The confusion about chicken consumption

Commentary Columnist-Sherry Holliman

?What is so comical about “Blacks eating chicken?” Chicken is one of the most widely consumed meats in the world. There’s no single race or culture that "eats" chicken exclusively, as it's enjoyed by people everywhere, from Asia to Europe, Africa, Japanese, Chinese, and the Americas. When people label fried chicken as a "Black food," they are ignoring and disregarding the universal truth. Chicken is one of the most widely consumed meats in the world, generating approximately $65 billion annually. Within these billion-dollar sales most of you readers should know about the wealth gap among different races so therefore it would be impossible for chicken to be an exclusive “Black food!” Chicken has always been a widely consumed food across all racial and ethnic groups in the U.S., with all consuming different amounts. There will never be an exact number to provide concrete data on which race is eating more chicken because each region, culture, and income levels will vary. As of today, no group is overwhelmingly out eating the other in chicken consumption. Therefore, seeing that some states are predominantly white and predominantly black, it is obvious both Americans are the purchasers of chicken in large quantities.?This article will point out that chicken is not just a soul food or Southern cuisine but prepared by many cultures such as Korean fried chicken, and Japanese karaage. When people make jokes about fried chicken in connection to Black people, they are perpetuating racist techniques from America’s past. Most people know that fried chicken was used as a visual weapon in racist imagery, where Black people were mocked with offensive stereotypes. And today, those jokes only revive these old prejudices, which are both harmful and ignorant.

Making jokes about fried chicken being a "Black food" is showing your low IQ because it's a general food choice that everyone enjoys. When you limit it to one group, it reveals ignorance about the diversity of people who eat it. How often have you heard or made a similar joke about any other foods, like pizza or burgers, and claiming it belongs to a specific race? Making jokes about fried chicken and Black people isn't just ignorant, it's harmful. It trivializes and reinforces the ongoing historical pain behind the stereotype of fried chicken being linked exclusively to Black people which has always had negative connotations.??When people make these comments, they don’t understand or care how their words contribute to racial bias, which makes them sound both uninformed and insensitive. Hopefully by explaining these points, you can help others recognize how their jokes or statements are showing their ignorance, and how food, especially something as universal as chicken belongs to all people, not one race or culture.

Chicken, particularly fried chicken, has been associated with Black culture due to historical, cultural, and socioeconomic factors. The association dates back to the time of slavery, when enslaved Africans in the American South were often given chickens to raise because they were inexpensive, and easy to care for. Fried chicken became popular within Black communities because frying was a simple and effective way to prepare poultry meat, and it could be cooked in large quantities to feed families or host community gatherings. To this day the belief that chicken consumption is exclusively black is very false and unrealistic. In fact, chicken consumption is historically eaten across the United States, but only certain states have stood out for their particularly high consumption and production of chicken, due to cultural, agricultural, and economic factors.

The following regions have been especially identified as Georgia, referred to as the poultry capital of the world, another poultry-producing state, Alabama has a strong tradition of fried chicken. Arkansas is the home to Tyson Foods, one of the world's largest chicken producers. Both Mississippi and North Carolina states are known for their poultry industries and for having high levels of chicken consumption due to cultural preferences. As there are many other states with a high demand for chicken that have a high population of Caucasian in the Midwestern States that are associated with large consumption of chicken. West Virginia is approximately 92% Caucasian according to recent U.S. Census data, and Iowa is around 85% Caucasian and is a major agricultural state, including poultry farming. Kentucky is around 86% Caucasian known for its famous Kentucky Fried Chicken fried and Missouri is about 80% Caucasian and has a strong poultry industry. These states not only have high populations of Caucasian people that obviously are consuming large quantities of chicken since they also have strong culinary traditions and industries related to chicken production. Where are the laughs for these chicken consumptions?

Why are people feeling so confident to believe chicken is Black food and blind to the facts that “everyone” eats chicken! ?To attach chicken only to Black culture is poor exposure to the knowledge of human food consumption. Targeting chicken as a "Black food" sounds ignorant and insensitive for several reasons. Associating specific foods like chicken, particularly fried chicken, with Black people perpetuates harmful racial stereotypes. These stereotypes have historically been used to demean and belittle Black communities. This is also another tactic to reduce the diverse culinary traditions of Black people to just one type of food used to ignore the variety of other Black culture dishes, which travels across countries, regions, and social backgrounds. As you will find fried chicken is enjoyed by people of all races and cultures and making it a "Black food" shows cultural ignorance. Next time you hear a Black chicken joke, ask the joke teller to drive by Church’s Chicken, KFC, or Popeyes to see if only Blacks are buying fried chicken!

Targeting chicken as a “Black Food” prolongs the reality of certain racist beliefs being allowed to be used as a downplay to acknowledge the painful history behind this stereotyping. This hostile aggression reduces Black identity to a singular food item, ignoring the complexity of Black experiences, traditions, and contributions to exposing the culinary arts. In essence, this type of targeting overlooks the broader societal implications and feeds into outdated and offensive racial stereotypes. Chicken consumption will always be high due to availability. Chicken has always been a widely consumed poultry meat across the U.S. because it is affordable, versatile, and healthier than other meats. In addition to being consumed in other cultures, chicken is popular across all regions and is used in a variety of culinary traditions. People who believe only Black people eat chicken are exposing their own ignorance by making offensive jokes and mocking a specific race for consuming a food that is enjoyed by all Americans. Chicken is a universal dish, eaten across all cultures and races, and singling out one group based on this stereotype is both misleading and not funny.?