Wright Conversations
Marcus Samuelsson
The Wright Conversations
Engage your mind with our curated collection of events featuring dynamic speakers chosen by Neil A. Barclay, President of the Charles H. Wright Museum. The Wright Conversations brings insightful and robust discussions to the Detroit community, addressing critical topics in civic engagement, art, history, and culture.
Marcus Samuelsson
Marcus Samuelsson is the renowned chef behind many restaurants worldwide including Red Rooster Harlem and Red Rooster Overtown (Miami), MARCUS Montreal, Marcus B&P in Newark, Streetbird at Yankee Stadium, Marcus at Baha Mar Fish + Chop House in the Bahamas, Hav & Mar in Chelsea (NYC), and the recently opened Marcus Bar & Grille in Atlanta.
Samuelsson was the youngest person to receive a three-star review from The New York Times and was the guest chef for the Obama Administration's first state dinner. He has won eight James Beard Foundation awards as chef, author and TV personality, most recently for his work as head judge on Top Chef: Family Style and host of On the Rise. Samuelsson recently hosted the critically acclaimed No Passport Required on PBS and has won numerous competition shows including Top Chef Masters and Chopped All-Stars. He is currently appearing as an Iron Chef on Netflix's hit Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend.
Samuelsson also hosts and produces the Seat at the Table on Audible and co-hosts This Moment podcast with Swedish rapper Timbuktu on ACAST. A committed philanthropist, Samuelsson is co-chair of Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), which focuses on helping underserved youth.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Samuelsson converted his restaurants Red Rooster Harlem and Red Rooster Overtown into community kitchens in partnership with World Central Kitchen, serving well over 280k meals to those in need. In Newark, Samuelsson's Marcus B&P partnered with Audible and World Central Kitchen to create Newark Working Kitchens, which has engaged 37 local restaurants to provide 1.5 million meals to those in need.
Samuelsson also co-produces the annual Harlem EatUp! Festival, which celebrates the food, art, and culture of Harlem. He is the author of several cookbooks, the New York Times bestselling memoir Yes, Chef: A Memoir and his latest book, The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food.