Posted on 02/19/2012 7:45:45 AM PST by DogByte6RER
Commentary: You’re Going to Celebrate BHM With Fried Chicken, Really?
Is Black History Month turning into a stereotypical holiday?
I love Black History Month because it serves as a time to acknowledge the contributions of little-known Black inventors, learn the struggles of Black ancestors and celebrate the victories of how far Black people have come as a whole.
Companies, schools, churches and organizations across the country organize events to pay tribute, but is there an appropriate way to honor Black History Month?
After recent reports in the news, I’m thinking the answer to that question may be "yes." In a recent Gawker article, a tipster told the blog that the Ft. Bragg Army base was celebrating Black History Month with a “Black History Heritage Meal.” This wouldn’t sound bad if it was a presentation about slave cooks, how they had to make ends meet and a sampling of the types of food they had to eat were given, or recipes from famous African-American chefs.
Instead, it was a celebration of stereotypical foods with a menu consisting of fried chicken, pig feet, ham hocks, collard greens and any other food you’d expect to see being eaten at a minstrel show.
Now while this report may or may not be true, it isn’t the only report of “ignorant” ways Black History Month is being celebrated. The New York Times Café has marked the month with a spread including watermelon slices and cornbread, and a previous newspaper ad for the Family Dollar stores suggested to “celebrate Black History Month” by relaxing your hair, as it pictured photos of Luster’s Pink Relaxer, Dark & Lovely, Motions and Ultra Sheen relaxer kits on sale.
Stories like these make me wonder if we’ve forgotten why Black History Month, or any other cultural history day or month, was created. Featuring watermelons as a means to celebrate BHM is like praising Chipotle during Hispanic Heritage Month or giving out free tampons during Women’s History Month. You just don’t do it.
While chicken and relaxers may be products African-Americans have bought, they don’t define Black people as a whole and the contributions they have made to society.
I think it’s time to be a bit more creative.
Baked Ham Fried
Chicken Chicken and Dumplings
Southern Fried Catfish
Smothered Pork Chops
Pigs Feet
Ham Hocks
Black eyed peas and rice
Fried Rice
Cabbage Collard Greens
Season Corn
Some kind of salad, I can't see what it says
Cole Slaw
Peach Cobbler
Banana Pudding
Pecan Pie
Sugar Cookies
"short order" and much more
They read racism into everything. It's their aces in the hole for everything. I want them to stop associating SOUTHERN food with blacks. These things are not only their food. This is typical Southern food. Fried chicken and many of the other things on the menu are also very common in many parts of the country. I don't see grits on that menu and you just cannot eat fried catfish without grits so I guess those would fall under the short order part of the menu.
There isn't a thing on that menu that I haven't had since the day I was born except for pigs feet but I know people who do eat them. I tasted them one time and they're disgusting. I prefer turnip greens to collard and we eat black eyed peas and turnip greens on New Years day every year.
Where's the watermelon? There is no single food pictured more in old negro ads, figurines, etc. than the watermelon. I'm not black but when watermelons are in season, there isn't a day for the entire summer when I don't have watermelon in my house. The nutjob PC police probably think I buy watermelon and eat it on a daily basis just to make fun of blacks.
This "politically correct" bs is out of control. It's their way of controlling people, making them afraid to open their mouths, fearing they will say the wrong thing. I refuse to play into it. I say what I want, when I want and if people don't like it, tough. I'm not going to walk on egg shells for fear I say the wrong thing. If someone says black like fried chicken and watermelon, so what? They do. So do I am so do all of my Southern friends and family and so do many other people in many other parts of the country.
PS Fried rice is not a Southern food. I've never had fried rice except at a Chinese restaurant.
Fried Chicken, Collard Greens, Wahtahmelon, an’ Beer!
I can never understand why the term African Americans refer to blacks.
Whites come from Africa, north Africans are not black.
When I hear that term I just look at them and think what ignorant idiots we have in this country.
Blacks probably over 90% of them have no clue what country their ancestors came from hundreds of years ago.
Hell most cannot even name 5 countries in Africa
Instead, it was a celebration of stereotypical foods with a menu consisting of fried chicken, pig feet, ham hocks, collard greens and any other food you’d expect to see being eaten at a minstrel show.
_______________________
Damn, should I put a sign on my house that says minstrel show since I eat everything on that menu except for pigs feet and ham hocks(only cook those with other things, like beans).
HUNGRY! I’m from Georgia and that whole menu sounds like a feast!
“What other ones are there and why were they created”?
Kwanzaa is a made up fabricated holiday meant to quell the Watts riots in the 60’s. More African-Americans spent this season reflecting on the birth of Christ than some phony non-Christian holiday invented a few decades ago by an FBI stooge. Kwanzaa is a holiday for white liberals, not blacks.
went to the Oulestee battle re-enactment yesterday and after the battle went to see a pal of mine in the confederate cavalry.
He was cooking a lot of what you said along with his troops and the weird thing was that they were white, mmmmm .
Black history month, my daughter has to write about a black guy from history in school.
She is now doing a paper about Anthony Johnson, a black slave owner in VA.
The new teacher wanted a paper so she will get a paper and the term African American will not be mentioned either as she knows whites come from Africa and she is pointing that out in her paper to her class.
Typical racism. Give the black man the shortest month of the year. Were all the 31 month days already taken? :-)
WHAT?!!! No arugula?
Come on now Joe you know its racist to even think about Southern food....You have committed yet another thought crime.....
Years ago I became really tired of people trying to shove their race in everyone face.
Years later it just became a pathetic bad joke perpetrated by those who live and breath the color of their skin...
It’s just disgusting and I try to isolate myself from these types the best I can.
And blacks are going to celebrate white history month by eating a hamburger? I’m really offended. :-)
was there purple kool-aid??
That’s ridiculous! Political correctness is making us a nation of cowards and just another way to control people’s minds. I have eaten fried chicken and watermelon in the summer all of my SOUTHERN life and I am not black. Those aren’t their foods and they don’t have exclusive rights to them nor should they be offended. It’s ridiculous this discussion even exists.
"Want some Koolaid?"
"Sure, what flavor is it?"
"Red."
My ancestors created that food, not blacks. They stole our Southern heritage foods and then they call it racist to mention them and certain foods. I say they can KMA.
LOL! I love it!!! I wonder if she will give her an A or an F.
LOL, we’ll see.
I don;t know this new teacher but one of the black girls in the class said the teacher is racist because she says black instead of African American.
Yea amazing how young some can learn to play a race card
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