Three days after President Trump referred to Somalis in Minnesota as “garbage” in December 2025, my neighbors and I did what Minnesotans often do. We broke bread together. We gathered at the Karmel Somali Mall in south Minneapolis for a potluck. Somali Minnesotans, Chinese Minnesotans, Swedish Minnesotans, and many others did what we do when people we care about are suffering. We showed up and brought food. We ate Rice Krispy bars and sambuusas, chocolate chip cookies, and falafel.

In writing about Christian and Muslim hospitality, Matthew Kaemingk writes that what Christians need “is an argument against hatred and hegemony that is not so much theological but sensual, habitual, aesthetic, and narrative-based.” If that’s so, a potluck is one argument we can wield against hatred. Potlucks require sharing and receiving, preparing a big dish and delighting in a surprising new dish. Potluck feasting means having conversations about the origins of a dish or tradition, asking for new recipes. It means celebrating the heritage of food and honoring the Giver of the universal gift of sustenance.

With Minneapolis in the news, we asked Plough author and Minneapolis resident Rachel Pieh Jones to give her firsthand view.