Yesterday Questlove, the drummer from The Roots, posted the above photo to his Twitter account. This is a real menu from the NBC cafeteria in New York, and the conclusion that everyone came to after seeing it is “THAT’S RACIST”. And you know, in a way, it does feel a little racist that they’re serving what’s widely considered to be “black people food” in an NBC cafeteria and saying it’s to celebrate Black History Month. All that’s missing from that menu is a watermelon slice and a grape soda, you know?
Well, the NBC cook in charge of making the menu has now had to make a statement in response to all of this and she really doesn’t see what the big flippin’ deal is:
“All I wanted to do was make a meal that everyone would enjoy — and that I eat myself. Questlove, who I serve every day and who enjoys my food, requested the neck bone [cooked in] the black-eyed peas and fried chicken, then got off the line, saying, ‘This is racist.’
“The next thing you know, people were taking pictures of the sign and asking all the other black people in the cafeteria if this was racist. They said that it wasn’t.”
So there you go. The black people at NBC except for Questlove do not think this sign is racist. I don’t know how I feel about it. I wouldn’t be offended if they attempted to serve corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day, but that’s a tradition. Saying “Hey, we’re going to make food that black people eat in the south because it’s Black History Month” feels just a little different.
So what do you guys think?
Isn’t this also what white people eat in the south? My husband’s family do. Frankly, I think associating a food with racism is ridiculous. Get over it.
As a white Southerner, this is what everyone in the South eats. And it is damn good. You have not had collard greens or black eyed peas until you get them from a huge stockpot over a propane burner from a vegetable stand off of a country road. Don’t forget the boiled peanuts. Time for me to get lunch!
Yeah, definitely a Southern thing. I’m more of a mustard greens fan myself, with jalapeno cornbread soaked in the juice. And there’s just nothing better than bacon butter potatoes to go with all that.
And a PBR.
Oh my gosh. Did you just say “bacon butter potatoes”? I think I’m in love! Yummmmm
Oh, yes, I did. Boil some taters (leave the skin on), then drain. Mix in about a stick and a half of butter. In a seperate pan, fry some bacon, but don’t get it crispy (I usually insist on crisp, almost burnt bacon, but for the potatoes, it’s different), just cooked enough. Then, cute the bacon into about inch long segments and toss it in (with some of the bacon grease, because, um, yum) with the potatoes, mix, add salt and pepper to taste and vwalla! Deliciousness!
Making this for the Superbowl! Thanks so much! Add this to the beignets I am making and it is going to be the best spread evah. :)
Who the fuck is Questlove and why does anyone give a rat’s ass about what that douche has to say about anything. BTW, anyone who says they like collards, has never eaten them. They suck. Only dumb ass crackers eat that shit when they run out of poke salat.
Questlove is the drummer for the amazingly awesome hip-hop band The Roots. His band is also the house band for Jimmy Fallon’s late night talk show.
No wonder no one’s heard of him. A drummer, really. Intellectually, that’s like being, well a drummer.
dear douche,
how do you find time to comment on EVERY FUCKING POST ON THIS WEBSITE? And how old are you? Because I am picturing a 16 year old in his jammies.
signed,
Someone who used to really enjoy the comment portion of this site.
You’ll have to forgive the douche, he quit listening to music just after Elvis died.
okay, i didn’t read ALL of these…but if we all agree that this is the food of the south, then WHY is it being served during black history month? what about the heritage of blacks in the north? it’s ignorant at best.
you said it perfectly.
Everyone seems to have missed the only racist part of the sign is the “Black History Month” which is in itself racist. After all it is the black people who want to be treated like everyone else so then why would they want a whole month for themselves. We do not have mexican history month or italian history month or even white history month. To me this just makes them standout and reminds people that they have a chip on their shoulder instead of allowing them to blend in with everyone else which is their wish. Probably created by some bleeding heart liberal who thought they were being nice to those “black’ people.
Stuff like this pisses me off. This is no different than people eating corned beef around St. Patrick’s Day or drinking Corona’s for Cinco de Mayo. Questlove needs to get over himself.
In other news, that menu looks delish.
totally agree with sarah. also, i love this kind of food. it’s more southern than anything.
coronas were the best you could come up with? yes, us mexicans just like drinking beers. good one!
ay dios mio.
No, in fact, what I meant was that Coronas are what white people associate with Mexicans. Further proving the point that ‘black people food’ wasn’t racist as Questlove thought.
No, white people associate beans with Mexican.
don’t want to get into this mess, but yes sara, right on.
If you want to find racism, bigotry, homophobia, etc. in anything and everything I’m fairly sure you can. For these people that find fault with everything, it doesn’t matter if there was intent or not (though that should actually be the only reason something could be deemed inappropriate), it just matters that THEY find it offensive. People need to focus more energy on their own lives and things that matter.
totally agree- southern food. truthfully, southern people (black and white) eat this kind of food. if pasta was served for italian-american something or another nobody would have anything to say about it. also, YUM. i wish that’s what i was eating for lunch.
I know. As I keep rereading this menu I’m like “ooooo, collards and black-eyed peas for daysssss.”
Agreed. I live in Georgia and eat this food with plenty of white families & plenty of black families. It’s served in the restaurants as well as in peoples’ homes and it’s delicious. Questlove needs to chill out and enjoy the meal, because frankly, it’s making me hungry and jealous because I want some.
True, if pasta was served for an Italian-American event, not many people, if any, would be offended, but that’s because pasta is a dish that stems from Italy, whereas fried chicken stems from the South. Even if the items on the menu-in-question are what ‘white’ people as well as ‘black’ commonly eat in the Southern U.S., the fact that people immediately associate ‘black’ people with the South isn’t justified. Also, I don’t think fried chicken is generally a common dish of genuine ‘black’ heritage. It’s more so a dish of the southern U.S., which points back to the issue of the association of people of ‘black’ ethnicity with the South.
very well said. i need to take a lesson from you. =)
I guess this means that Colonel Sanders was racist all along.
molls, i love that you cover stuff like this
I agree that this is much the same as serving Corned Beef and Cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day. Serving Cultural Foods on said cultural days is an HONOR. Also, lucky for people to be able to learn about the different cultural foods and get to eat them.
I live in Hawaii, where it’s a huge melting pot of multiple cultures, and we celebrate culture all the time through food and other traditions. It’s not uncommon for schools to serve Hawaiian Food and children to perform the Hula on Lei Day; Noodles, Mochi and Bon Dances to be served on Japanese Holidays; Puerto Rican Fare to be served on their holidays, etc. People learn so much about the different cultures and what better way to bring people together but by sharing delicious cultural foods.
I love Hawaiian food. So yummy! Same for Japanese.
Also I forgot to mention that recently an African American friend served her cultural foods at a party that celebrated her culture. Fried Chicken, BBQ Ribs (her own homemade sauce), Greens, Cornbread, Blackeyed Peas and a variety of Amazing Southern Desserts. It was GOOD- I wish we had more of that kind of food here in Hawaii.
So much African/Black American history is steeped in Southern history, hence the same shared cultural foods.
Don’t even get me going on ribs. Baby back pork ribs boiled in a huge stockpot then marinated in rub and sauce and finally slow cooked on a coal grill with hickory or black jack oak chips…heaven, pure and simple. Falls right off the bone.
