School Sorry For 'Insensitive' MLK Jr. Lunch

[The Straight Story]

School Sorry For 'Insensitive' MLK Jr. Lunch
Denver Public Schools Lunch Would Have Included Chicken, Collard Greens

DENVER -- Denver Public School officials are apologizing after a parent complained that a school lunch meant to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was stereotypical and offensive, reported KMGH-TV.

The lunch, planned for Friday, was to include southern-style chicken, collard greens and a biscuit in honor of King.

Denver Public Schools spokesman Michael Vaughn released a statement that said: "The plan to serve a Southern-style meal in recognition of Martin Luther King Day was well intentioned but highly insensitive in light of certain hurtful cultural stereotypes still harbored in parts of our society."

Organizers of Denver's annual Martin Luther King Jr. Marade, a combination march and parade that honors King every January, did not consider the menu inappropriate, considering that King came from a southern background, but said there are other, more meaningful ways of honoring him.

http://www.clickorlando.com/education/22245407/detail.html

[virgogal]

1. Sounds like a damned good lunch to me.

[CatWoman]

9. to me as well

:shrug:

[blondeatlast]

11. Join me for the leftovers. Mmm, mmm, mmm. nt

[MrCoffee]

25. You know the school cafeteria would just ruin perfectly good greens.

Pity, really.

[blondeatlast]

32. ...

:spray:

[Confusious]

103. What do greens taste like?

My Grandma lived in OK, greens weren't big there like okra, cornbread and beans.

[Bucky]

70. Of course! And the South is where King was a success (the north rejected him)

So obviously it makes more sense to make it Southern food instead of, say, Chicago cuisine, given the reception Chicago gave MLK when he brought the Civil Rights Movement there. But this is public relations and in PR you have to consider every interpretation, not just the meaning you intended in a given PR stunt. The PR disaster was in tying a hearty meal to MLK day when the meal in question was fried chicken.

It could've been worse, however. The takeaway could have been: to honor Martin Luther King's memory, for just this once we're going to give our school kids a decent meal. Next week, it's back to the same old gruel.

[FourScore]

101. Yep! n/t

[peace frog]

2. What, no chitlins and watermelon?

That's one piss-poor race-stereotypical MLK lunch, Denver. Get more creative with your insensitivity next time, why doncha.

[KittyWampus]

15. tell that to President Obama and Al Sharpton.

[blondeatlast]

17. And sweet ice tea. I'm so hungry right now... nt

[mikelgb]

3. No Whirled Peas?

idiots

[slackmaster]

31. No whipped potatoes or battered shrimp either

The horrors.

[crim son]

4. Sounds like the kids are going to miss a good lunch.

I know I'm missing something here, but what's the harm in a Southern-style meal?

[The Straight Story]

6. In some ways, I am not sure really about all the fuss over this

It is a southern style meal, some may call it racist - others just traditional style.

I suppose it depends on the person and their view in this case.

[Jackpine Radical]

7. Enough deep-fried chicken will kill ya.

Other than that, I see no problem.

[old mark]

10. ...I'll just have to stop when I feel sick.

I love good Southern food, learned about it when I was stationed in the South in the army, now learning to cook it myself.

We had ham, blackeyed peas, greens and cornbread for christmas dinner, up here in PA!!!

mark

[hootinholler]

19. Southern style is not deep fried

It is fried in an iron skillet, the fat shouldn't be higher than a tad over halfway up the chicken pieces. And yes, if you want authenticity, use lard.

Delicious by any standard.

-Hoot

[MrCoffee]

56. You insensitive jerk

I'm hungry over here!!!

[dionysus]

34. did they need to throw in a slice of watermelon for you to see?

:eyes:

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

54. Is there something wrong with watermelon?

Seriously, if you're going to allow a bunch of stupid racists to make you fear serving watermelon to children because it will make them hate black people then we as a country are well and truly fucked.

[dionysus]

60. no, but you always see them pulling this shit "by mistake". it makes news every time

the supermarket that served fried chicken and watermelon to commemerate black history month, this stuff happens every year and makes news.

it's when people do this during occasions highlighting black history that people get offended.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

Of course they have to apologize and say it's a well-intentioned mistake.

If they come out and say, "You're being totally ridiculous and there's nothing wrong with this. Why are you letting a bunch of racists make you scared of food?" then people might get even more upset.

