Posted on 01/16/2010 2:50:20 AM PST by Daffynition
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.
Survey: Lunch Menu Insensitive?
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.
"When you reduce it to the 'I have a dream' speech and a fried chicken and collard green lunch, you have just destroyed everything that Dr. King stood for," said Vern Howard, chairman of the Martin Luther King Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission.
But in barber shops and soul food restaurants in Denver's historic Five Points district, the tone was decidedly more relaxed.
"To me, I don't see that much wrong with this," said Franklin Stigal, owner of the Afro-Styling Barber Shop. "A lot of people are just griping to be griping."
Chereka Dickerson, who helps run the soul food restaurant Welton Street Café, said the criticisms were over-the-top.
"If that's the food that's really associated with black people in America, why not celebrate it instead of trying to make everything negative?" she said.
Denver Public Schools changed the Friday meal to the manager's choice for Friday. Jennifer Holladay, the parent who originally complained about the menu, e-mailed KMGH a statement that said: "I'm confident we'll see stereotype-free menus in the future."
Howard said the incident is an opportunity for the school system to become more involved in the annual Marade. Howard said the Denver Public School district has shown low interest in the festivities in past years and it's time for them to get involved.
The Houston School District has offered fried chicken and collard greens on Martin Luther King's birthday for years. Last year, in response to questions, 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."
(Big Grin!!!) I would like seconds of all the above, please! It sounds delightful!
North Carolina is a great state — I haven’t been stateside for fifteen years at least (Hawaii excepted, but that doesn’t really count), and if I ever do find my way back I would love to take you up on your offer.
I cannot for the life of me understand people who don’t like perfectly good food. “Stereotypical food??” Crikey! Now there’s a concept to struggle over, ay.
An older friend of mine, long since retired from the military, told me he didn’t know that what soul food was until they had “soul food day” in the air force chow hall. He got in there and said he just started laughing—it was...fried chicken, collards, mashed potatoes.... LOL
Drop by any time! There’s always room for one more! :)
There’s a really good country song out now—no good with names, but it says something like—she’s going out tonight in her german car, italian boots, canadian bacon on their pizza pie. Funny how everything washes up on our shore—meaning the us. LOL
> oh lawd..what up cuz! auckland lulz
(Big Grin!) West Side ay mate!
I’m in Waiatarua to be precise. Henderson is the next closest major village, two hours walk downhill from up here in the jungles of the Waitakere Ranges. Closest ice cold store-bought beer is if I veer hard-to-starboard at the bottom of the hill and walk another twenty minutes to Glen Eden, an hour-and-twenty on foot, all up.
We are soon to be incorporated into Auckland City proper, but may that evil indignity be long delayed!!
Here's the other side of the same can.
I made collard greens as part of our New Year’s Day dinner. Did I tell you I make really super-duper collard greens?
I made lots of extras, and gave my housekeeper some to take home when she came the next week. She happens to be black.
When she came this week, she admitted that mine were a lot better than hers.
Needless to say, I’m quite proud of this.
May I suggest a very nice Collard claret with that? It has an earthy, savoury, spicy substance with still a touch of prune and raisin fruit sweetness and an aftertaste that is quite vinous and persistent. 'Pinotish' is the word I used to describe it.
LOL! Nice find.
Now, seriously, when it comes to a wine to drink with pork (another part of that New Year’s Day dinner, of course, along with black-eyed peas), I have found the quality dry rosés work very well. These wines have been ignored due to the association with garbage overly sweet jug wine rosés here in the U.S., but there are plenty of them out there, especially from Spain and South American.
Americans need a good wine to go with real slow-cooked barbecue!
Preferably outside. :)
I’ll let you in on a secret:
http://www.recipezaar.com/Boat-House-Collard-Greens-107517
The statement that “Even people that don’t like collard greens love these” is very true. We’ve served a number of people who proclaimed “I don’t like collard greens” who took seconds.
This year I used a cut up ham hock and some smoked turkey necks for the meat flavoring. And I did 4 bags of the pre-cut and -washed collards. Started in two pots, ultimately consolidated to one.
I can certainly see the insensitivity. Serving the food eaten by "racist rednecks" on MLK Day!
LOL ... ever lost, the battle.
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