You boil the ribs first? Really? I’ve never heard of that but I must try it immediately. We just marinate them, and let that sit for a day or so, then make up a beer sop and grill them while continuously bathing them in said sop. It’s wonderful. And I’m so hungry. Good thing I get off work in an hour and get to go home and eat bacon-wrapped deer backstrap! :)
It is definitely worth the extra time to boil the ribs first. After you marinate and rub, let them sit for a couple of hours refrigerated in a zip-lock bag or overnight in a cooler if camping. Then slow cook those babies on the grill with the sauce. It is a long process, but worth the wait. And, charcoal or hardwood is a must; a gas grill will never give you the same flavor.
OMG!! NEVER boil ribs!! It boils all the taste out. Simply terrible. Season with a dry rub and let marinate in the frdge about 24 hrs. Then cook s-l-o-w-l-y on the grill. Yummy every time.
Look, that’s just how I roll. I luvs my boiled, then marinated, then slow cooked over charcoal method. I actually cook ribs both ways. I don’t always have time to boil then grill; I quite often marinate and then grill without the boiling. But, I’m going to tell you, the meat falls off the damn bone when you boil first. :-)
Parboiling ribs is a criminal offense. If you can’t smoke delicious ribs without – read this out loud – BOILING THE MEAT FIRST – you’re an idiot, or a chick.
Dude, you just like to aggravate people don’t you. I’m passing along a true gem of a Southern recipe that was passed along to me by a true gem of a Southern gentleman. I’ll never give up his sauce, though.
Imma let you finish in a minute, but here’s the deal: have the butcher remove the membrane from the lung side of the rib. Salt and pepper only before cooking. Don’t use chips, get a chunk of hickory (shaggy bark if you can find it). Put that on the coals, close the vents and let it cook for several hours. Use the sauce of your choosing. And yes I know I violated by own rants about long posts, but I’ve trying to save this girl.
Give it a break! What if I look at you I must be a racist! I have corned beef and cabbage and green beer on St. Patrick’s Day. On Cinco de Mayo I have margaritas, tacos, burritos etc. 4th of July, burgers, dogs and beer. I thought we in America were to celebrate our differences. The Italians introduced us to Pizza, spaghetti and the like. Polish sausages are my favorite.
If you are an over-sensitive black, then tell me what we are suppose to do to celebrate what you have contributed to our culture. Get over it and shut the fuck up!
You could start by not calling someone “a” black…
Food looks goooooood though. Lisa your description of the country road food deservess some kind of Pulitzer
Sorry Zelda, you’re the fuck up here. Scuba wrote “an…. black.” Get your facts straight, good God we have standards here, this is the Internet.
Heh heh
“an over-sensitive black” direct quote- because I know how to properly quote people. you do not. she should have said “an overly sensitive black PERSON”. saying “an oversensitive black” is the same as saying “a black”. she only used the preposition “an” because there was a word after “an” that began with a vowel. this is 3rd grade grammar (or less).
Think EvBeDouche was just being sarcastic ;)
*hangs head in misquotation shame*
My misquotation up totally made the post look worse than it was.
Got your back Z.
That menu is not “black food” it is taditional southern food. I’m from Tennessee and white and that is what I grew up on. I live in Hawaii now and have other military wives over for “Tennesse Sunday” where I cook pretty much the same thing but with pulled pork too. QuestLove is an idiot to think this is racist. How can eat the food and then call it racist?
Chickens were allowed to be kept by slaves. Frying it made it suitable to be eaten on the go or packed for lunch. Turnip and collard greens were the thrown away parts of the plant, thus the slaves found a way to make it suitable to eat- ie boil the piss out of it (a cooking method common in Africa).
These were foods of nescessity that became the staples and comfort food (or “soul food”). There is historical value to these foods but there are also stereotypes that can be offending. Yes, most southern cuisine today has accepted this food as their own but it wasn’t always that way. African Americans contributed heavily to influence the way southern food evolved.
When you think about “traditional southern food” it helps to look back into what those traditions are and whose traditions they belonged to.
Maybe the sign itself is more “in your face” about the menu. Perhaps mentioning the food would be traditional “soul food” would have reminded people of the historical signifigance and less of the stereotype many people have.
Great points made here. I’m glad you explained the origins or “traditional southern food”. I am too long-winded and didn’t want to write a thesis.
Thank you, I’m glad someone appreciates my perspective (even thought I’m not black). I think maybe a little blurb explaining the HISTORICAL signifigance of the foods would have been educational for those who didn’t know WHY that food is considered “Soul Food”. That would have been more indicative of Black History Month, and may have actually helped to break down the stereotype. Lots of people have heard references to black people liking fried chicken- very few actually know the HISTORY.
I don’t know if it’s racists…but it does sound yum!..with the watermelon and grape soda even….I’m hungry now…oh..and I’m not black.
Sounds like Ethel’s gonna be disappointed when she sees your little white pecker.
personally, i think it’s a little ridiculous that this is at all considered racist. serving food during black history month that is traditionally considered black food is kind of common sense. just like, during a latino heritage month, people would serve latino food.
Let me try to clarify a couple of points without having everyone jump down my throat.
I can see how Questlove considered this menu racist because the cook (or whoever was in charge of printing the menu) obviously assumed ALL black people eat what are actually southern foods (but which had a large influence by blacks). This is actually a case of stereotyping. It seems to me that while Questlove enjoys the food, he doesn’t appreciate the assumption behind it.
I wouldn’t go so far as calling this racist. It’s more ignorant. Why? Because although it makes it easier (read, you’re lazy when you do this) to lump all people of any race or ethnicity together into stereotypical boxes, you will find, (and continue to find as we move into a new era and more races mix) people who do NOT fit in this box.
I am one of those people. I am black and a native Texan (technically part of the south, but very different bc of the Latino influence and other reasons), however I do not eat these foods all the time or even very often and I hate it when people assume I do, just because I’m black- but once again, that’s ignorance, not racism. I also have A LOT of family in Mississippi who do not eat these foods all the time or even most of the time.
When I first heard this story, my knee-jerk reaction was to consider it racist. But once I read more, through this site and the comments (thank you!) I now know what it is. Ignorance and laziness. I have a feeling the cook isn’t black. Whether they are or not, this is a decision that should have been thought out before they decided this was a good idea. NBC is responsible for everything its offices or personnel produces- the kitchen is part of that.
In my opinion, it’s lazy and a cop-out to “do your part” for Black History Month by putting some Southern food on the menu that you associate with all Black people. It would have been more responsible (because it would promote knowledge- not reinforcing obvious stereotypes) if NBC decided to highlight little-known but notable blacks that have contributed to society in major ways by putting up a pictorial with facts about them in the kitchen or in the offices rather than just cooking some “black food”.
Come on now, with all the $$$ NBC has (even if they have poor ratings), they couldn’t be bothered to pay for something more appropriate, socially responsible, and culturally sensitive? This is a classic case of the people who make these decisions being ignorant, lazy, and clearly not part of a minority group. Although, even if the head of NBC was black, I could see a black person being okay with this. I’m not okay with it, and I think people should be more cognizant of how things will effect people (and themselves) in the long run. This is not good for NBC, they have enough negative publicity already. If they would just hire me as their PR person, I could make sure these types of problems do not arise in the future. ;-)
To sum up this ridiculously long post: In my opinion, this was racially and culturally insensitve, lazy, and pathetic. NOT racist.
