
Racist whites love to stereotype Black people as jovial fried chicken eaters. Anti-black propaganda like minstrel images and movies such as the infamous Birth of a Nation helped push this racist stereotype.
The Birth of a Nation includes a scene where a Black man devours fried chicken. Black people eating fried chicken became a joke to racist whites. But this isn't funny ‘cause they have no clue how powerful fried chicken is to our people.
Historically, fried chicken has been a liberatory food for Black people. It was one of the few things enslaved people could produce and sell. Countless Black women who prepared this crispy dish have started businesses from it and taken their families out of poverty. And believe it or not, fried chicken even shielded us from racist violence.
While traveling through the Jim Crow South, Black people couldn't travel eat just anywhere. Shoebox lunches made for Black people to eat safely while traveling often included fried chicken. These lunches were a culinary lifeline for Black travelers.
Racist stereotypes about fried chicken have nothing to do with its importance to our culture. We know what it means to us, so let's reject their racist stereotypes and embrace the good of fried chicken in our community.