Hey, I’m KJ!
Photo by Sirena White-Singleton.
KJ Kearney is a 2024 James Beard Award winning social media influencer and community organizer, based in North Charleston (SC). In 2018, KJ wrote a proclamation celebrating red rice (the American cousin of West African Jollof), which received a formal resolution from the City of Charleston. He’s a proud graduate Life Member of the illustrious South Carolina State University, “Uncle of the Year” candidate, reformed sneaker-head, trap music apologist, panelist, moderator, and event host.
About BFF.
Black Food Fridays was started, on Instagram, on April 5, 2020. It was created as a way for people to both find and support Black owned restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has since evolved into an aggregation account where KJ curates Black food related news, information, history, and humor. The Black Food Fridays website is where KJ posts his unique perspectives on topics at the intersection of Blackness, The Culture, and cuisine. Since launching in April 2020, Black Food Fridays has grown organically to reach an audience of over 500,000 people across social media. You can find Black Food Fridays on Instagram, YouTube, and Substack—where KJ host his “Who Made The Potato Salad?” newsletter.
Press.
KJ has been featured and quoted in publications including The Washington Post, The Today Show, Eater, and The New York Times. You may also have seen him on highly rate shows like “Ms. Delicious Brown” (Food Network) or “High On the Hog” (Netflix). He was also the host for the award-winning PBS Digital Series, “Citizen Better” which released on December 19, 2023. For a larger list of KJ’s press appearances, go here.