New York school apologizes for ‘culturally insensitive’ lunch of chicken and waffles during Black History Month

On February 1, the food vendor for Nyack Public Schools, Aramark, changed their scheduled lunch menu "without notice" for Nyack Middle School to feature the popular fried chicken dish and the fruit for dessert, according to The Journal News.

Principal David Johnson wrote a letter notifying parents of the transgression on Thursday, calling it "culturally insensitive."

"We are extremely disappointed by this regrettable situation and apologize to the entire Nyack community for the cultural insensitivity displayed by our food service provider," he said. "I am disappointed that Aramark would serve items that differed from the published monthly menu. Especially items that reinforce negative stereotypes concerning the African-American Community."

Johnson added that he hoped "this unfortunate situation can act as a learning opportunity for Aramark to be more mindful when making decisions that impact our students."

The stereotype of black Americans enjoying fried chicken and watermelon stems from the history of slavery, but people disagree on whether it's offensive.

"With the Confederacy's defeat and slavery's end, early black entrepreneurship was bolstered by women selling their fried chicken and other home-cooked foods to hungry white railroad passengers at train stops. Likewise, watermelon was a cash crop and a token of financial independence for the formerly enslaved," wrote Boston Globe columnist Renée Graham of the negative connotations associated with the food.

Despite this, many black Americans today have called to remove the "shame" from the stereotype by not shying away from eating such "stereotypical" foods.

"I've been advocating for African Americans to take the sting out of these things…By perpetuating the shame, we're giving that stereotype further power. I'm saying, 'Let's stop being shameful about it,'" said Adrian Miller, a culinary historian to the publication.

In response to the condemnation of the menu from the school, Aramark issued an apology and will partake in anti-racism training provided by the school district to correct the error of their ways.

"While our menu was not intended as a cultural meal, we acknowledge that the timing was inappropriate, and our team should have been more thoughtful in its service," Aramark wrote in their statement, which was released by the school district. "This was a mistake and does not represent the values of our company, and we are committed to doing better in the future."

The statement went on to announce that Aramark would be partnering with the district "so employees who work in the schools participate in training that aligns to the Nyack School District's vision and commitment to equity-driven work."

"We believe this will provide a good learning opportunity to deepen understanding on the impact of systemic biases and negative stereotypes concerning the African-American Community," Aramark said.

According to the journal, Nyack school district "has been considered a leader in diversity, equity and inclusion issues."

The school district's interim superintendent, James Montesano, told the outlet that Nyack Public Schools are "extremely disappointed with what has occurred," but they are "encouraged to receive the appropriate response from Aramark in taking corrective action, which includes demonstrating their willingness to participate in training that the district will provide."

"We anticipate this will assist Aramark in aligning to the values of excellence through equity our district strives to uphold," he added.