Just FYI, the cook and head chef at that particular office is a black woman who had been campaigning for several years to honor Black History Month with what she considered traditional, black food. This year the company finally agreed to let her serve a traditionally “black” meal every Thursday of Black History Month. The poor cook is devastated this has caused such a ruckus. She made it clear that she never intended to offend anyone and that she isn’t racist.
Once again, it boils down to African/Black Americans having significant history in the South (unfortunately through centuries of slavery). They had a huge influence in traditional Southern fare. There are definitely many Southerners of all colors that do not like or eat Southern food. My mom is one of them.
I think it is important to honor the African/black roots of such delicious fare.
Then it’s stereotypical to serve shepherd’s pie, Guiness, and corned beef on St. Patrick’s Day. I don’t think any Irish folks are offended by that.
Obvioiusly, not every single person in a given nationality, ethnicity, etc. likes the same things, but in this case (and in most cases, ie 4th of July, Cinco de Mayo, etc.) it’s simply a representation of a culture that ate this food at some point in time, and through the years it’s been associated with said culture. It’s not demeaning, it’s not belittling, it just is. What’s so terrible about fried chicken, collard greens and cornbread? I’d be happy to have that food as my cultural staple. Not only do these foods represent black culture, they represent Southern culture, I think, as a whole. This is just Sunday dinner in the South. I don’t think people who cook this food and serve it are doing so pointedly or with hate in their hearts. It isn’t like they were insulting with it, they didn’t blare rap music, or write the menu in ebonics, or whatever (which WOULD be stereotypical and wrong). I think it was meant as a shout out to a fabulous culture which is being celebrated this month, and hell, the food’s good!
While I understand your POV, it’s slightly different for us black folks. Not all black folks eat those foods, and associating that with Black History Month, which is supposed to be about more than that is silly. Also, everyone keeps comparing a month to a day (i.e. St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo). Those are days that have a special significance, and have little to nothing to do with food. If that is how you celebrate holidays, so be it- just be aware it has nothing to do with the holiday and actually somehow demeans it.
To clarify: the reason why this is insensitive is because these foods have been associated with black folks in a negative connotation for decades (please do the necessary research), so when we’re still seeing something like this from anyone (regardless of their race) it’s disheartening. It’s 2010. Time to move on from the same old stereotypes.
I’m kinda mad at the cook for not thinking on this, but considering they’re a cook, and probably not very educated, they didn’t see how doing something like this is short-sighted at best and ignorant at worst. And yes, I realize I made an incorrect assumption about the cook earlier. Still, ignorance against your own race whether you meant well or not shouldn’t be given a free pass. Obviously the NBC execs were like, “Well since the cook is black, it’s ok! We’re safe.” Not so much NBC. Anyone who’s educated would see how that mentality will always come to bite you in the ass later and how this lame-ass decision should have been given more thought.
I can understand that. I respect your opinion, and you obviously know much more about the subject than I do, so going forward, I will definitely think and do some more research before I just assume. I get how it would bother you,
Thanks a lot Whit. I saw some of your comments before. You’re smart and don’t take shit from rabid commenters. Love it. ;-)
I should not have presumed the cook was uneducated. That’s my ignorance against her (and snobbishness) because of her “seeming” ignorance. Who knows, maybe she’s written 8 million essays on food and culture. Who am I to say she’s uneducated? So I own that and apologize.
Not all Irish are drunks, either. No wait……
I’m Irish, and I’m drunk aaalllll the time. Stereotype confirmed. :)
That cook at NBC probably makes more money than you can imagine. The “not educated” comment proves you’re a racist about your own race.
actually honey, it means I’m an elitist, classist, college educated woman. thanks.
“I’m kinda mad at the cook for not thinking on this, but considering they’re a cook, and probably not very educated…”
That’s just…such an unecessary dig.
you’re absolutely right zelda. for the record, i already acknowledged this and apologized for it in the comments.
ah…missed that Grace J. Sorry.
Probably because I’m a drunken Irish-Russian.
Soeaking of which, ever have a “Whiska”? It’s half vodka half whisky and mixed with catfood. it’s really–
*vomits*
*passes out*
The REAL Grace Jones is not such a whiney bitch.
That is so fucking true! EBD got this one right. This chick should change her name to disGrace Jones.
at no point did i whine. if by engaging in intellectual debate means whining in your world, you’re obviously an idiot. and i will eat your face JUST like grace jones. just test me.
learn how to spell “whiny”. thanks.
Nice try guuuuurrrrl. Try some street.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=whiney%20bitch
Oh, I guessing some community college with a B.S. in blimp watching. Imma cum lawd, maybe?
Oh, and learn to punctuate – it’s “whiny(period goes here)” We have standards here, this IS the Internet.
stop saying “we” as if people like you on this site and consider themselves in league with you. everyone puts up with you like a bad case of the crabs (which I’m assuming you have). I’m just waiting for you to say something racist, use hate speech or homophobia so I can see your ass kicked off commenting for good. keep up the inane crap you spew daily. it’s hilariously pathetic. at least i get a good laugh out of the stupid shit you say.
a lso, there are hardly any standards when it comes to commenting on a post. when writing the post, you should make sure not to have very many grammatical errors, etc. when commenting, you just make sure you spell shit correctly. or just make sure to put your dumb ass in his mother-fucking place.
if you consider The University of Texas with a Journalism degree as some community college b.s. you said earlier (it was too dumb to bother quoting it) then that prob means you graduated Summa Cum Laude from the International University of Class A Douches with a degree in Competitive Douchery. Congratufuckinglations toolbag.
at least make insults that make sense. how is having a degree in journalism and a job as a writer a journo wanna-be? bless my heart? imma (your pet name for kanye) have to give you props for using that. i love trying to put people in their places by being condescending. seems like you’re a pro at that too. let’s keep it up. sweetie, please believe, i am more on your level than any other diva bitch or douche. i don’t have to keep up with you. in fact, darling, you’re going to have to keep up with ME. and i’m pretty sure you’ve realized that considering i’ve shut your ass down on most points of discussion here. i WILL however, have to try harder to put UP with you though. thanks for your kind words young padawon. aren’t you just sweet as pie?
So I’m guessing it goes without saying that Grace Jones doesn’t have “Brown Sugar” by the Stones downloaded to her Ipod.
This definitely walks the racism line, if not side-stepping it a little. Liking fried chicken (as well as watermelon) has been a long standing stereotype about black people, and stereotypes be them positive or negative, always have the potential to offend. I get why people wouldn’t find it necessarily offensive because eating fried chicken is innately a bad thing, if anything quite the opposite. The problem is though that historically it has involved negative connotations. Like black people are lazy and fried chicken is the only the thing that motivates them- anybody seen “Birth of a Nation”? I’m thinking of the scene depicting reconstruction where the senate has been taken over by the newly freed slaves and they’re all throwing chicken and watermelon at each other. That’s just one example though it wouldn’t be hard to find many others.L
Basically the act lacks sensitive to the history of how the relationship between black people and fried chicken has been portrayed culturally, which is an epic fail given that they’re doing it to promote black history.
