THE PALEY MUSEUM ANNOUNCES ITS LATEST EVENT CELEBRATING INFLUENTIAL CULINARY VOICES: CHEF’S NIGHT: A CULINARY TRIBUTE TO BLACK HISTORY
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
A Black History Month Experience Presented by Citi® Will Take Place at The Paley Museum in Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday, February 17
The Event Will Feature A Conversation with Acclaimed Chefs Including Kardea Brown, JJ Johnson, Charlie Mitchell, Alexander Smalls, and Melba Wilson
The Black History Month Experience also Features Screenings Showcasing the Impact of Excellence in Music and Animation from the Prestigious Paley Archive
Tickets Now On Sale to Paley Members
New York, NY, Monday, February 3, 2026 – The Paley Museum announced today the latest event in its acclaimed PaleyImpact series, Chef’s Night: A Culinary Tribute to Black History. This Black History Month Experience Presented by Citi will take place on Tuesday, February 17 at 6:30 pm at The Paley Museum in Midtown Manhattan at 25 West 52 St.
“This special evening will celebrate the talent and innovation of each of these renowned chefs, as well as the impact each has made in media, television, and culture,” said Maureen J. Reidy, President & CEO, The Paley Center for Media. “We extend our tremendous thanks to our friends at Citi for their support of this exciting event.”
Bold, vibrant, and undeniably delicious, the program will feature a conversation with culinary trailblazers who have shaped television, media, and American culture while inspiring the next generation of storytellers on and off camera. The evening brings together iconic chefs and tastemakers who use food to tell powerful stories about culture, identity, and community. The program will showcase curated samples of each panelist’s digital and television work and dive into what it means to cook on camera, to tell stories through recipes, and to connect with audiences through the shared language of food.
Taking part in the event will be some of the culinary industry’s most respected chefs including: Kardea Brown, Emmy-winning TV Host of the Food Network Series Delicious Miss Brown, former CoHost on Food Network’s competition series Kids Baking Championship, Chef, Author & Restaurateur;
JJ Johnson, Celebrity Chef, Host of Cleo TV’s Just Eats with JJ, Featured Chef on HBO Max’s Selena + Chef, and Netflix’s Street Food, Founder, FIELDTRIP; Charlie Mitchell, Featured Chef on NBC’s Today, ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS’ Saturday Morning, Food Network’s Bobby’s Triple Threat, MichelinStarred Chef and James Beard Award-winning Executive Chef, Saga; Alexander Smalls, Featured Chef on the Netflix documentary High on The Hog, Guest Judge on Bravo’s Top Chef, Featured Chef on CBS’ Sunday Morning and ABC's GMA3, James Beard Award-winning Chef, Author, Restaurateur & Culinary
Pioneer; and Melba Wilson, Featured Judge on OWN's The Great Soul Food Cook-off, Guest Judge on the Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay, Featured Chef on ABC’s Good Morning America, GMA3 and CBS’ Saturday Morning, Chef & Owner, Melba’s Restaurant.
Nia Renée Hill will serve as the moderator —a food-focused content creator, producer, actress, and host known for spotlighting food, wine, hospitality, talent, and storytelling through her digital series At The Table.
Tickets to this exciting Paley event are now on sale to all Paley President’s Circle, Patron Circle, and Partner Members; to Paley Individual, Family, and Supporting Members on Thursday, February 5 at noon ET; and to the general public on Friday, February 6 at noon ET.
Tickets to Paley events sell out quickly and members of the public are encouraged to sign up for Paley Membership to have early access to discounted tickets. Paley Members also receive free admission yearround to The Paley Museum, VIP invitations, admission to the Paley Archive library, access to the PaleyGX Gaming Studio and VR Experience, and more. To learn more about these valuable benefits, please visit Paley Membership.
Additionally, The Paley Museum will continue the Black History Month celebration with a dynamic, monthlong screening showcase honoring the enduring impact of excellence in music and animation. From Wednesday, February 4 to Sunday, March 1, audiences can experience iconic musical moments at the Bennack Theater, spotlighting legendary artists and groundbreaking performances—from Soundstage: Aretha Franklin and Motown 25 to Soul Train and Beyoncé’s I Am… World Tour—drawn from the Paley Archive. The Paley Museum’s Gillespie Theater will highlight trailblazing creators and beloved characters in children’s animation, featuring inspiring series such as Ada Twist, Scientist, Doc McStuffins, Karma’s World, and The Proud Family.
For more updates on Paley Events please visit, Paley’s Facebook page, and follow @PaleyCenter on X, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Threads, and on TikTok: @thepaleycenter.
Media Contacts:
Teresa Brady, The Paley Center for Media, 212.621.6757, tbrady@paleycenter.org
PMK Entertainment, paleycenter@pmkentertainment.com
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About The Paley Center for Media
Founded by media pioneer William S. Paley in 1975, and chaired by Frank A. Bennack, Jr. since 1991, The Paley Center for Media is the world’s leading nonprofit cultural organization dedicated to preserving media history and exploring media’s powerful shaping influence on culture and society. The Paley Center for Media, which owns the iconic Philip Johnson-designed Paley Museum, has proudly made its home in New York City for fifty years. The Paley Museum is where media, sports, gaming, and entertainment come together and has been recognized as New York City's "Best Museum" and "Best Children’s Party Place" for three years in a row.
During the year, the Paley Center produces unmatched programs and respected educational classes for the public and industry. Paley’s best-in-class public programming offers once-in-a-lifetime experiences and exclusive access to today’s most talked about names through memorable programs that are entertaining, educational, and captivate audiences across generations. On the industry side, programs educate, inform, and lead the conversation on the rapidly evolving media landscape. Paley’s unmatched convening power offers unparalleled access to top industry CEOs, world dignitaries, and global thought leaders. At the heart of the institution is the Paley Archive—the largest publicly accessible collection of its kind—with more than 160,000 programs. Often referred to as a national treasure, this invaluable resource is available at The Paley Museum in New York and at the Beverly Hills Public Library in California and plays a central role in Paley’s respected educational initiatives that serve K-12 educators and students throughout the year.