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Levine Museum of the New South

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Catalyst: Taste of the New South is a signature 35th anniversary gathering and celebration of Levine Museum of the New South – an evening that honors the people who built the Museum’s legacy while investing in its future.

For 35 years, the Museum has been a place where history sparks conversation, inspires learning, and brings people together across generations and lived experiences. This milestone gathering continues that tradition through storytelling, recognition, and shared experience, celebrating the founders, leaders, and supporters whose vision shaped the institution.

At the heart of the evening is food – both a powerful lens into the evolving story of the South and a meaningful way the Museum brings people together. Catalyst features award-winning culinary historians, journalists, and chefs who will lead us in discussions about the power of food as both tradition and transformation. Their work reflects the diversity, heritage, and creative spirit of the region. 

Guests will enjoy a thoughtfully curated dining experience prepared by the culinary team at the Grand Bohemian Hotel Charlotte, as conversation continues at the table. Special table prompts are designed to encourage meaningful discussions, inviting guests to reflect on the story’s food carries and the connections it creates.

As part of the Museum’s 35th Anniversary, Catalyst: Tastes of the New South is also an investment in what comes next. Supporters make it possible for Levine Museum to expand access to history, deepen dialogue around shared tables, grow innovative experiences, and remain a welcoming civic space for all. 

Join us for a signature anniversary fundraising experience rooted in food, connection, and celebration.

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Your Hosts

Alex Giles, WBTV

Alex Giles, WBTV

Morning anchor, reporter

In the summer of 2015, Alex was thrilled to join WBTV as a bureau reporter covering Gaston, Lincoln, and Cleveland counties. In early 2016, Alex became the anchor of WBTV’s Alert Center, providing breaking news updates during the early evening newscasts. In early 2019, he began anchoring the 4 p.m. and 530 p.m. shows for WBTV. In 2022, Alex became co-anchor of WBTV News This Morning.

During his time at WBTV, Alex has covered the societal unrest that sparked after the police shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott, and the protests that erupted after the death of George Floyd. Alex has covered his fair share of North Carolina storms too, traveling to the mountains for winter weather coverage, and driving to the coast to cover hurricanes. In the midst of the intense 2020 presidential campaign, Alex also had the opportunity to interview President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Natisha Lance, WBTV

Natisha Lance, WBTV

Reporter, weekend anchor

Natisha Lance comes to Charlotte after nearly two decades in Atlanta where she worked at HLN (formerly CNN Headline News) for 11 years. During her tenure there, she was a booker, field producer, senior producer and reporter. She made regular appearances on Morning Express with Robin Meade, The Daily Share, Jane Velez Mitchell and Nancy Grace. She was also a fill in anchor on Weekend Express and for CNN Student News. She covered the Charleston Church shooting, the deaths of Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, Hurricane Harvey and court cases such as the Kyle Rittenhouse trial, Johnny Depp defamation trial, the Ahmaud Arbery death trial, Casey Anthony and Dr. Conrad Murray.

Natisha grew up the daughter of a news junkie. However, she unexpectedly fell in love with journalism during an internship at ABC’s Good Morning America. After graduating from Spelman College with a degree in English and a minor in Drama, Natisha got her start in TV news in Atlanta. She later moved to New York to attend Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.

The Panel

Dave Borghesani, Historian

Dave Borghesani, Historian

Dave Borghesani is the Mars Snacking North America Chief Historian. Borghesani graduated from Gettysburg College with a major in history. Borghesani joined Mars Snacking shortly after graduating and has enjoyed a career that has spanned 40 years.

Borghesani has spoken to groups at historic sites such as Colonial Williamsburg, Monticello, the Smithsonian Institution of American History, the National Archives, and more, tracing how chocolate made its way from the Amazon to households of pre-colonial era Americans. Borghesani has been featured on a variety of television and radio programming. Partnering with National Geographic, he helped write and develop the educator’s guide for children grades 4-8, Great Moments in World History: Global Stories Where Chocolate Sparked Discovery, Innovation, and Imagination.

Adrian Miller, Culinary Author

Adrian Miller, Culinary Author

Adrian Miller is an award-winning culinary author, professional speaker, certified barbecue judge, and former attorney. His first book, Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time, won the James Beard Foundation Award for Scholarship and Reference in 2014. His second book, The President’s Kitchen Cabinet: The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families, From the Washingtons to the Obamas, was a finalist for a 2018 NAACP Image Award for “Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction,” and the 2018 Colorado Book Award for History.

In 2018, Adrian was awarded the Ruth Fertel “Keeper of the Flame Award” by the Southern Foodways Alliance, in recognition of his work on African American foodways.  His third book, Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue, won the 2022 James Beard Award for Reference, History, and Scholarship and the 2022 Colorado Book Award for History. It was a finalist for the 2022 International Association of Culinary Professionals Literary & Historical Writing Award. His most recent book, Cooking to the President’s Taste: Asian Heritage Chefs in White House History, was published by the White House Historical Association in May 2025. It has since won the bronze medal for General Cookbooks by the Independent Publisher Book Awards, as well as an NYC Big Book Award for International Cookbooks shortly thereafter.

Reyaña Radcliff, Chef

Reyaña Radcliff, Chef

The recipient of the prestigious Who’s Who Award, Reyaña Radcliff is an accomplished culinary professional whose passion for food began in her hometown of New Orleans. Influenced by her father and grandmother’s Creole and Cajun traditions and her mother’s comfort food classics, Radcliff knew by fifteen that she was destined to be a chef. She attended Johnson & Wales University, earning both an Associate Degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelor’s Degree in Food Service Management. Radcliff trained at prominent resorts, catered at the U.S. House of Representatives, and advanced in country clubs and corporate kitchens before attaining the title of Executive Chef. In 2020, she founded Your Braisen Chef, LLC, a catering and culinary services company.

Blending fine dining expertise with creativity, Radcliff provides bespoke catering, culinary demonstrations, and cooking classes both in person and online. She has been a featured guest chef at several food & wine festivals and a featured chef on all Charlotte news broadcasts.

Hanna Raskin, Food Journalist

Hanna Raskin, Food Journalist

Hanna Raskin is the founder of The Food Section, a National Magazine Award-winning publication dedicated to delivering rigorous and independent food journalism to underserved communities across the American South. Launched in 2021, The Food Section has grown into a trusted website with a team of a dozen correspondents. Its daily newsletter has received top honors from the James Beard Foundation, The Webby Awards, New York University’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute, and the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

Previously, Raskin spent close to a decade as food editor and chief critic for The Post and Courier in Charleston, South Carolina. A past president of the Association of Food Journalists, she has been an active leader in shaping ethical standards for food journalism. Drawing on her academic work in food history, Raskin contributes frequently to Garden & Gun and serves as columnist for the Southern Foodways Alliance’s quarterly, Gravy, where she continues to explore what, where, and how we eat in the South today.

Sponsorship Levels

Platinum | $25,000
Gold | $10,000
Silver | $5,000
Bronze | $2,500

For sponsorship questions, please contact Troy Carter at tcarter@museumofthenewsouth.org.

Copyright

WITH APPRECIATION FOR
THE GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM
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