L
N
G
S
E
D
E
CLOCKW
ISE FROM
TOP LEFT: COURTESY M
ACARTHUR FOUNDATION; COURTESY SOUTHERN FOODW
AYS ALLIANCE; W
. RUSH JAGOE V
T H E
ADVOCATE
G R E G A S B E D
IMMOKALEE, FL
The Penny per Pound
initiative, in which the
Coalition of Immokalee
Workers (CIW) used boy-
cotts and marches to win
one more penny for each
pound of crop picked by
those working in Florida
tomato fields, has proven
to be the most effective
civil rights campaign of the
past 20 years, lifting many
people out of poverty and
creating a more just food
system for all. The CIW
leverages the Wendell
Berry dictum that “eating is
an agricultural act.” Greg
Asbed (who cofounded the
organization with his wife,
Laura Germino, and their
colleague Lucas Benitez)
advocates for better pay
and working conditions
for migrant laborers. An
attorney by training and
an activist by profession,
Asbed lives by the creed
he preaches, often joining
CIW members to harvest
watermelons in Georgia.
THE TORTILLA MARVEL
LAURA PATRICIA RAMÍREZ, LEXINGTON, KY
Laura Patricia Ramírez was born in the state of Jalisco in Mexico.
In 1985, she and her husband arrived in Paris, Kentucky, so he
could work in the horse-racing business. At that point, few Latinos
lived in Lexington, but now they dominate the horse industry.
Ramírez opened Tortillería y Taquería Ramírez in 1997, in a section
of Lexington nicknamed “Mexington.” Her carnitas tacos reflect
Mexico. She also channels Kentucky, using masa from nearby
Weisenberger Mills for her aromatic tortillas.
A succession of talented chefs has led the kitchen since the Uptown restaurant Upperline
opened in 1983, serving the roasted duck of your dreams. But chefs have not defined this
place. Each night JoAnn Clevenger greets her audience in a red-and-black dress, fixed
with her prized Girl Scout pin. A visionary restaurateur who makes a case for the role of
hospitality in community building and reminds diners that “the word restaurant comes
from the French word for restore,” she may be the best front-of-the-house person in
the region and is definitely the sort of charmer whose presence makes a night in New
Orleans truly transformative.
THE CHARMER JOANN CLEVENGER, NEW ORLEANS, LA
SOUTHERNLIVING.COM / JULY 20 19
72