Thank you Kaki! I was beginning to think I was the only one with a college-education. Or maybe you watched BON for fun… either way, glad to know you have studied or at least discussed these types of things and realize when something is ignorant and understand the difference btw racism, ignorance, and sensitivity.
I find your comment so arrogant on so many levels. Because people don’t agree with your viewpoint they must uneducated and down right ignorant? And, you actually had the balls to say, “but considering they’re a cook, and probably not very educated,” about a woman you know nothing about! Please get off of your high horse.
Got your back on this one Lisa. But you got “about a woman you know nothing about!” from the department of redundancy department.
I agree, Lisa. I can understand you being offended be someone stereotyping your race, but to assume that we are all idiots with no college education is downright hypocritical. I actually do have a degree. In Literature. Sorry I didn’t study the eating habits of African-Americans circa 1850.
OH, the sensitive black chick from Texas wants everyone to know she don’t do the typical southern black food like many black, and she’s got a college education. How high and mighty! How’s that doin’ for you workin’ the perfume counter at Dillards?
Can I just say how much I love Dillards? Their HQ is in Texas, but they have stores throughout the South. Plus you can get some bad ass deals online if you are lucky.
‘Specially now that you know Grace Jones.
I realize I came off high-and-mighty and I don’t give a FUCK! ;-)
I like it when you talk dirty. So now we know – a tea sipper jurno wanna be. LULZ.
Bless your heart, you’re gonna have to try a little harder to keep up, honey.
Yeah, you went to U.T….big fucking deal. Anyone from Texas in the top 10% of their graduating high school class can get into U.T. without jumping through hoops.. It damn sure ain’t Harvard.
Alright, my turn to be high and mighty and offend countless people because of my arrogance (which I try so damn hard to hide).
Public colleges suck shit. There are a few that are exceptional, and UT isn’t one of them. Granted, a public education is better than no education, but not by much. Here’s my arrogant part…I went to an ivy. There is NO comparison between a crappy state run, public funded university and a private, well endowed university who can not only afford, but they actually attract the top minds in the world.
I’ve studied under two Nobel winners, a Poet Laureate of the UK (with whom I had an affair when I was 21!), world renowned economists, historians, and some of the best and brightest minds in the world.
But, really, who really gives a shit other than me and my employers? No one. I still believe your logic is so fucked up that you can never wade through the shit to see the light of day. But, hey, it takes all kinds to make the world go round.
You do realize the band requested half the food on the menu right? The chef was probably just trying to cook items that typically go well with the requested food. I am sure it was not a “what else do black people eat” rather than what will go well with their requests that everyone will enjoy. Don’t think there is much of a story here…
Loser. I reported you to the authorities.
Fried Chicken is a delicious food.
Well, hello there negro!!
I think the people who are upset have issues about racism. I grew up in a multi-cultural family (African American, Vietnamese, Indian, and Caucasion) and was never aware of skin color differences being something to worry about. The food sign is not offensive to me (yes, I am caucasion…but doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be offended on the behalf of my adopted cousins). And the people who are offended want people like myself to be upset with them. You have to look are the emotion intended behind the message. Why doesn’t someone just come up with some more up to date food suggestions and say ‘hey next year how about this’. People who get upset over this are not interested in solutions. They just want to fight. (and I am not inferring a race by saying ‘people’ or ‘they’) No good deed goes unpunished I guess. Not like there is a Caucasion History Month. Don’t see anyone upset over that fact. Racism goes both ways. It’s not just a white skin towards a different color. I feel so bad for that cook. The meal description looked fantastic.
Hahahahahaha. Are you kidding? Every month is “caucasian history month.”
basically
The whole “black people like fried chicken” thing is like “Italians like spaghetti” thing- it’s what you ate when you were poor, but it’s so freaking delicious, nobody could resist. Who the hell doesn’t like fried chicken or pasta these days, except vegetarians? I eat plenty of other things besides Italian food, but if there was a celebration honoring Italian-Americans, darned if I wouldn’t roll out the meatballs and marinara sauce.
I guess if the cook really wanted to get inclusive, she could have made some Jamaican jerk pork, Cameroonian cassava leaf stew with fufu, or Ethiopian doro wot, but the soul food menu she came up with represents a true regional cuisine developed by black people in the United States. Heck, I never had a collard green till college and I love all of that stuff- and I can’t remember the last time I saw anything that tempting on a cafeteria menu in my workplace.
it’s just food
love this comment. so true and so short.
I believe the point here is this…
NBC, with all of it’s “green” initiatives and progressive-leaning shows and news programs, did this, not Fox News. Had this been Fox News, heads would be rolling already. I thought they were supposed to be so much more sensitive and cultured than the conservative Neanderthals!
It is not racist, it is a symptom of our overly PC culture that NBC has helped to create and promote, and now it’s biting them on the ass. This is the world that they have made, and now they need to live in it.
(By the way, corned beef and cabbage, pasta, sausages, etc are representative of different nationalities, not races.)
Thank you for making the distinction between nationalities and races. The comments were really bothering me on that point but it takes too much energy to comment on each person.
Also, I agree with you completely on the liberal=progressive/not racist or ignorant and conservative= definitely racist/ignorant. I have met many “liberals” (mostly white) who have said extremely ignorant, borderline racist, or overtly racist things before. But because they recycle, are democrats, and watch liberal shows, and liberal-leaning news, they think they’re ok. The fact is, none of us are. Those who are willing to admit their prejudices, and grow and learn from them, while broadening their horizons and challenging stereotypes will get somewhere in the world, and be able to call themselves true liberals and progressives.
“True liberals and progressives.” LOL, you are such a tool.
Why don’t you and Rachael Maddow go get a fucking room, dumbass!
I went to a “soul food” place and the same stuff was on the menu. So if they are celebrating another heritage, wouldn’t they try to serve the food that culture eats. If you want to celebrate the Polish, you better bring on the pierogies or I’m outta there!!
good lord, this is much ado about nothing.
Lets get riled up about something that truly deserves the title of racism.
There was no hatred here and folks who get their panties in a wad over a well intentioned person trying to do something nice is ridiculous.
The cook’s motives were not wrong and her actions could at their worst be labled a bit ignorant but not racist.
I wish people understood the true definition of that word before they threw it around willy nilly.
Most of what we call racist/racism is actually prejudice and ignorance.
Hmmm, I guess I see both points here, but I really think people are making too much of it. Do all black people eat fried chicken? No. Is it a stereotype? Sure. Do all Irish eat corned beef and cabbage? No. Is it a stereotype? Yeah. Do all Mexicans drink tequila? Doubtful. Yet, as many people have mentioned (and I thought of also), we eat “Irish food” on St. Patrick’s Day, we eat “Mexican food” on Cinco de Mayo (though I would eat Mexican food any day of the week). It’s celebrating a culture with food and/or drink. It’s not the only way to celebrate, but it is definitely a legitimate way to do so. Why is sharing part of a culture/race/nationality a bad thing? Why is it bad to label a certain food as “black food”? Is there something wrong with being black? Hell, I’d love it if they labeled fried chicken as “White people food”, and give me an excuse to eat it all the time. I guess I just don’t understand why labeling something as “black food” is so offensive. To me, it seems positive–“Hey, look at these wonderful things that black people have helped contribute to over the years”.
