Black Excellence Brunch takes over Essence Fest, founder says it’s all about love, family

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — The Black Excellence Brunch founded by Trell Thomas is coming to New Orleans on Sunday, July 7, creating community while highlighting Black excellence and culture.

Through the Black Excellence Brunch, Thomas has transformed his platform into a vehicle to celebrate some of Black culture’s most impactful moments, from The Color Purple to the Country Music Awards, and has honored celebrities such as Kelly Rowland, Tina Knowles, Tabitha Brown, Neicey Nash, Meagan Goode and many more.

Thomas said he was inspired by his upbringing in South Carolina and the traditional Sunday dinner and its impact on the Black family.

“My mom would host these dinners, you go to church, and then after church you come home, and you have Sunday dinner with your family, your loved ones and the community,” said Thomas.

He said, “It was honestly one of the first places I got to see and feel the joy of being a Black person.”

“I just wanted to provide that for my friends and that’s how Black Excellence Brunch was formed,” Thomas said.

The event has gone global, bringing the experience to New York, Ghana and South Africa to name a few. Thomas said love is the foundation of it all.

“It is like giving flowers to people who don’t always get their flowers,” said Thomas.

Thomas is continuing to use this platform to honor and celebrate what Sunday has meant to Black culture, a tradition of coming together to care for family and community through food.

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