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    NY middle school apologizes for ‘culturally insensitive’ chicken and waffles meal

    carson_cao1By No Comments7 Mins Read

    February is the month of love, the shadow of Punxsutawney Phil, and of course, the flood of Black History Month publicity. It’s everywhere from your recommended TV shows and movies to your child’s classroom.

    Growing up, I don’t remember heritage months being in vogue. Honestly, I don’t think the emergence of these months dedicated to the rich cultures that make up our great country is terrible. Ideally, during these months, children are introduced to the heritage’s history and culture, which naturally includes things like traditional dress, music, and of course, my favorite… cuisine.

    However, suppose it is Black History Month. In that case, the focus is on how to acknowledge your white privilege and a holistic search for things that are benign. One cannot taste chicken and dosa without being called a casteist.

    An offensive dish

    A few years ago I never had chicken and waffles. It’s not something I like, and I think it’s a reflection of my toxic whiteness in a slightly backwards way.

    Needless to say, I had the dish and it was okay; It’s not my favorite, but I understand why so many people from all walks of life enjoy the meal. Interestingly, a middle school in New York had to apologize after their cafeteria vendor changed the menu to include chicken and waffles.

    His crime – serving the dish with a watermelon dessert on February 1, the first day of Black History Month.

    “We are deeply disappointed by this regrettable situation and apologize to the entire Nyack community for the cultural insensitivity displayed by our food service providers,” he said. Nyack Middle School Principal David Johnson A statement

    Excuse me, I need a minute; Is it culturally insensitive to serve kids chicken and waffles with watermelon? I mean… you’ve got protein, a delicious sweet treat, and hydrating fruit.

    Am I missing something? Are black people the only ones allowed to enjoy these delicious meals and fruits?

    Mr. Johnson continued, “I am disappointed that Aramark serves items that differ from the published monthly menu. Materials that reinforce negative stereotypes, especially those associated with the African American community.

    Since when is chicken and waffles with watermelon a negative stereotype? Oh, I know, it’s Black History Month.

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    You must atone!

    In keeping with February’s need to apologize for ridiculous things, food supplier Aramark also issued a statement.

    “Although our menu is not intended as a cultural meal, we acknowledge that the timing is not ideal and our team needs to be more thoughtful in serving it,” he said.

    Oh, so chicken, waffles, and watermelon aren’t unique to black culture? So what’s the problem, and what are we apologizing for again?

    “This is wrong and does not represent our company’s values, and we are committed to doing better in the future.”

    Values?! It’s chicken, waffles and watermelon! It’s not like cafeteria workers wearing traditional KKK clothing or serving meals with the help of racial slurs.

    But alas, we wouldn’t be America if we didn’t try to solve the problem with absurd training. So the vendor has agreed to partner with the school district to ensure its employees attend ‘sensitivity training’ that aligns with the district’s “vision and commitment to equity-driven work.”

    A joint statement on the training said. “We believe this provides a great learning opportunity to provide a deeper understanding of the impact of systemic biases and negative stereotypes associated with the African-American community.”

    What a world we live in where a sweet and savory chicken dish with a side of fruit can cause so much emotional damage.

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    You will feel bad and you will like it

    I remember that these heritage months should be celebrated keeping in mind the said culture. A time to learn from the past, embrace the culture and look with pride and optimism towards the future.

    Instead, Black History Month focuses on one aspect of history, embrace the culture at your own peril, and all actions, present and future, that harm and harm the black community.

    “We need to educate the people in those places who do these things on the strength of culture.” Nyack School District Parent and Nyack NAACP President Nicole Hines explained, “And knowing that putting these things together can harm students in the school and the families and the community.”

    I’m curious what Malcolm X, Rosa Parks and the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. think about the ‘harm’ of the black community by chicken and waffles. This is nothing compared to rap and hip-hop songs that glorify gang culture, the dissolution of the two-parent household, and the damage caused by drug addiction.

    But sure, let’s note that fried chicken and watermelon are harmful.

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    Pass the syrup

    Is this an honest mistake by the seller? No, I don’t think so, I think they changed the menu on purpose, or at least someone did, and I think it’s a jab at black culture.

    It’s hard to prove, but this isn’t the first time Aramark has faced criticism for doing the same thing in the past, so all signs point to it being intentional. The response from the school district, community members and vendors was ridiculous.

    I have family members who like to passive-aggressively push my buttons to get me to respond. It took years of discipline, but I no longer ‘rise to the occasion,’ so to speak.

    The same should have been done here. With all the real barriers and real racism we have to deal with, focusing on something as trivial as a menu change with the intention of provoking petty reactions is an unnecessary distraction for the African American community.

    It’s time for Black History Month to get off its high horse and stop accepting the cathartic need to punish those based on the color of their skin and fueling the narrative that the Black community will always be the unfortunate victims. There is more to this community than the legacy of slavery and the truly negative stereotypes that are rampant in our country.

    Enjoy the damn chicken and waffles and focus on real problems instead of manufactured ones.

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