Black History Month menu at university features fried chicken, collard greens

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

Black History Month menu at university features fried chicken, collard greens

Alan Yuhas in New York
Friday 20 February 2015 21.45 GMT

The president of Wright State University has apologized to students over a Black History Month menu that offered fried chicken, collard greens and cornbread under the image of Martin Luther King Jr.

President David Hopkins also vowed to investigate why the menu was created and not stopped by the school’s dining services vendor, Chartwells Higher Education Dining Service, which also apologized for offending people.

Students were quick to post photos of the menu online, provoking anger that the vendor and school had juxtaposed Black History Month with foods associated with offensive racial stereotypes.

“I apologize to anyone hurt by the display,” Hopkins wrote in an email to students. “To our credit, the menu was quickly removed. But the larger question remains: why was it done?”

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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/20/wright-state-university-black-history-month-menu-fried-chicken

[Xipe Totec]

1. It's unfortunate that such delicious food has become a racial stereotype

I understand the mistake made by the school and I'm glad they corrected it.

But it's still great food.

[Cleita]

2. My Arkansas grandma used to make such a meal for Sunday dinner and

she was white of Scot and Irish ehtnicity. I never thought of it as anything other than Southern.

[840high]

7. Yes.

[RandySF]

3. I was about to say the same.

This needs to be somehow turned into a positive. It's good food, made even better with the addition of mac n' cheese and iced tea.

[marym625]

4. no. mashed potatoes with lumps

A staple in American-Irish meals. Love love love it

[GP6971]

5. Let's not forget

a small shot of Makers Mark......my grandfather's favorite compliment to a meal regardless of it's origin.

[yeoman6987]

8. We always had good food at our African American History Luncheon

It was the food discussed. We did it for 24 years and nobody complained and actually everyone was excited about it yearly. It was organized by the African American History Club. The last one I attended was in 2011 so maybe in 3 years things have changed.

[sheshe2]

6. Here we go again, same time same place, Black History Month.

I seem to remember a post about fried chicken last year, it was kind of a joke back then. A poster had a big ha ha about it. They were wrong as is Wright State University. It is not funny at all, it is disrespectful to PoC.

Thanks for your post Eugene, that was ugly of them.

[yeoman6987]

9. First of all there was no need for a menu and it should be free

Ours always was for 24 years that I went. We fed hundreds at our University.

[JustAnotherGen]

10. No gelfite?

Wait - that post is coming soon.


Oh and we don't eat fried chicken in my house.

Posted in AA Group to keep the alert for not "stepping and fetching" at bay.

[Behind the Aegis]

11. Good post!

I am sorry I missed that whole thing until it was about over.

This type of shit happens EVERY SINGLE YEAR and is yet one more example of white "ignorance." It happened at all three universities where I worked. Funny, similar story...after scheduling Homecoming on Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year), he university decided to "make nice" with the Jewish students and parents by planning...wait for it...a PIG PICKING on...wait for it....YOM KIPPUR! For those not in the know, pigs aren't kosher and Jews fast on Yom Kippur, which, other than the Sabbath is the holiest day in the Jewish year!! The committee had no Jews on it, and it wasn't until it was being planned by our department, that I put the kibosh on it because, well, I was the only Jew on a staff of over 400! I wonder how they would have made up for that fuck up!?!

[JustAnotherGen]

12. I may be up way to early

But there is allllllll kinds of fail written allll over that university!

[1StrongBlackMan]

13. That's crazy ...

One has to wonder if it really is "ignorance".

The committee had no Jews on it, and it wasn't until it was being planned by our department, that I put the kibosh on it because, well, I was the only Jew on a staff of over 400!

At my University, a newly created STEM-related department came up with the name "SISTA" ... they happen to announce the name in a meeting that included me and 2 African-American Females. When we began laughing, they were puzzled. One of the Affrican-American Females (an HR Director) said, "I'm guessing you have no African-Americans in your decision tree or on your staff. Right?"

One would think they would have revisited their choice, huh? Nope!

[Blue_Tires]

14. Yup, as predictable as the sunrise:

2010:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7474202
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7642193

2014:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024458339
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024468868