▁in ▁today ' s ▁society , ▁the ▁Black ▁Power ▁movement ▁was ▁influ ential ▁in ▁divers ifying ▁standards ▁of ▁beauty ▁and ▁a est h etic ▁choices . ▁ ▁The ▁Black ▁Power ▁movement ▁raised ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁a ▁black ▁a est h etic ▁that ▁revealed ▁the ▁worth ▁and ▁beauty ▁of ▁all ▁black ▁people . ▁ ▁In ▁developing ▁a ▁powerful ▁identity ▁from ▁the ▁most ▁element al ▁aspects ▁of ▁African - American ▁folk ▁life , ▁the ▁Black ▁Power ▁movement ▁generated ▁attention ▁to ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁" s oul ▁food ," ▁a ▁fresh , ▁authentic , ▁and ▁natural ▁style ▁of ▁cook ing ▁that ▁origin ated ▁in ▁Africa . ▁The ▁flav or ▁and ▁solid ▁n our ishment ▁of ▁the ▁food ▁was ▁cred ited ▁with ▁sust aining ▁African ▁Americans ▁through ▁centuries ▁of ▁opp ression ▁in ▁America ▁and ▁became ▁an ▁important ▁aid ▁in ▁n urt uring ▁contemporary ▁ra cial ▁pride . ▁Black ▁Power ▁advoc ates ▁used ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁" s oul ▁food " ▁to ▁further ▁distinguish ▁between ▁white ▁and ▁black ▁culture ; ▁though ▁the ▁basic ▁elements ▁of ▁soul ▁food ▁were ▁not ▁specific ▁to ▁African - American ▁food , ▁Black s ▁believed ▁in ▁the ▁distinct ive ▁quality , ▁if ▁not ▁superior ity , ▁of ▁food s ▁prepared ▁by ▁Black s . ▁No ▁longer ▁ra cially ▁specific , ▁traditional ▁" s oul ▁food s " ▁such ▁as ▁y ams , ▁coll ard ▁gre ens , ▁and ▁deep - fried ▁ch icken ▁continue ▁to ▁hold ▁a ▁place ▁in ▁contemporary ▁cul inary ▁life . ▁ ▁Black ▁Arts ▁Mov ement ▁ ▁The ▁Black ▁Arts ▁Mov