In honor of Black History Month, the NBC cafeteria served fried chicken, collard greens, and jalapeno cornbread for lunch. The picture below was snapped by Questlove, the drummer for the Roots–Jimmy Fallon’s house band. He was also the musician that pointed out via Twitter that Conan spent half a million dollars on a walk-out song for Tom Hanks during his last episode.
Someone tweeting under the name @nbcu (which, as of now, only has 8 followers) is claiming to and be NBC’s VP of Communications, Kevin Goldman. The first and only tweet says: “The sign in the NBCU cafeteria has been removed. We apologize for anyone who was offended by it.”‘ Source
1st !!! I don’t expect everyone to agree with me but as black people we really should love ourselves more and be proud of our culture. I grew up eating many of these dishes so I see it as a compliment and not disrespectful at all I wish we didn’t poke fun at ourselves so much then black history month wouldn’t be the butt of every joke!!!!
I feel that way too #1, but there are a lot of blacks, esp up North, that didnt grow up eating that, or dont eat it now. i dont see it as a big deal but i can see how some could be offended by it. Id be offended more if they were serving watermelon.
I love fried chicken and greens. all they needed was some peach cobbler, and that was a hell of a meal. I hope that 16 oz soda was strawberry or grape. I think i go to harold’s today and get some wings.
listen I work for a major insurance company…
Let me tell you when its Cinco De Mayo no one complains when they have tortillas and quesadillas…
When its St. Patricks day no one complains about green beer and green food coloring in all the food…
The minute black people see fried chicken, collard greens, and black eyed peas they start acting like b****es… Especially when served in what they deem a white atmosphere…
I would be more upset if I ate it and it didnt taste good…
I wouldve told them to call my momma so she could seasn that s***…
@ 5
you said you would be more upset if it said watermelon…
Watermelon is still eaten in the south i;m from Florida and I know alot of people that drive to Georgia to get the best ones… Its a culture thing…
If you odnt eat the food on the menu cause you from up north, then learn your history… Cause escaped slaves went north for freedom and what the f*** you think they ate ???
You think the minute they got up north the started eating Chicken Cordon Bleu ???
Filet Mignon ???
Spinach ???
there wasnt anything racist bout that sign…
just proves Blacks are more racist than any other race…
7 - I think more people complain about things like this is because it’s stereotypical. If other races are putting down black people - they include fried chicken in their “jokes” so to have a Black History Month luncheon with that there may have some people believing it’s “racist” or whatever ..
Fried chicken isn’t just a black people thing, it’s a Southern thing. It shouldn’t be known as “the black food”
The fact of the matter is, is in which the manner that it’s done, clearly this is a smack in the face to assume that Blacks want to be served greens,fried chicken etc for Black History Month, that’s point that most of us are trying to make, yes it is offensive for Us,Hispanics, Natives an other cultures that reside here in USA…the point is, is that we come from a culture that made do with what we had and rose to and above the occasion so to take that and say we shouldn’t be offended is just as ignorant as being the person who posted the sign, typed up the sign to begin with…it demonstrates white America’s ignorance towards any culture bottom line. Blacks aren’t racist, Blacks want the repsect that’s due now and from years ago. If you’re going to honor a culture than do that dnt think because you served an “ethnic” dish that this constitutes honor or celebration. Be real with yourself and get a grip. So much more should be done for not only our ppl but all of cultures we celebrate…but some will take what’s given to them and that’s just pathetic and sorry excuse for a human being…the ones who lie down and accept it and the ones who are doing the screwing are in the same ignorant boat together. Learn and exlpore the many different cultures and appreciate and celebrate them for what they are worth and who they are and what it means to those of that culture. That’s a celebration.
red kool-aid and some sweet potato pie woulda set that joint off. every body in the south eat that black and white. what else would they serve, its black history month. Stop it , no big deal
I agree with #1.
African Americans are always trying to find the negative in something.. Maybe it’s b/c we weren’t brought up with many positives, be that as it may, I didnt find the sign offensive. I mean i think it was just a way for the company aknowledging the month for the employees. Pipe down!
Let me put forth my 2 centavos por favor..being a former employee of NBC-Universal AND having dined at the cafeteria on occasion. I must say that the sign was in poor judgment as it was displayed, but I believe the intent was genuine…that said..
Hollywood is the least hip, least culturally diverse entity I have been around. Most would tend to think the opposite..but they hire people who have come from the LEAST diverse backgrounds who have had minimal contact with anything outside of their myopic views.
I have been with several companies outside the entertainment business that were far superior in their cultural awareness (Silicon Valley-Bay area,CA comes to mind). Until most in power positions (American Jews) look outside of their close knit structures..the ignorance shall continue..
okay firstly why is your sexual preference and relationship status a must-know when signing up for this site?! [off topic i know just wanted to know]
anyway ive been coming to this site for months now and have never found anything to make me want to sign up except for this…now first i wanna say this isnt racist to me..its actually pretty damn funny because someone had to know this wouldve had some kind of negative response and just said EFF IT and put the sign up anyway..
dont ppl realize that “soul food” is a joke? like really the things now considered soul food back then were know as table scraps! the things slave owners didnt want to eat.
i honestly dont believe cabbage and cornbread and RED KOOLAID is a culture thing…i dont.
o yea @ whoever said the thing about ppl up north not knowing about soul food or whtever uhhh yea we do, as a proud new yorker we know everything everyone else knows about being black in america, its just most ppl from up north arent just black they’re jamaican, trinidadian, bajan [from barbados], even dominican and puerto rican. we [i say we cus my fam is trinidadian] have our own different menu to cook off of.
