On food, appreciation, appropriation and product inclusion

Jan 1 is a big day for many. For many, a sense of renewal, possibility, and the option to slip into a new truth- some opt to put forth new health goals, others reflect on their careers, families and more. Anything seems possible.

For my family, Jan 1 has another big meaning. In 1804, Haitian slaves led a revolution that turned Haiti into the first Black republic, paving the way for many countries to do the same. It’s a source of extreme pride for many. We also eat soup joumou (squash soup) as tradition.

I was curious to see what Haitians put in their recipes and if/how the recipe had evolved, and so I decided to do some digging. I was extremely surprised to see food magazines take a tradition, put their own “spin” and not collaborate with the community at key points in the process.The result: an appropriation of a beloved tradition, a piece of history.

This hits home for me because food is love. Food is history and culture. Food is resilience. I’ve emailed a few magazines who showed recipes for new year’s treats like black eyed peas, without highlighting the history of slavery and the resilience of Black Americans in the articles. I wonder how many times this has happened, across multiple cultures, diasporas and traditions.

Though food is seemingly far away from the spaces I operate within in my work, product inclusion principles still stand. Remember, if you are creating for someone else, you need to ask “who else?”

• Who else needs to be included?
• Who else needs to sign off?
• Who else needs their voice in collaboration and co-creation?

At the end of the day, we all want to feel seen. And when history and culture is utilized without context, nuance, and most importantly, humility, there is the option of alienating and erasing underrepresented groups. Even inadvertently, the damage happens. And we must move from “assume good intent” to “How did my actions, even unintentionally, affect the group I should be uplifting?”

Here are some things to remember:

• Build with, not for
• What key points can you proactively commit to bringing an inclusive lens-(in this case, in the actual article writing, in the sign off before publishing, in the recipe building/adaptation.)

Specifically as it relates to writing about food:

• Represent the community-photos of hands are important in food prep. What percentage are white hands, or young hands, as an example?
• How can you make your preparation more accessible? Do you use tools that are hard to navigate or maneuver? What are adaptations?
• How can you tie in the history of the recipes into your work so that people who are unfamiliar have the context and background. The repercussions of not doing this are not only in the moment-readers can then move forward in thinking these are new ideas and recipes, which only magnifies and amplifies the ripple effect of alienation for underrepresented groups.

I also noted that there are a ton of “best of” lists. “Best soup for winter,” or “best holiday cocktail.” These lists again did not have collaboration across multiple dimensions of diversity. Where was coquito or my favorite, Haitian Kremas? Where were beautiful bowls of ramen or pho? (I wrote a piece on “best of” lists in case you are interested.)

In order to build for the world, the world has to be represented for the process. Here’s to 2021 being more inclusive, and not just giving underrepresented groups a “seat at the table.” Let’s build the table together.

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