[crim son]

71. IMHO the watermelon would have made it insulting.

Otherwise, it's just food typical of the region, not of the skin color. I'm not saying it was an excellent idea but I think the fact that one person complained did not necessitate an apology.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

90. What's wrong with having food typical of his ethnicity? n/t

[crim son]

94. Nothing. We're in agreement.

I am responding to the poster who criticized me for holding your sentiment and it struck me that it's possible watermelon does have racist connotations, unlike the rest of the meal (& yes, I know watermelong wasn't part of the plan). I don't think anybody was owed an apology.

[Lance_Boyle]

5. I had no idea collards and biscuits were offensive.

I presume that by "southern style" chicken, they mean fried. So yeah, that one sort of fits into a stereotype. But the rest of this seems like much ado about nothing, from people who have too much time on their hands and too much whine on the brain.

[blondeatlast]

35. No, fried chicken isn't a stereotype. It's a staple of "Po folk" food and it knows no color. Bless

your heart.

[aikoaiko]

8. Is it so wrong?

I mean there really is a "soul food cuisine" that was and is popular among southerners where civil rights fights were front and center.

[virgogal]

14. Sweet potato pie? Yum !!!!

[KittyWampus]

12. Sounds like a traditional ethnic, regional meal.

[blondeatlast]

13. Bless their hearts.

Fellow Southerners and descendants will know exactly what I mean by that.

[WolverineDG]

66. Yes we do

:evilgrin:

dg

[Fire1]

16. Apology my ass! That was totally deliberate. Shove it! n/t

[Spazito]

18. Amazing....

I could see that menu had the school been honoring "Southern Days" or something like that but to choose that menu when honoring MLK is, indeed, insensitive, imo, "in light of certain cultural stereotypes still harbored" to quote the spokesperson of the Denver Public Schools.

[blondeatlast]

36. Not at all. You are completely, utterly mistaken. see Robb's post upthread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7474202&mesg_id=7474588

[Spazito]

53. I did read but still feel the same....

it may have been Dr. King's favorite food but, sadly, those food items have been more famously used in "culturally insensitive stereotypes".

We certainly saw some of the stereotyping during the campaign and election of President Obama and that might be why there is a greater awareness of how those food items have been used by racists to stereotype African-Americans hence the reason for a concern/concerns being raised now.

I don't believe the school was deliberately insensitive and applaud their recognition of the issue.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

91. Why do you think those foods were used in culturally insensitive stereotypes?

[Spazito]

92. I would suggest you ask those racists who used them in their cartoons, etc, that question....

I would be very interested in their answers.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

102. See my response here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7474202&mesg_id=7475287

[DebbieCDC]

20. No peach cobbler or REAL macaroni and cheese?

I lived in the south (DC) for 20 years. For good or ill, that's southern cooking. Sounds like maybe PC went a little bit overboard on this

[blondeatlast]

42. Peach cobbler. Oh, lord, I miss my mom! nt

[Tommy_Carcetti]

21. Much like Harry Reid, it doesn't sound like an intentional act of racism but rather...

....a boneheaded attempt of a tribute gone wrong.

[Robb]

22. I thought this was an interesting point

...from another article about it:

...The Houston School District has offered fried chicken and collard greens on Martin Luther King's birthday for years. Last year, in response to questons, they issued the following statement:
"The Food Service Department often runs a promotion in celebration of his birthday. The promotion includes posters and public-address announcements promoting the special meal served in the cafeterias, as well as his message of remembering to celebrate with the spirit of giving back to the community ...... ' a day on, not a day off.' A menu committee researches all promotions and has utilized the MLK Center of Atlanta as a resource for information about this famous leader. Elaine Hall, from the Archives Department at the King Center in Atlanta, has informed the committee that Dr. King's favorite meal includes fried chicken, collard greens, cornbread, and sweet potato pie."

Learn something new every day.

[KittyWampus]

23. this could be a "teachable moment". But it probably won't.

[Robb]

24. Yeah, probably not. nt

[Dr. Strange]

73. Oh my God. Dr. King was a racist!

:wow:

[Texasgal]

26. How stupid

White people eat that type of food too. It's a SOUTHERN STAPLE. :eyes:

[WolverineDG]

68. Yeah, didn't realize I was being racist

for digging into fried chicken & collard greens. :eyes:

dg

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

27. If I was a kid in that district I'd be pissed.

What's the alternative? Mystery meat sandwich?

