clip below.

James Hemings asked for and negotiated his freedom, an astonishing act in itself. That agreement was honored three years later. At the time of his manumission, James would have already been 31 years old (if born between January 1 and February 5) or would have turned 31 later that year on his unknown birth date in 1796. As with so much of his life, the record is incomplete—but this particular achievement is not.

Accordingly, I’m re-sharing this Out•Take clip from the award-winning documentary James Hemings: Ghost in America’s Kitchen, where I remind us how much has been lost—intentionally or otherwise—when it comes to James Hemings’ story and long-lasting impact.

Hungry for more?

Watch James Hemings: Ghost in America’s Kitchen—co-written by Chef Ashbell McElveen, Founder of the James Hemings Society, in conjunction with director Anthony Werhun. The film features scholars, celebrated chefs, experts on race, and culinary historians—and as you can see, including a cameo from yours truly.

Dig even deeper into content centered on James Hemings incredible culinary talents and lasting legacy: check out my “TFG’s James Hemings Hub”: a curated collection of audio 🎧, video 🎥 , articles ✍🏽and other resources 👩🏽‍💻 (also available via my Linktree ) —including a NEW, narrative driven, three-part podcast series entirely focused on James Hemings now available on ATK’s (America’s Test Kitchen) “Proof” Podcast, produced by acclaimed audio journalist Otis Gray, who serves up much of the mystery and suspense surrounding the extraordinary life of an enslaved / eventually emancipated master chef. Gray investigates, interrogates and examines whatever he can unearth to find out “what happened” — so much so I jokingly referred to our collaborative work on finding source material and identifying the right interviewees as a Colonial-era cold case on James’ life that ended all too soon…

You can also support the grossly underfunded work that I do (such as this despite its significance) by joining one of my PAID PATREON tiers which help sustain independent food & drink scholarship. This is, quite literally, one of the few ways food media historians are compensated.

* IMPORTANT PUBLIC RECORD PROJECT ALERT*

Help establish the public record:

Comment on, repost, or share this post and be sure to include the words “February 5” and “James Hemings.” Repetition matters. The first step for officially establishing a “Day” requires documented public recognition and acknowledgment  of the date connected to the particular person or topic.

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And at the very least, let’s raise a real or virtual glass to freedom—in recognition of James Hemings’ pioneering achievements and the profound role he played as a Founding Father of American Cuisine, as well as a brother, son, uncle, and influential culinary arts instructor whose transformative lessons and techniques transcended geographies and generations with direct traces to today — a testament to an applied brilliance that still endures long after his short-lived freedom on this earth. 🙏🏽 ✨ 🥂🍾

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