I understand that the idea of a watermelon and fried chicken eating black person is stereotypical, and that not all black people enjoy that. That’s fine. Next time someone asks you “Hey, do you want some fried chicken because you’re black?” go ahead and rip them a new one. Just leave this poor cook alone and let her serve her food, and try to make people happy by sharing something that she enjoys. And please don’t call her uneducated because she’s “just” a cook. That makes you seem like an elitist snob. Personally, I’d rather be labeled as a watermelon eater than a snob, but that’s just me.
Two points
1.) The food sounds absolutely delish and I’d love to eat it all, no matter what the day
2.) This whole post basically confirms why we can’t have nice things – because no matter what someone does, someone else will have to throw an assfit over it.
Look, the cook was nice enough to change the menu into something a little more traditional for blacks in the Southern region. So sorry the cook didn’t have something special and traditional to blacks in Texas and Arizona and Nebraska and Utah and North Dakota. Maybe the menu should just be changed back to boring baked chicken and whatever else NBC usually serves in the cafeteria.
Well said Leigh!
First of all Irish people wouldnt have had corned beef. :) 3 grandparents from ireland here. . .
As far as this sign, seriously!? I have a lot of black friends, most probably wouldnt care, sadly to say, no one would care if the cook that made the menu was black! (i know my friends well enough to assume!! its true.). Ive given up on wasting my time worrying about these nit picky racial ‘issues’. I do my best and if i get out of line someone will tell me and ill learn my lesson. (my guess is this cook wont word it this way ever again) The constant worry about it just makes it worse.
I think we can all admit its more strange than racist.
really??? this is absolutely ridiculous. it’s funny how BLACK people are always playing the race card when something is labeled as “black”. i don’t see a bunch of irish, mexican, greek, or italian people getting their panties in a bunch over a friggin’ irish, mexican, greek, or italian menu..
Oh yeah, you’re forgetting the “Frito Bandito” and all the trouble he got into.
Yes, but is fried chicken a dish that stems from genuine black heritage? I think not. At ‘Irish, Mexican, Greek, and Italian’ events, the food being served is usually food that stems from the ethnicity’s country of origin.
As far as I know, fried chicken, jalapeno cornbread, fountain soda, etc., are not dishes commonly found in African countries.
Oh yes, Africans eat chickens. Lots of ’em.
I think black history day in north america is about black history in north america- not africa. As far as I can say, having asked around to see what black people think of the “african american” title, most that
I spoke to told me that they prefered to be known as african americans. They were not born in Africa, their parents weren’t and so forth, and they have their own american history that has nothing to do with black people of Africa. If I eat at an Italian restaurant in Italy, there will be different food served than at an Italian restaurant in north America- the addition of america to the culture made their food evolve into “italian american.” For example, pizzas in italy are thin based, and do not carry ham and pineapple and ridiculous amounts of toppings. In north america, italian pizzerias make this thick spongey base that an actual Italian would hate. So by serving an african food that is not found in african american diet, I think you would be saying that the cuisine they evolved through the combination of their old culture and the new is a bastardisation or inferior to the old. You would be saying that African food it real black food, and african american food isn’t.
Yes, of course the cuisine of any country is going to differ from that of its American equivalent, but for the most part, there are strong similarities between the foods of non-American countries and their American equivalents.
Also, the issue is not the food itself (nor is it which ethnic title people wish to be referred to as), but rather the associations that most make with it. The issue is that by saying fried chicken is a common black dish, people are implicitly associating black culture with the southern U.S.
Not black culture, it’s not black culture month, it’s black history month. The history of black people in America starts in the south…
True enough, but that’s irrelevant, because either way the entire event has degenerated into a shallow ritual.
I agree :)
Haha it’s awesome to have some agreement amongst all this disagreement!
I think this story is retarded. The people who complained about the posted menu are retarded. Retarded people should not be aloud to eat. Soul food belongs to everyone, not just retarded people.
Gosh, thanks Sarah. I’m glad you “aloud” us to hear your rant about retards.
gosh, I’m such a retard!!!!!!!!!!!!! hehehe
Oh for fuck’s sake….this is ridiculous to the extreme. It is a damn menu created by a woman of color who wanted to share her home cooking with everyone. The uproar has hurt her. What good did that do? (No good deed goes unpunished as they say.) I wish I could find her and give her a big bear hug and say “it’s OK…I appreciate your effort….and pass me a plate of everything you have!” Also I will note that I am college educated (a million years ago) but I feel no need to talk down to those who may or may not have had the opportunity. My ex had a degree in English Lit and could talk his ass off on any subject. He also had a holier than Thou attitude because of his degree. However, the man had the common sense of a flea. Give me people with street smarts & common sense any day of the week. Give me a man who can turn a screw or pick up a wrench. I absolutely HATE people who are condescending toward others. Some of the most wonderful humans I’ve ever known would be considered uneducated by some of the writers here. So sad. You are missing out on fabulous people. Uneducated? Maybe. But also sweet and kind to others. One lady comes to mind who had trouble with high school but damn could she whip up some down home cooking that was food for the Gods! Plus she could sew, knit, craft….incredible skills. She has bad grammar and could not write a technically perfect sentence to save her own life. Still she is the best mother the world could ever know. She is gentle and patient toward all who cross her path. She loves dogs and cats & works with organizations that protect them. I am proud to be her friend even if she is might be “uneducated” in some people’s eyes. To be insulting & condescending toward those to whom you feel superior only makes you look like the asshat.
I’m German/Irish on one side and 100% Mexican on the other. My city has large groups of all these nationalities. And I will eat and enjoy all the foods during the many street festivals we have….and not be offended. Pah…leeze.
Oh…and if I made any typos, I appologize. My lousy vision makes seeing the screen difficult. And exhaustion is making me have trouble keeping my eyes open. Yet I wanted to stand up for the “regular folks” out there…like my father who worked for the railroad six days a week and my mother who kept our family together under enormous pressures. You don’t need a degree to have honor, dignity and intelligence.
P.S. It’s a damn menu. Eat it already! Enjoy life’s pleasures!
I really wish all the anonymous posters would get a frickin name. Clearly this is not the first post they have done. No fair hiding behind a screen.
Sarah L, your post made me crack up. It was funny even though you meant ‘allowed’. I didn’t get the impression you were using the word retarded against the disabled. Thanks for the late night tension breaker from the books and this ridiculous story.
No one would be so jacked up about this thing had it not been for one dingle berry with a camera phone and an axe to grind to get the ball rolling. I think there are a lot of good people out in the world who don’t know all the rules that insecure, snippity-snips enforce.
hehehe I always mix up my words when doing late night postings (or maybe I’m just retarded). Yes, my post was a joke and I’m glad it made you laugh.
Im not being funny or anything but is there a white history month?! No! Why the hell is there a black one?! This sort of crap is turning people racist, if everyone stopped seperating us in this way (by saying we’re celebrating black people today etc) then there wouldn’t even BE racism!
When i was in school i wasnt AWARE of differences in people in that way; i just saw everyone as an individual, and my best friend at uni was Indian and i never even thought about what ‘race’ she was and (call me slow or whatever i dont care) i was like ‘oh you’re Indian?! I just thought you had an olive skin colour!’ It was a non-issue!