[howard112211]

28. Umm... what?

I guess I could spend the afternoon on google trying to figure this one out ......

[rucky]

29. That does it!

I'm going into Dayton for some soul food tonight @ Rut's Eatery!

[slackmaster]

30. IMO anyone who calls that meal selection insensitive is too sensitive

It's a tasty, nutritious, regionally appropriate meal.

[dionysus]

33. as a white man i love southern style chicken and biscuits. however, this crap gets pulled so often,

and they always claim it's a "mistake". come on...

[Quantess]

37. Are any black people actually offended?

I'm white, and I honestly don't know. To me just it sounds like good food.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

40. According to the article, *one parent* complained.

And I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that it was some white yuppie jackass.

[blondeatlast]

48. Yup. there's a whole lotta ignnorant on this thread in that regards,

as my Southern bellish mama would say.

[Fire1]

55. Ignorance? How? n/t

[OI812]

74. There are always some willing to be offended on behalf of those who aren't smart enough

to be offended by themselves. (or so they appear to believe)...
I've even seen it right here...
:shrug:

[Robb]

78. I don't know you

...but that there is some sage stuff. :hi:

[OI812]

83. I'm 68 and been around the block a few times...

:D
:hi:

[FLAprogressive]

38. Overreaction and political correctness at its "finest".

[Political Heretic]

57. "Political Correctness" is nothing more than a bullshit righwing talking point.

Consider looking at the issue this way:

1. People WERE offended. Stop trying to use your judgment to decide whether you think they had a right to be offended. Given our national history, even well intentioned, harmless on the surface acts can stir up some negative feeling. I know that serving fried chicken to honor a black leader stirred up some bad feelings in me at first.

2. It could be used as a teachable moment. The creators of the menu did researched and discovered that according to information in a historical archive, this was King's favorite meal. Great. Did they tell anyone this or keep that information to themselves? Despite it being his favorite meal, you're an idiot if you can see how saying you intend to "honor" a black leader by serving fried chicken is just a little bit potentially disturbing.

However, if they had explained the history and the research that had went into preparing the meal, then people could learn, and possibly even question how they think and feel about certain stereotypes. Furthermore, people who immediate felt the meal was horribly offensive would also see it from this different perspective of history, and everyone could reflect a little bit about our tensions over races, our stereo-types and sometimes even our over sensitivity to stereotypes.

The only think I really oppose is the stupid, knee-jerk archie bunker style "DANM THAT POLITICAL KORETNESS!!" meme straight from the heart of right wing bigots and reprobates.

[FLAprogressive]

59. One person was offended.

the term PC has been overused by the right....in this case it is appropriate.

[Political Heretic]

62. Obviously more than one person is offended, and what difference does it make.

You comfortably ignored all the meat of my post.

I'd be interested to ask the person in your icon his thoughts about the term PC, even in this case.

The answer would sound a lot different from you.

[FLAprogressive]

67. According to the article, "a parent" complained. One person.

And right-wingers do "PC" things too....remember "Freedom fries"?

And I do believe I have emphasized that the meal was Dr. King's favorite food, it's too bad the parent didn't research that and instead decided to have a kneejerk reaction to regional cuisine....

[Political Heretic]

80. Umm... "freedom fries" had nothing to do with "PC."

I have also emphasized the point that the meal was Dr. Kings favorite food. If you would READ my post to you, you would see that.

What I am trying to say here is that reality is somewhere in the middle between "Damn that PC!" which is completely unhelpful and "this is the ultimate outrage!" which is also unhelpful.

What could and should happen here is a bit of a teachable moment where we can think about the complexity of our racial history, and the ways in which even stereotypes over food have been historically used in caricatures to portray blacks as ignorant backwater "bumpkins"

That's the reality of our history, its why there's sensitivity - probably even "oversensitivity" to all.

[Confusious]

104. They shouldn't have just said "In Honor of Dr. King"

Something more like "In honor of Dr.King, we will be serving his favorite foods, which we have been informed bu a scholar at the MLK center was, fried chicken, collard greens, etc, etc ,etc"

[Gormy Cuss]

89. One person complained. That's not the same as one person was offended

and the term PC is only used by those who have no other way to defend insensitive speech or behavior.

