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30 some years ago, when I was a hippie, I was hitchhiking and 2 black gentlemen gave me a ride to my sister's house. She and her husband had just finished dinner, and were having watermelon.

She offered them some, and I had a fit cuz I thought they would be offended. How silly!!!

My grandfather used to drive a charter bus. He drove many loads of black folk (his words) to church outings. He loved the fried chicken and watermelon they brought and they loved his banjo pickin' (he was a KY redneck). He believed these black folks to be the kindest people he ever met and prepared the best chicken he ever ate. He got as many charters for these outings as he could because black people loved his two most favorite things fried chicken and music. It also helped that they were very generous tippers! His stories re. these outings still stir warm feelings in me towards blacks. It is stereotypical thinking for sure but it sure inoculated me against bigotry.

The chicken thing may be a stereotype but please, almost anyone with southern origins is going to love fried chicken (or anything else fried). I was at a Kroger buying 24 pcs of fried chicken when a black man came to the counter. He seemed unsure of what to buy so I said "The chicken is great". He spun around with a scrowl on his face until he saw my two boxes of chicken which caused him to grin and buy the chicken himself.