Furard Tate likes to ask people if they can remember the last time they visited a black-owned restaurant.

Most people can’t—which is why Tate, the owner of Inspire Hospitality, joined together with bar consultant Audra “A.J.” Johnson and Erinn Tucker, faculty director of Georgetown University’s Global Hospitality Leadership Program, to launch DMV Black Restaurant Week, which runs from Nov. 4-11. Washington City Paper was first to report the news of the event in August.

“So many of our black restaurants are closing—these restaurants tell our story through food,” says Tate, whose restaurant, Inspire BBQ, was forced to close due to rising rent on the H Street Corridor in 2014 after 18 years in business. “They tell our past, and they pour our past into our future through each meal. Food brings cultures together, you know, and if we don’t support those entities, they don’t exist and it’s a silent death.”

Tate, Johnson, and Tucker hope that the week will give regional foodies of all races an opportunity to check out black-owned restaurants and experience the offerings of black chefs, caterers, restaurateurs, and bartenders.

Roughly two dozen restaurants have signed on for DMV Black Restaurant Week, according to its website, offering discounted meals, dishes, or drinks. They include Ben’s Chili Bowl, Bukom Café in Adams Morgan, Blue Waters Caribbean & Seafood Grill in Temple Hills, Md. and Ruby’s Southern Kitchen in Bowie, Md. Special events are also taking place at locations around the city, including the University of the District of Columbia, The Wing Georgetown, and SoBe Restaurant & Lounge in Glenn Dale, Md.

At Service Bar, Reliable Tavern mixologist Kapri Robinson will host a cocktail competition for black bartenders. Robinson says that she’s giving black bartenders a platform to shine because in her experience, they don’t always get the respect they deserve.

“It’s about being together, it’s about real inclusion, it’s about really being one as human beings, but I want to empower my people to feel the same way,” Robinson says. “It’s not about making our own table and finding our own space. We should be able to know how to work and compete with the best of the best in any circle.”

The week will also feature a conference to discuss entrepreneurial ventures and continuing education for black restaurant personnel.

The restaurant business in D.C. continues to explode. The National Restaurant Association reports that D.C. restaurants rang up $3.8 billion in sales last year and that there were nearly 2,300 places to eat and drink in the District in 2016. DMV Black Restaurant Week is intended to help black business owners take advantage of that growth.

Additionally, says Tucker, the week is about responding to the needs of consumers.

“We have a customer that’s really looking for a more authentic experience—they’re looking for more variety and range and we want to help small businesses meet the needs that customers are searching for,” Tucker says.

Organizers encourage attendees to take and post selfies with their favorite black-owned restaurant, chef, bartender or other restaurant professional using the hashtag #dmvbrw. The hashtag will help organizers measure the impact of the week as well as promote black restaurants long after the week has ended.

On social media, Tate says, “We have the power to inspire and impact these restaurants each time.”

DMV Black Restaurant Week runs Nov. 4-11, at various locations.