[OI812]

79. You're right...they should have done due diligence and served Lutefisk and

boiled onions to avoid any perception of racism.


:eyes: :eyes:
:grr:

[Political Heretic]

81. Oh for fucks sake.

Common people.

[OI812]

84. Common people are the bestest people.

:D

[Political Heretic]

85. See? There are always places where people can agree!

:)

[jmowreader]

98. I think they want the kids to eat the meal...

[DevonRex]

39. If they had gone with BBQ with cole slaw and baked beans it would

have been okay. But the fried chicken thing has been done to death by racists, as we saw during the Presidential campaign.

[FLAprogressive]

41. I see nothing wrong with serving Dr. King's favorite meal in honor of the man....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7474202&mesg_id=7474588

[blondeatlast]

45. Giving an entire generation an appreciation for tremendous good eating seems like

a damn fine way to honor him, if you ask me.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

46. Thinking like that lets the racists own the concept. n/t

[jmowreader]

43. What are they going to do, serve Salisbury steak instead?

But seriously, guys...MLK was a southerner, fried chicken and collards was his favorite meal...what the hell's the problem?

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

49. Because there are certain people in this country...

...who want everyone to be terrified of their own ethnic and cultural heritage. They want everybody to be exactly the same, and any differences are to be feared. Sadly, a lot of these people are on the left of the political spectrum.

[OI812]

86. The laws of physics apply here too: Forcing absolute equality in every conceivable way

is like throwing ice into hot water...you end up with a big batch of tepid water with little potential to do anything useful. Maximum entropy, so to speak.

[Political Heretic]

44. Unbelievable.

[blondeatlast]

51. In what regard? nt

[Political Heretic]

58. In all regards.

[burning rain]

47. Man, that certainly is hurtful, to impute the eating of chicken & collard greens to someone.

If anyone is ever so cruel and hateful as to suggest that my people, the Slovaks, eat a lot of cabbage and potatoes, I'll just have to kill myself.

[blondeatlast]

50. Damnit, I'm getting hungry. Wouldj'all jus' stop it?

No need to get the vapors, DU, I'm from deep suthun stock.

Cabbage and potatoes? Yum.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

52. But see, that's a stereotype!

And stereotypes are eeeevil!

[Political Heretic]

61. Setting this issue aside, are you saying that the characterization of blacks with fried chicken,

watermelon, and big idiot shit-eating grins on their faces, made to look ignorant and stupid...

These were the actual characterizations drawn and published of "black people" historically...

you saying those characterizations are harmless?

[MrCoffee]

64. Where is that characterization anywhere near this story?

The schools were going to serve the man's favorite meal in his honor. Some ignorant twit got offended by his favorite food and complained.

The school officials are cowards, not racists.

[KittyWampus]

65. there was no watermelon at the meal. And as someone who ate at the homes of black friends

back in the day growing up in Freeport- chicken, biscuits and sweet potato pie were all well regarded.

Sociologically speaking, it is a typical southern meal enjoyed by blacks and whites alike.

[Political Heretic]

76. I understand that, and it wasn't my intention to compare to the story, only to the post

And by the way, sociologically speaking, "blacks" and "fried chicken" has a long and checkered history that's somewhat hard to ignore.

Again, you can see my post a few posts above for my specific thoughts on this school thing. They're pretty nuanced. I'm not suggesting raging hysteria over the issue, but I am suggesting a teachable moment opportunity for both those who see nothing but "stupid PC" and those who see nothing but "outrageous offense."

I think reality is probably somewhere in the middle.

[blondeatlast]

77. Yes, and the schol promoted MLK just like that, right there in the cafeteria.

Spare me from the perpetually politically poutraged.

[Political Heretic]

82. See what part of SETTING THAT ISSUE ASIDE are people having trouble reading?

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

88. Fried chicken and watermelon do not make one look stupid.

What if I were to create a cartoon of an Italian family eating pasta and cured meats with big shit-eating grins on their faces, made to look ignorant and stupid? Is the problem the food? No, the problem is that they're made to look ignorant and stupid. And what is the purpose of this cartoon? What purpose does it serve to include the food?