In school blackboards were blackboards (not ‘chalkboards’), a black chair was a black chair (not ‘that chair there’ – because the teacher was too scared to say ‘black’), the word black as a colour was called black (not whispered or mouthed so as to not offend anyone) etc etc blah blah blah
Racism is HUGE now because of all this stuff! What a joke! Just let people be people! If anyone wants to celebrate their heritage then let them but dont forcefully seperate us and then be shocked when people start to behave in a seperated way and make people feel different!
(and by the way, racism is such a forefront issue now that i took the word ‘they’ out in that last paragraph and replaced it with ‘anyone’ because i didn’t want anyone to think i was saying ‘they’ in a racist way! WHAT A JOKE!!)
Black History Month and other ‘none white’ days/months were started because our country was famous for only teaching ‘white history’. It wasn’t started to create more racism but that’s what it has become. If our school system would revamp the out of date history books it uses to teach ‘history’, all the separatism would probably start to go away. I appreciate your view.
i concur.
here! here!
I have a friend that just moved here from Canada and she is appalled at the way we are so race focused and afraid to offend all the time. She feels that because of all this sensitivity and pc behavior we are in fact more raciest for all our effort.
I have been subtly told I am guilty (as a white person) for being white because my ancestors did something horrific before I existed. White guilt is nauseating to me.
Why can’t we just be Americans? If you would like to recognize and celebrate you heritage than good for you, but setting aside days and walking on eggshells all the time arguing ( about cook’s menu) only makes racism more prevalent.
This is exactly what my Canadian friend here laughs at.
I am German/French and Polish but I view myself as an American b/c I was born here and this is my Country. Which is why I struggle with the whole forced African American thing.
OK, so go to a self-identified soul food restaurant and what do you find on the menu? Maybe Questlove should head over to The Pink Teacup and rail at them about the racist menu offerings of fried chicken and collard greens. I don’t get why the offerings at NBC would be any more racist than those at a community restaurant.
If you have to take the time to ponder whether or not it’s racist, it probably isn’t.
If a white cook did this it’s racist, if a black cook did it…oh, wait!
The most racist, antisemitic, homophobic people I’ve known have been black.
I was very disappointed when The Roots became a talk show band.
I’ve never had outstanding cornbread that was made by a white person but I’m sure it’s out there.
Dan, honey. My cornbread won first place in a large country fair where my dad and stepmom live a couple of counties over. And, can I just say, that I was the only white women to enter cornbread in the cornbread competition! My pies didn’t even place :-( I just can’t make a perfect crust!
I do not carry any burden of guilt concerning ‘slavery’. All of my ancestors lived in Sweeden, Scotland, and England. No none migrated to the U.S. until after the Civil War and did not keep slaves. However, I do feel some shame that my homeland had such a past. But you and I are not the same type of person who perpetuated slavery so long ago. America became a better place. Still needs some work though.
I’ve been the victim of racism several times in my life. Once on a bus (while working in the Volunteer Corp to support poor families) I had a can of soup thrown at the back of my head by a group of African American girls. The bus driver, also Aftrican American, just looked the other way. I was scared out of my mind. Then later on while in Atlanta for a conference I became great, fast friends with an African American girl. We palled around the entire trip. One day though, a trio of white supremisists women walked up to me (one yanked my hair, one jabbed my rib cage, and the other spit at me). They said I should be ashamed of myself and that I should know better than to keep company with a ‘n—-r’. By now in my life, looking upon the past. The color I worry more about is the one from within…whether someone is full of fear and hate or peace and love.
On a feel good note….when I was 13 and traveling alone by train for the first time to visit a friend in New Jersey, my train got in late and I missed my connection at Penn station. No cell phone. The station staff didn’t care to help me. I was so scared and remember crying (I grew up in a small farm town and this was the biggest place to me.) This tall, broad shouldered Black man approached me. He sat down and talked to me until I stopped crying. He helped me find a train to get me to my destination. He even paid for the ticket and rode with me all the way to make sure I got there safe. Last I recall was his great smile, waving good-bye as the train moved on. If I didn’t know any better I would swear he was an angle.
so what, you are telling us that you were a victim of racism because black people threw soup at you? Maybe you were just a victim of bad behaviour? Or maybe your clothes and bearing made you look like you were in the wrong neighbourhood or wouldn’t react if they threw something at you? Just because a person of one race does something to another doesn’t make it racist. And I don’t know why you are mentioning these random encounters -I presume these have been your only interactions with black people?
There’s no need for you to pat yourself on the back because your ancestors didn’t own slaves- that doesn’t mean they weren’t racist, and it doesn’t mean you get off scott free. If your great great grandparents owned slaves, you shouldn’t feel guilt because you could never have done anything to change that- yes, you should feel humble and sorry, and try to make “now” a less racist time.
But you are of english descent- you may not have had slaves but your ancestors, like ALL our ancestors- did horrible things to people. That’s something we all come from. You sound pretty ignorant to me, saying “I once met a black guy who was nice to me” doesn’t make you not a racist. It just makes you sound like if you had met five black people who had been nasty to you, you would have hated the whole race. My grandfather has a gay friend, but that doesn’t stop him from being homophobic. What was your point again?
Having grown up in rural Washington State, I was not familiar with much black culture. In elementary school there was 1 black boy in my class. We always sat together because we both liked to draw, we were the “artists” of the class.
In middle school, there was again, 1 family of 3 kids who were half black being raised by their white grandparents. There was never a feeling of being different than these people because they were raised in the same environment as I was, had the same traditions and probably knew very little of other black people themselves.
It was not until I enlisted in the Air Force that I was finally introduced to the melting pot that America is. The military is truly a cross-section of everybody, every background- yes I did even know some gay guys(they never “told” they were gay but they were like girlfriends to me and a few of my friends.)
It was a culture shock in many ways, basic training being one. During warrior week you are required to go through a chamber filled with mustard gas. It was also required that every female have their hair slicked back in a ponytail and tucked in the gas mask hood. If girls had braids they had to be taken out so the residue of the gas could be properly washed from the hair. I had heard of a weave but I thought it was like a wig, so when I saw a few girls helping one of our element leaders take out her micro braids, and I saw actual pieces of hair being removed from her head, I did a double take! They were like “what the hell are you looking at” and I meekly said “I’m sorry but I thought that was all your own hair” talk about some nasty looks. They must have thought I was so dumb.
What I’m getting at is that there is a distinctly different culture between northern and southern black people. In my experience, which I admit is limited, there was a sense of inclusiveness and the ability to know someone for who they are instead of by what makes them physically look different.
Southern black people are acutely aware of thier painfull history and the south is still filled with hatefull white bigotry that prevents much progress for inclusiveness. In basic training I was relegated in that instance to being an outsider, that I must have been some stupid white chick who wanted to gawk at strange hair preparations.
In reality, I felt shunned and misunderstood. I thought about how sad it was that there was too much of a barrier of distrust and assumptions that we weren’t able to start up a dialogue to help educate myself about her hair!! Later that night, one of my bunk mates who was black and herself had braids, explained everything to me in a kind way. The difference? She was raised to not jump to the assumption of racism, she was raised in a middle-class neighborhood in WA DC. The group of girls who hated me immediately for my double-take? They were from GA, TX, and SC. I do believe this is an AMERICAN problem. Other countries do a much better job of inclusiveness.