In an effort not to state the obvious…..but turkey and rice is on the menu and the only thing people can point out is the fried chicken and greens? Open your minds people. what i’m pissed about is the jalapeno cornbread. why not leave the cornbread the way it is, LOL!
Yep I read everyone’s response and I am proud to say I am able to agree with so many of you on this issue we don’t have to be sensitive about very common dishes in african american culture (?uestlove from the roots actually snapped this picture from NBC at Rockefeller center in NYC I encourage you to visit his twitter page and remind him that we grew eating these dishes on holiday’s - you should see what eye wrote lol !!) In particular #7 I appreciate the scenario you gave #9 I really hope as an African American woman you realize it’s sad that you think fried chicken is a smack in the face. Sure we all don’t have to eat our dishes every day, nor is it entirely healthy however it is the roots to our diet, however sophisticated we have evolved since then it is no question where we have come from. (I bet you have an aunt that makes fabulous homemade mac and cheese - who here doesn’t have one?? thais alright you can taste my aunts! ;-) ) So many of you agree with me and I agree with you too! This struck a nerve with many of us, it was on 102.3 KJLH in LA and on Jay Leno last night because we have to break the frustration of our parents and grandparents, we shouldn’t be ashamed of our comfort foods!
Finally to #13 or anyone not of african american decent having lived and grinded/hustled in NYC I am fully aware many people don’t consider themselves black over there and with good reasons. However I hope you all understand that for many of us our great great grandparents came from Africa against their will’s and it’s frustrating to not have a rich old culture or language to absolutely identify with. A lot of us black kids don’t know the country in africa we decend from at all. To all of us we have gradually built a culture here in America because we had to. Soul food isin’t a joke it’s the food we were fed and some of us made extrodinarily well. Even for the white slave-owners families. It’s no different than burritos, veal-parm, patties, pulled pork, roasted pork, sushi, it’s a start of history for our people who are frustrated that we have no ancient recognizable beginning when we try to identify with one it is made to be this horrible mockery. Sorry that’s probably the longest I’ll ever comment but it’s is very important to us proud hardworking African Americans - Blessings you all!
Man, I saw this and just started laughing because I already knew,lol. I see more white people eating fried chicken and watermelon anyway. Oh well, to eaches own.
@17…No I am not sad, that’s your opinion and now here’s mine…whats sad is you addressing me with your continued nonsense that’s the smack in the face…like I said before ppl like you are sadly mistaken…finish reading my statment and get on my level then get at me…Im very proud of my heritage and I refuse to shrug this off as though because its the norm we should accept it and I should be be proud of it…Im proud for all the right reasons not the wrong/ignorant ones….get it right the next time you get @ me…
~Never Mistaken Never 4 Gotten~
THIS IS MY OPINION…….I think black people take shit 2 the heart that doesnt need 2 be taking 2 the heart. We at time can be so damn sensitive. I have work at different place and they all have done a luncheon for black history and cinco de mayo. i enjoyed it a lot. The reason for the luncheon in is to celebrate the favorite food that black culture enjoy. There is no reason for anyone 2 get upset. These r the foods that our ancestor enjoyed….Plus a lot of the food on the menu r still southern comfort food…..
Man that menu must have sounded to me because I was going Asian joint for my B-Day, but KFC sounded better,lol.
I have not had some fried chicken in so long it was Amazing. So was the tea with sugar!
Actually got to have a Real piece of pie instead of pie flavored yogurt for once! Wow!
I gotta sleep this off ,goodnite!
I think what people are worried about is the narrowing of Black culture. to be honest, I wasn’t too upset with the sign. But I do feel that it ignores the broadness and diversity that is Black culture. I’m half-Costa Rican, and Half- Haitian, so what about Black folk like me that didn’t grow up eating fried chicken and greens?
At the same time, Black culture is SOO diverse that there’s no way they could capture the culture with a single meal. They had to choose a dish that was widely regarded as “Black”, and they did so to show appreciation, not to slur or degrade. I think Black people need to pick and choose their battles. Fighting and making a stink over small issues like these dilute our efforts to fight larger more important issues in the community. I’m far more concerned with the quality of education in poor Black neighborhoods and institutionalized racism than what the dominant culture perceives to be our choice of diet.
So I see both sides to the argument, but in the end it seems to me that some of us here are crying over spilled milk.
Oh, btw, a lot of you are right when comparing this to serving burritos on Cinco De mayo. It’s not like burritos or tacos are all that Latinos eat. Mexican cuisine varies from state to state, and from region to region.
Ay JOE #23…You said the realist shhh anybody ever said.
People actin like some exec or VP made an exective decision
for the Lunch menu. The chef made the menu. Which was
probably requested by the staff. As long as people of color
trip over little nit picky stuff like this we are not gonna be
taken seriously when it’s something that is really serious.
@19 wow that’s pretty funny,, you should just take back what you said altogether– ( oh now peeps like me are the slap in the face? ) lol any more generalizations?? Meanwhile … fyi I did read your entire first post and to be honest the second half was too broad and general I think we should stay on point. We were talking about a commemorative LUNCH here peeps — not an entire education on the black race in america and funding historical lessons. But I like where your head is at, I just think we should remember what we are talking about here thats all, hope that ends the confusion for you sweetheart.
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