The purpose of these characterizations is to stigmatize elements of the culture associated with a particular group. And what is more central to ethnic and cultural traditions than food? They WANT people to feel stigmatized because of what they eat. Move on from that and think of other things that are relevant to ethnicity and culture. A great example is the way we dress. That's something else which is ripe for stigmatization by racists. Which is why you end up with this...



...being portrayed as something which is frightening and horrible.

There are two options when it comes to this type of behavior. Either you can allow them to succeed in making you embarrassed by your own identity, or you can stand up to it and laugh in these peoples' bigoted faces.

[Confusious]

105. +1

My thought too.

[Confusious]

106. They only have power

If you let them have power.

[jmowreader]

96. What's really hurtful...

I see no mention of vinegar for the collards or hot sauce for the fried chicken anywhere in this meal.

I bet these shit-scared Denver school people served spaghetti on Columbus Day. I wonder though...do they still serve rabbit and hard-boiled eggs the day after Easter?

[WolverineDG]

63. It's not "southern style" without hush puppies & grits

WTF is the problem with this lunch? If it were made somewhere other than a school cafeteria, I'd say it sounds like good eatin' to me.

dg

[Confusious]

109. Cornbread and beans..............eom

[EOTE]

69. All these years, I thought I liked chicken because it was delicious.

Turns out I'm genetically predisposed to liking chicken. I've got no say in the matter.

-Dave Chappelle.

[cbgb2112]

87. hahaha! I love that one!

[OI812]

72. The school should have told the complainers "fuck off"

:grr:

[ieoeja]

75. When I married a Black woman, my mother served fried chicken and watermelon day after the wedding.

With her family having to travel from all over, and it being over the Labor Day weekend, we decided to have everyone over to the farm that Sunday (and finish off that last keg some idiot always opens up just before the reception breaks up).

My mom just served what she always serves for Labor Day family dinners: fried chicken and watermelon. She was extremely embarrassed when an uncle of mine pointed out how my new in-laws might take that.

I asked my wife about it later. She said the thought did cross her family's mind. But they also realized this was just as much standard family dinner fare for rural White folk as it was for rural (and relocated) Black. And they didn't run into anything else that might indicate a pattern of assholishness.


Actually, my mom started including fried chicken at every holiday dinner per the request of her grandchildren. And usually the homemade noodles. It wasn't until she died that her siblings and my siblings realized none of them knew how she made them. Fortunately for them, my ex-wife had had the foresight to pester my mom into teaching her our family recipe. And she in turn taught me. Partly because my mom had enough of a conservative streak in her that she wasn't going to teach a son**. And partly because the only way you were going to learn was to actually make it side-by-side with her because she wasn't any good at putting it in words.

**And yet her insistence on "traditional" gender roles didn't stop her from taking a job SHE DID NOT WANT as the first female mail carrier in the region because she feared that turning it down would make the local post masters less likely to offer a job to the next woman who qualified for the job and who really did want it. She called herself "an accidental feminist". She was one of those who didn't like feminists because she only had the RW definition of feminist.

[Jackpine Radical]

93. So if they served lutefisk for Leif Erikson Day,

--well, a lot of kids would skip lunch and others would be heading for the bathroom with their hands over their mouths after the first whiff, but otherwise I don't think anybody would take offense.

[Confusious]

107. Let me guess

Fish haggis?

[Jackpine Radical]

110. Cod preserved with a lye process.

Scandinavian starvation rations elevated to a supposed delicacy.

[ThatsMyBarack]

95. K&R....

Cuz that lunch sounds GOOD! :9

[Libertas1776]

97. I guess I could see how it could come across as offensive...

but in light of the absolute deliciousness of such a meal :9 , political correctness can take a hike.

[mistertrickster]

99. Oh, brother. Fried chicken is now a stereotypical "black" food?

So no potatoes on St. Patrick's Day?

No rice on Chinese New Year?

No tortillas for Cinco de Mayo?

No oysters for Mardi Gras?

No turkey on Thanksgiving?

C'mon . . . this is how liberalism makes itself into a parody of itself.

[Confusious]

108. NO BEER on St. Patricks day?!?!?!?!?

I'll be pickled in hell before I let racists take away my St. patties beer!

I'm IRISH BTW.

[redwitch]

100. They shoulda had a luau.

With lava cake for dessert. Yum! Roast pork, pineapple, coconut, yum, yum.