I truly believe there are cultures of assuming racism where none truly exists. And it’s everyone’s fault. I feel (hope and pray) that by the time my 2 year old daughter is my age, she will see less and less of those differences. She is half hispanic and so it’s normal for her to see people of different skin colors in her own home :) She tells me her daddy is brown :)
oops…he was not a geometric shape. He was an ‘Angel’.
Fred, here are the origins of Black History Month: http://inventors.about.com/od/blackinventors/a/BlackHistoryMonth.htm It had nothing to do with bleeding heart liberals.
re: the analogy of st patrick’s day: Corned beef and cabbage isn’t a traditional paddy’s day food. Corned beef isn’t really a big traditional Irish food, at least not where I grew up (I’m Irish- not in the way most americans are irish, but actually real Irish)
There is no traditional paddy’s day food. But even if you were to serve traditional Irish peasant food (say, bacon and cabbage) on paddy’s day I don’t see how it would be racist or stereotyping the Irish. Sure, we have more sophisticated food, but if there is a certain food that is associated with the Irish then I don’t see why you wouldn’t serve it on an Irish history day.
Irish peasant food may be associated with poor, illiterate Irish people of the past but it is part of our history and shouldn’t be avoided just because not all Irish people eat it today.
I don’t see how it’s any different with black people than Irish- we were always considered “the blacks of europe”- our cultures have certain parallels in that most of our modern history is rich with suffering, discrimation and racism. But I think when looking at and being angry about that discrimination and racism, we should look at real examples and not whine about something like this. I could complain that all over the world, people accuse the Irish of being alcoholics and picking fights, but I’d prefer to complain about the 600 years the English occupied my country and killed, beat and tortured my ancestors for simple things like speaking our language and not converting to the new religion. Rant over.
Ireland, where the soup of the day is Whiskey.
You’re a big racist
And you’re a big disappointment to your parents.
you people just dont get it, it is insensitive because fried chicken came from slavery! Europeans came to america, didnt feel like doing hard labor, went to africa, stole people, came back to america, and gave the people forced to live in america left overs of chicken parts and vegetables that they deemed trash. Due to the fact that fried chicken stems from slavery, it will always be a sensitive issue. can we please stop comparing black food to food of other nationalities, its NOT THE SAME, italians, mexicans, and irish people all came to the states because they wanted to. THIS IS NOT AN EQUAL PLAYING FIELD PEOPLE!!!! …..over it! p.s. i love how people ALWAYS get offended by superiority coming from black people! MAKES ME LAUGH!! such a colonist’s mentality!!!! over it!!!!!!!!
Slave owners did not hand out “chicken parts” to the slaves. The slaves were allowed to own chickens as a form of livestock, being that chickens were both inexpensive to acquire and feed. Expensive cuts of meat such as those coming from a cow, was unheard of for the slave families to use. A cow was simply too expensive to own or feed.
And the europeans did not “steal” people from Africa. War lords and royalty in Africa sold their own people into slavery. Is that any less horriffic than just plain snatching up people? No, but what should be pointed out is that these people who became slaves in America and who overcame the horrible history of slavery, eventually had the oppertunity to have their families grow and succeed and prosper in a way that many modern day Africans can only dream of. So America is still a land of oppertunity and many horrible wrongs in it’s infancy have been righted.
Just a quick reminder, slavery existed long, long, before America was ever “found”. All of the Ancient civilizations relied heavily upon a slave labor. Ancient slavery was made up from all known continents of the time. So, if you want to get down to it, I am descended from slave stock. my ancestors, the Gaels, Brits, Vikings, and Saxons were all well represented in Ancient slavery. All roads led to Rome because they were built by my peeps (and probably your peeps, too).
I can guarantee that chicken was fried in oil over a fire long before language was written. Long before the great Ancients recorded history for us, people were killing chickens and frying them up…there may be no historical record, but it most surely is common sense. We “modern humans” didn’t invent everything.
I have not, nor will I ever defend slavery. But, have any of you guys actually been to the “real” South? Have you actually spoken or broken bread with black Southerners? Just wondering. Because, you see, I have. This kind of blind hatred, you white crackers destroyed my life and insult me with eating food that my people and culture helped to found, just isn’t all that widespread. It is widespread with the overzealous PC crowd, though.
To me it simple. Modern black Americans that descended from African trade stock, raised in the South (remember the Mason Dixon line??), have a very important part of American history. Is it a sad history? Yes, there are many sad stories. But, there are also stories that make your heart leap with courage and justice. Do we discount all the contributions of African slaves because the institution is wrong? No, we do not. No one has the power to change history. All of us have the power to ensure history is not repeated. Now, can’t we all just get along?
but fried chicken is so good and tasty.
my mouth says it does not deserve the bad rap you are giving it, if it did black people would disown it altogether (b/c it is such a sensitive and painful reminder) and white people would be ashamed to be seen eating it.
if only fried chicken could bear the weight of the south’s past, but I think that is a tad overreaching. By and large in the South we are not sensitive about at all, it does not remind us of slavery but of really good home cookin!
Irish people came to America because they wanted to, because in the space of two years more than half the population starved to death, died from fever or had to leave because there was no food. The reason they were in that mess was because they were under britain’s thumb and 90% of the Irish people were working practically as slaves for the british. They lived on land that was taken from them and given to a few british landlords who forced them to pay high rents for their shacks and tiny plot of land that they could barely afford to pay selling all their crops. Many Irish people were sold as slaves to various colonies but it isn’t talked about because Ireland is so small that there was never a huge majority of Irish slaves anywhere to draw attention to it. The food that stands as Irish today is food that was developed using the low quality food that the british didn’t export out of Ireland but if my ancestors found new ways of cooking potatoes and carrots to make the most of them, then I think that should be remembered not considered racist because it was born of extreme poverty and practically slavery. In fact, if you look up the definition of slavery, Irish peasants before the famine WERE slaves.
This pc crowd end ìs up being the most racist of all. Pointing out that black people owned or traded slaves doesn’t have anything to do with this- black history month. It’s not about the colour of the slavers, but the fact that a big part of black history is the part where they WERE slaves. If part of that history is something so atrocious that it’s dangerous ground for most to talk about, then everyone who lived and worked hard during that period in history is being treated like their contribution to history is invalid and you have to pretend they never existed. If fried chicken is racist, then so is gospel music and any book written in the time of slavery. Why not just pretend slavery never happened at all and send all the black people to Africa where apparently they all want to be, eating real black people food. Oh and let’s not mention any black sportspeople during black history month, because we all know that it’s racist to say that many black people are good at sports. Should we include martin luther king? Oh no, wait, he was before black people had equal rights, so that’s racist. Hey I have a great idea, let’s just make black history month a big poster of obama and nothing else. He’s not a stereotype, right? Oh no, but wait. Not every black person is president, so again that’s racist. Sheesh I don’t know, this pc thing is hard.
hey over it…..do a bit more research. Historical documents do in fact show proof that wealthy Africans helped to organize the capture and slave trade of their own people with the americas….to make money. This was not one instance. This went on regularly. And this did not start out as slavery due to skin color. This was about slavery of the poor and uneducated who had no choice or ability to prevent what happened.
Didn’t read your post before I posted my tirade to Over It. He’s been told twice now- haha!
Also, I would think that the fried chicken would be a reminder of how resilient and inventive these ancesteral people were under terrible circumstances.
