The Fried Chicken

From blackwiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Stereotypes of black races have been around for quite a long time. They involve several aspects, including food. Fried chicken is one of several foods surrounds by black racial stereotypes. Why is that so? What caused this stereotype to be formed? Among watermelon and chitterlings, fried chicken has been associated with black people since the American Civil War. [1]  Many reasons have caused this situation. During the Civil War era, chicken dishes were pretty popular among slaves, because chickens were the lone animal creatures that slaves were allowed to raise all alone. [2] The fried chicken was the kind of food that the African-American communities enjoyed on special occasions back in the day. They would cook it not only for their master but for their employers too.[3]

In an interview, Clair Schmidt, a professor of The University of Missouri, studies race and folklore and said that chicken has long been part of the Southern diet, but they were especially useful for slaves. They are cheap, easy to feed, and a good source of meat. But it is also a good tool for racism because the way people eat it, it is a food people eat with their own hands, and accordingly it's grimy. [4]

Scandals

Throughout the century, there have been scandals involving black people and fried chicken. According to Professor Schmidt, D.W. Griffith's groundbreaking, the supreme racist silent film called "The Bird of A Nation" in 1915, about the heroic creation of the Ku Klux Klan, caused a huge sensation when it debuted. In a three-hour scene, a group of actors portrayed the incompetent black people’s elected officials in a rude and shoddy legislative hall. (The message to the audience is: This is the danger of letting black people vote.) Some lawmakers are shown drinking. The other people's feet were kicked onto the table. One of them ate fried chicken very exaggeratedly. In Addition, Schmidt has explained that this image strengthens the white people's view of black people and fried chicken. [4]

Obama Fried Chicken in Brooklyn, New York.

Another scandal involved the former President of the US back In 2009, Barack Obama. A Bangladeshi immigrant who claimed to be ignorant of the racist clichés of African-Americans eating fried chicken chose to rename his poultry eatery to honor the president of the country. [2] Mr. Jabbar, the restaurant's spokesman, explained that the decision to rename the restaurant not only did the boss like President Obama but the entire neighborhood also “loved” him. From the restaurant's point of view, the name change was definitely a result of pride in the new president and a keen business sense. From other perspectives, this is deaf at best, while racism is the worst. [5]

From the sporting field, an African-American pro-golfer Tiger Woods has received a racist comment from his rival, Sergio Garcia back in 2013. On such occasion, Garcia was answered that he would serve fried chicken when he was asked if he would have Woods around for dinner. Woods responded immediately, for him the comment wasn't even silly, but it was wrong, hurtful, and inappropriate Woods responded imm As a result of his comment, Garcia was facing disciplinary action. [6]

References

  1. History of Fried Chicken through the Ages Archieved November 12, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.Southernfriedchickenrecipe.com. Retrieved on March 27, 2021.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Bering, Jesse (November 1, 2011). "Culinary Racism". Archived from the original on November 2, 2011 Slate.com. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  3. Thompson, Melissa. "I've always loved fried chicken. But the racism surrounding it shamed me" October 20, 2020. theguardian.com. Retrieved on March 27, 2021.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Demby, Gene. "Where Did That Fried Chicken Stereotype Come From?" May 22, 2013. npr.org. Retrieved on March 27, 2021.
  5. Fahim, Kareem. "Brooklyn Restaurant’s Name Hits a Sour Note" April 3, 2009. nytimes.com. Retrieved on March 27, 2021.
  6. Tiger Woods: Fried chicken jibe by Sergio Garcia 'hurtful' May 22, 2013. bbc.com. Retrieved on March 27, 2021.