Xaverian Brothers High School slammed for serving fried chicken for Black History month lunch
A Catholic all-boys high school in Massachusetts apologized for honoring Black History Month by serving fried chicken to its students. Jacob Conca, head of Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood issued a statement that read “We are deeply troubled and disheartened by our failure in this instance and take full responsibility for it,”
The apology was in response to the announcement made over the public address system on Tuesday, February 8, morning. The announcer said "In honor of Black History Month, one way we will celebrate is by highlighting a traditional meal each week that is a staple in Southern Black history. Today's lunch is fried chicken” However, the gesture did not sit well with some students as it came across as a stereotype that the Black community is often associated with. "It's the first day of Black History Month. They couldn't have come up with a better thing than fried chicken for African cuisine? It doesn't really make much sense." said Liam Baker, a senior at Xaverian Brothers High School.
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"Honestly, I think it's just a big stereotype. It could be seen as a little racist," He added. Another student and vice president of Xaverian's senior class - Michael Earls said "must first acknowledge that their ignorance perpetuated a racist stereotype and issue a formal apology."
Xaverian Brothers High School acknowledged the displeasure among students and took responsibility through a statement that said "Regrettably, our message was poorly communicated, resulting in some perceiving it as the propagation of a negative stereotype." Along with the sincere apology the school also reasoned how after the Civil War, some newly freed African American women gained economic independence by selling fried chicken.
The head of the Xaverian Brothers High School also explained how the suggestion to serve fried chicken had been offered by an African American cafeteria employee who “asked to share a piece of her culture by creating menu items that represent historically Southern Black cuisine," said Conca.
