Beginning in April 2022 the 56 plates, bowls and cups are being used to bring together 56 people at a time around food. One of the most effective and familiar ways to come together, talk and find common ground is through sharing a meal.Scott Alves Barton, PhD, a foodways professor and activist is acting as the curator of the meals part of this project. He is organizing meals in different locations around the country, teaming up with local growers, home cooks, chefs and activists who focus on that regions foods and foodways issues and local community challenges. The plates, bowls and cups that I made are now being used by many different kinds of people, eating different kinds of food and having different kinds of conversations, which will literally represent and celebrate the rich diversity of America. Each shared meal and conversation will leave marks or scars (visible or not) on the ceramics that hold the food. As the pottery moves from location to location, meal to meal and conversation to conversation, it will absorb the DNA of the encounters that it participates in. We hope that these meals will bring people together around the table, help build bridges, foster empathy and nurture healing.