High school sparks controversy for serving fried chicken, watermelon for Black History Month

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Students and parents were outraged this week when one private school in Northern California decided to commemorate Black History Month by serving fried chicken, cornbread and watermelon for lunch.

Administrators at Carondelet High School for Girls in Concord sent letters of apology to parents and held an assembly on Wednesday to address the issue with students and faculty.

“I’d like to apologize for the announcement and any hurt this caused students, parents or community members,” Principal Nancy Libby wrote in the letter. “Please know that at no time at Carondelet do we wish to perpetrate racial stereotypes.”

According to NBC Bay Area, the principal removed the items from the menu after she talked to students of the school’s Black Student Union chapter.

“Cultural insensitivity of any kind is obviously inconsistent with the mission of Carondelet High School,” Sister Ann Bernard, school president, told CBS.

While some believe that school officials may have had good intentions, others believe more appropriate means to celebrate black history could have been explored.

“Chicken, watermelon, collard greens — these stereotypes of black Southern culture that come from the same place where the N-word comes from,” University of San Francisco professor James Taylor told NBC.

However, there were some who didn’t find the menu items offensive and were not as sensitive to the issue.

“What is the big deal?” Elizabeth Williams of the Contra Costa County Equal Opportunity Commission and a member of the NAACP told CBS. “Historically and even now, we like our chicken and I’m not going to stop eating my fried chicken, nor my cornbread, nor my watermelon.”

She added: “Let’s move on. Let’s be more progressive. Let’s not be so insulted about something so minute.”

Follow Lilly Workneh on Twitter @Lilly_Works