Documentary Filmmaker • Media Producer • Educator • Storyteller • Foodways Historian

J. Barrett Gooding Productions

The Story Behind the Work

Interpreting Culture Through Story and Foodways.

Julian Barrett Gooding is a documentary filmmaker, storyteller, media arts educator, and food-ways historian. With more than 40 years of experience in television and media production, he develops educational programs that connect history, literacy, food, science, and the arts.

SERVICES

Documentary and Media Archiving

Professional oral history recording and production using broadcast-quality video, audio, lighting, and interview techniques to preserve personal stories, community memory, and cultural history with clarity and care.

Storytelling Programs and Workshops

Engaging storytelling presentations and hands-on workshops for ages eight to eighty, designed to strengthen communication, spark imagination, and connect people through the art of story.

Food-ways History and Cooking Demos

"Thyme Travelers Sankofa Kitchen" comes to your location with unique and tastefully designed food-ways programs that celebrate world flavors. I explore African gastronomy and its enduring influence on global cuisine.

Recognition & Collaborations

"As a food historian, Julian shares the relationship between food and healing and why it's important to know a dish's past. His mission is to help audiences understand and properly credit the cultures behind Southern food-ways."

Charleston Magazine

"What truly stands out is that Julian is an excellent teacher. He’s patient, encouraging, and consistently finds the best way to explain something so it finally “clicks.” Just as important, he brings a great personality to his work—warm, respectful, and genuinely invested in helping people learn.

Cary Shapiro, Photographer/Author

“An experienced storyteller” Selected by IAAM as a Griot and storyteller for Kwanzaa, Juneteenth, and the museum’s Hidden Gems African American history initiative.

International African American Museum