We've been loving oysters for centuries. Although they're considered a delicacy today, they were looked down on at one time; oysters were considered a "dirty" food.
We've NEVER needed white approval, though – oysters have long been crucial to our culture and resistance!
#1: Brazil
Historically, white Brazilians considered oysters "peasant food.” Back in the day, beef and pork were costly, so Afro-Brazilian communities, called Quilombos, made oysters something they could enjoy, despite what whites had to say. They even used crushed oyster shells during ancestral summoning ceremonies.
#2: New York
NYC's oyster king, Thomas Downing, switched things up from the usual, and instead of serving oysters from a street stall, flipped the game on its head. Fine carpet and chandeliers made Downing's restaurant an upscale experience. The best part? He used the oyster cellar's basement as a secret stop on the underground railroad.
#3: Daufuskie, South Carolina
On this historically Black island, families lived off the land, so oysters were essential to their livelihoods. At the Oyster Union Hall, folks spent weekends indulging in oysters after a long work week of shucking. Former enslaved people's quarters, called "Tabby Ruins," were also made of crushed oyster shells.
White supremacy has always tried to knock what we do until THEY can profit from it! But we should never look for their approval regarding OUR culture.