A Detroit Native Is the New Editor-in-Chief of ‘Bon Appétit’ #DetroitFood

Condé Nast

Her leadership has helped to transform how communities of color are covered in the food world

Detroit native Jamila Robinson, who started her career as a copy editor and page designer at the Detroit Free Press and who has gone on to become one of the most influential food and culture journalists in the country, has been named Bon Appétit’s new editor-in-chief. Robinson, who will be leaving her current role as the assistant managing editor for food and culture at The Inquirer in Philadelphia, will begin her new job on Monday, September 18, according to a Monday announcement published on the daily’s website. She will report directly to Anna Wintour, Condé Nast’s chief content officer and global editorial director of Vogue.

“It’s not every day you get to meet an accomplished writer and editor who has led features departments and food organizations, is a competitive skater, classically trained violinist, teacher, world traveler, and is an absolute whiz in the kitchen,” said Anna Wintour — chief content officer and global editorial director of Vogue — in a statement published by the Inquirer on Monday. “Jamila is all of these things and more and I’m thrilled she’s coming to lead Bon Appétit and Epicurious.”

Robinson began her journalism career at 14 while attending Detroit Public Schools, where her campus newspaper was produced at the Free Press offices, granting her early access to the local journalism world. According to her LinkedIn profile, she previously held various positions at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution editing entertainment, living and culture, and food; as well as at at Atlantic Media, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and as a senior content strategist for the USA Today Network’s Wine and Food Experience, which is held in several cities across the United States. Robinson also served as the chair of the James Beard Foundation’s Journalism Committee. During her three-year tenure at the Inquirer, she led a team of Black journalists to produce a Emmy-winning multimedia project, “Wildest Dreams: An Anthology of Black Inheritance.”

Monday’s announcement bookends a big summer for Detroit food journalists. Current Freep restaurant and dining critic Lyndsay Green (who in 2022 became the first Black woman in that role in the daily’s history) and former Detroit Free Press restaurant critic and filmmaker Mark Kurlyandchik both took home coveted James Beard Media Awards. Green won in the Emerging Voice category in journalism, while the documentary Coldwater Kitchen, co-directed by Kurlyandchik, won in the Documentary / Docuseries Visual Media category.

Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Awards. Eater partnered with the James Beard Foundation to livestream the awards in 2023. All editorial content is produced independently of the James Beard Foundation.

from Eater Detroit - All