Queen Latifah is helping a Black woman-owned soul food restaurant receive a well-deserved blessing.
During a taping of “Street You Grew Up On,” hosted by actress Kerry Washington, it was revealed that Latifah selected Newark, NJ-based Vonda’s Kitchen to receive a $10,000 financial award.
The investment is made possible through a partnership between fintech platform Intuit QuickBooks and Washington, aimed at fostering discussions around entrepreneurship, community, and mentorship. As part of the initiative, featured guests are given the opportunity to select a small business to receive funding, according to information shared with AFROTECH™.
As a Newark native, the selection was full circle and Latifah emphasized its importance, believing the funds would be well-used under the leadership of owner Vonda McPherson. According to the company website, McPherson transitioned into entrepreneurship after a corporate career with Fortune 500 companies, opening her first restaurant in 1988. Since then, she has launched two additional ventures, with Vonda’s Kitchen being the most recent.
Vonda’s Kitchen provides comfort food in addition to healthy meal options, with ingredients being sourced from local farms.
McPherson has also made giving back to the community a priority. She once provided meals to a housing unit after it was bombed and has taught in the Culinary Department at Central High School, she mentioned to NJ Urban News.
“You can’t be successful and not give back. That’s not even an option for me. You should give more than you get, because you learn more when you do that,” she told the outlet.
It’s that spirit of generosity that has landed the restaurant a $10,000 investment.
“I think we can give this money to Vonda’s Kitchen. Soul food in Newark but taking care of the community, teaching people how to build businesses, and explore things through Cuisine, giving back,” Latifah said on the podcast. “I wish I could give this to 10 different organizations but I know Vonda’s kitchen will put it to good use.”
McPherson added, “Wanted to take a moment to thank Kerry Washington along with Queen Latifah and QuickBooks. I am elated by it. Thank you so very much.”