I hand over the task of celebrating Black History Month to you, begining with celebrating the food. Please enlighten us with the appropriate menu that captures the essence of the Africans that lived and build a culture in America inspite of the hardships.
hey losers, always the same excuse, ” europeans didnt steal africans, they were handed over by other african warlords” Hello, because they were taught slavery by other europeans who came before the rhum route( american slave trade) was set in place. lol, that one makes me laugh too! and to top it off, wow, enslaved africans have a better opportunity then other africans will ever see!!? wow!!! that is really rich Jess. so sensitive….
Todays generation of black people in America = college, careers, OPPERTUNITY
Todays generation of Africans = famine, genocide, poverty
Where would you rather be? I never claimed to be sensitive- that’s not one of my finer points. I can, however, see the positives that came out of something horrible.
Slavery of whites by other whites happened in ancient Rome, heck every “civilization” had slavery. It’s what you did with prisoners of war. It wasn’t about skin color.
My great great grandfather Oliver fought in the civil war against slavery. I have no slave owners as ancestors, what I have is coal miners, loggers, laborers, seamstresses, masons and generally hard workers who came to this country for the oppertunities to work and live and be free. My point is that America isn’t perfect in it’s history but it’s ideals are worth fighting for and being thankful that this is our home, no matter how you ended up here.
wow!
this here argument is proof that there can be no real equality in a land where the entire history of an ethnicity group is lost! something tells me that the knowledge of where you come cannot be equated to a career in which most people are exploited for money, college, where we are taught to pursue and spread untruths, and opportunity, well thats for each person to decide on his or her own……
lets face it, Africa ( a name created by the romans) is a place desired by all, the existence of race used to separate, was created only to distract native people away from the bigger picture of the age old tradition of stealing what does not belong to us
Hu? I’ve read this 5 time and I still don’t get your point. You want to live in Africa? Knock yourself out buddy, I don’t a see a long line at the airport for that flight…
Over it….you are so not. Some of us are just sharing our beliefs with you or offer a different point of view. I personally have not called you any names. Yet, you can’t get through one post without calling people names and grouping people youd don’t even know under disparaging remarks. Hmmm. Boarderline prejudiced behavior. Ever heard of the saying that to change the world, you need to start with the change within.
Also, I am still waiting on your revised African American menu in celebration of Black History Month. If you aren’t part of the solution, then you are part of the problem.
lol, i am over it, i just find some of this comical, but i respect your approach K. sorry for the name calling, just goes with the humor, soo….
lets see
Candied Yams
Vegetarian Mac n Cheese
Boiled Manioc, yucca
Grilled or BBQ chicken
Potato Salad
Topped off with Sweet Potato Pie and Pumpkin Pie for dessert
Exactly. You’re so right. This pc crowd end ìs up being the most racist of all. Pointing out that black people owned or traded slaves doesn’t have anything to do with this- black history month. It’s not about the colour of the slavers, but the fact that a big part of black history is the part where they WERE slaves. If part of that history is something so atrocious that it’s dangerous ground for most to talk about, then everyone who lived and worked hard during that period in history is being treated like their contribution to history is invalid and you have to pretend they never existed. If fried chicken is racist, then so is gospel music and any book written in the time of slavery. Why not just pretend slavery never happened at all and send all the black people to Africa where apparently they all want to be, eating real black people food. Oh and let’s not mention any black sportspeople during black history month, because we all know that it’s racist to say that black people are good at sports. And can we include martin luther king in black history month? I don’t know, he was around when black people didn’t have equal rights so it’s probably insensitive to include him. Hey I have a great idea, let’s just make black history month a big poster of obama and nothing else. Oh no, but wait. Not every black person is president, so again that’s racist.
Over it ….I appreciate the peace offering. I know this topic makes everyone get upset. But I think because so many people really do care. Or else there wouldn’t be so many posts. People come from so many different places in how they feel. With so little space to speak, I think a lot of things get lost in translation and emotions/tone are easily misunderstood. I have always preferred to see the good in people. Sometimes people say things kneejerk.
My cousin is African American. He was adopted, but I grew up with him and color never entered my mind. I may not be in to debating about this topic because its so intense. But in my life I honor the basic idea that all people deserve equallity. I never tollerate it in my presence when it is disrespected. I once dated this guy…one day we were driving and he got cut off by someone. I hardly noticed. But my boyfriend yelled it was nothing but a damn “n___r”. He went on a racist tirade all the way home. When we got home I told him it was impossible for me to be with someone who was so deeply prejudiced. I got out and never looked back.
Thank you for the menu. I love your mac and cheese version and potato salad is one of my faves. Take care my friend.
Wow… Just… wow!
I didn’t wanna get into this, but I’m just shocked at the amount of discussion a lunch menu inspired…
thanks K!
why wow?
I totally agree Miss. But it wasn’t so much about the lunch menu as it was about the people who were claiming it was a racist/prejudiced/slam/put down…etc. to the African American community (even though it was an African American cook that came up with the menu). So the conversation just wandered. You know..it just happens. There are a lot of well educated people reading this blog (streets, books, otherwise…doesn’t matter the intelligence). But I am at peace now (no sarcasm…really) now that Over it gave me a menu plan. That’s all someone had to do to begin with…offer up alternatives for next year. By the way…your character looks like Megan Foxx.
What an interesting thread, with some well-expressed points being made.
One thing I’d like to point out – the idea that racism is exclusively to do with skin colour and not nationality is a very American-centric viewpoint. (And thus racist.) Is calling a French person a frog-eater somehow different from calling a black American a chicken-eater?
I don’t think it’s different- the point of those comments is to offend. But the idea of racism is 100% about someone’s color. If by using “race” to divide ethnic groups into Asian, black, caucasion, native american, pacific islander, etc and then having any cross section of those people living in the same country or community, without common tradition, religion or culture to tie them together. I think that is when the things that make a specific group different, be it physically or culturally, can cause problems. What is different can be alien and scary to people without a larger scope of the world.
Here’s a good example- in Mexico and othr parts of south america, you will see people of all different colors and backgrounds. But the majority are catholic, have similar values and identify with with country they are from, not where their ancestors were from.
I think the objective to try and get people to accept the differences between races has backfired in that it highlights those differences instead of focusing on common ground and inclusivness. Instead of being the melting pot of america, we are more of a tossed salad. Maybe some day we’ll get it right. I sure hope so.
Agree with you there, Jess. But in Europe, ‘race’ has more often been used to refer to nationality than ethnicity. As in, “the British race”. I’m not saying it’s incorrect to refer to ethnicity as ‘race’; I’m saying it’s incorrect to suggest that that’s the only way to apply the term.
Race isn’t 100% about colour- for example with jewish people it is a mix of race and culture. In discriminating against jews it’s not just a genetic thing or a religious thing, it’s a mixture. And the same with all racism.
In many countries there is nationality- based racism. In Italy, they hate Albanians. Albanians aren’t a race, they are from the same race as several other eastern european countries. But Italians are racist towards them. Don’t say it’s not the same thing- it’s just as ignorant to hate someone based on where they were born as it is to hate someone based on what colour their skin is. And even when it is purely to do with genes, it’s not just the colour of your skin. It’s your appearance in general. Shape of eyes, face, etc.
Good luck with that!,Kadar
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