Food Day Reflection:
Food is a bridge between history and culture, born out of necessity, yet crafted by circumstance and evolved via progressive change. For blacks in America, the past is a tale riddled with pain and laced with uncertainty, dating back to slavery but easily traced to systemic racism that refuses to be vanquished by time. Not all wounds can be cauterized by ticking hands, especially when their clock faces are marred by ambivalence. For years, the rest of the world has sat by passively as this story of suffering has slowly unwound. And yet, those marginalized groups survived, slept, awoke, and ate. Their paths can be outlined by what they consumed, a perpetual trail of crumbs leading to a fork in the road that future generations will be forced to navigate. Through and through, the secrets of a people lie deep in their bellies.
As an appetizer of sorts, the Discovery Term members watched the documentary, “Soul Food Junkies”, a charming piece that used one man’s father as a microcosm for the prevalence of unhealthy food in many black communities. The film’s balance of humor and sorrow resonated deeply as the viewers found themselves engrossed by this depiction of the United States, one so palpably different from the Cary bubble. Upon its completion, the resulting discussion analyzed this contrasting perspective of society and opened the gates to a brainstorm of solutions. The deeply rooted problems highlighted by the movie begged for answers that were difficult to find. When put into the context of the greater world, this realization blossomed into an epiphany about the nature of the racial and socioeconomic divides facing humanity. They are not easily fixed and are much harder said than done. This unpleasant conclusion, derived from the pervasiveness of fattening and potentially carcinogenic soul foods, was something that required acknowledgement. The issues are deeper than the topsoil and bear a sour taste that no stick of butter could obscure.
Following this, the onus was placed back on the students to delve deeper into the black cuisine through a hands-on approach. A luncheon was planned, teams were formed, and a brief trip to the grocery store secured necessary supplies. Just like that, they were off, amateur chefs with commendable hunger to master the dishes they were assigned. An hour and a half flew by, filled with cooking mishaps, rainy misadventures, and near-constant laughter, but the result far exceeded any expectations. Gooey macaroni and cheese, creamy mashed potatoes, breaded chicken legs, and rich fettucine alfredo lined the table. Soon, the ravenous staff piled their plates with the fruits of their labors. The resulting silence was shattered only by the occasional utensil scraping the bottom of a dish. Time had been well spent. Finally, it was time for the warm red velvet cake. It, too, did not take long to disappear as an empty container stared back at any person with the stomach capacity to even envision the prospect of seconds. Somehow, the lunch had madea statement of itself regarding food’s place in blacks’ lives.
The dual-faceted tactic of pairing a more cynical and realistic representation of soul food from the video with a contrasting proof of its validity from the first-hand experience of eating it competently presented a full-picture truth. The reality is that this aspect of black culture is one that is entangled with negativity but remains radiated with hope. People will continue to seek this form of nourishment, regardless of its drawbacks, because it symbolizes a fundamental aspect of their identity. The need to endure, but to do so on one’s own terms, is paramount to the success of both individuals and collectives. This is the only way that tomorrow is healthier than today.
Blog post by: Ted and Ben
