Meet the Author: Kardea Brown

Richland Library and the Richland Library Friends and Foundation will welcome Kardea Brown to Columbia to celebrate her book, Make Do With What You Have, released by HarperCollins Publishing on November 11, 2025.

6:30 p.m. - Pre-Event Meet and Greet with Kardea Brown (Tickets required)

For those who want the opportunity to spend more time with the author, the Richland Library Friends and Foundation will host a pre-event Meet and Greet with Kardea Brown. Tickets are available for one person with one book or as a two-person package with one book. Both ticket options include admission to the pre-event Meet and Greet, a signed hardcover copy of Make Do With What You Have ($32 value), hors d’oeuvres, two drink tickets per person, and reserved seating for the author event starting at 7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m. - Author Talk: Kardea Brown (Free and open to the public)

During this free event, Kardea Brown will discuss her new book, Make Do With What You Have, and will share insights into Gullah culture, family traditions, and her journey as a chef. James Beard Award–winning content creator and cultural strategist KJ Kearney will serve as moderator for this Author Talk. Following the talk, the author will sign books, and All Good Books will have copies of Make Do With What You Have available for purchase.

About the Book

The New York Times bestselling author of The Way Home returns with over 100 fabulous recipes—delicious updates of her favorite childhood meals. From Kardea Brown: “Growing up in a household with a single parent taught me how to make use of things we already had. She made gourmet meals with simple kitchen staples. I invite readers to do the same with my twist on Old School Classic recipes.”

Kardea Brown is back with this practical and flavorful cookbook everyone needs. Offering crowd and palate pleasing dishes from morning to noon, and night.

About the Author and Moderator

Kardea Brown is a contemporary Southern Chef, author of the New York Times bestseller The Way Home, and the creator of the New Gullah Supper Club pop-up, where her menu pays homage to dishes her grandmother and mother passed down to her. She is the host of the Food Network hit shows Delicious Miss Brown and Kids Baking Championship. She is also a resident judge on Spring Baking Championship and co-hosted seasonal specials, including Kids Baking Championship Thanksgiving in 2023. Kardea lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with her husband Bryon and their fur baby, Rhubarb.

KJ Kearney, a proud Gullah Geechee native of North Charleston and a James Beard Award–winning content creator and cultural strategist, is on a mission to reshape how the world discovers, supports, and talks about Black food. He founded Black Food Fridays, a premier digital-first platform and community of nearly 400,000 engaged supporters, celebrating Black foodways across the African Diaspora. KJ authored Charleston’s official “Red Rice Day” proclamation and appeared on Food Network’s Delicious Miss Brown, and Netflix’s High on the Hog. He also earned a Silver Telly Award and EMMY nomination as host of Citizen Better on PBS Digital Studios. Through food, culture, and community, KJ is building a movement—one story, one bite at a time.

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Host or Publisher Richland Library Friends and Foundation