Hog And Hominy: Soul Food From Africa To America

oppressors and it is not possible for them to understand the oppressed community and their

Food from Africa to America” Opie discusses the term “Soul Food”, where it comes from, what it

The African-American people have suffered great hardships since slavery. During the 15 and 19th century many Africans were taken and forced into slavery. Some slaves

A group called the benin artists created a masterpiece that symbolizes royal authority and power. It’s a sculpture of 2 leopards designed as water vessels, used for when the oba washes his hands before ceremonies.

Africans have, since the early settlement of America, has had a great influence in the nation’s growth. These contributions to the United States from enslaved Africans have been greatly portrayed in American culture. Varying from cuisine, to song and dance are not only portrayed today but it has a deep-rooted impact throughout the United States. During the middle passage, enslaved Africans were forced to abandon their everyday lives, their families and their homes and forced to adapt to a new lifestyle they knew nothing of. However, upon arrival into the New World, due to their prior knowledge and wisdom from back home, they were able to quickly adapt and custom themselves to this new lifestyle in order to survive with the hope of potentially one day returning back to Africa. Unfortunately, African contributions to the culture of the United States has received little to no recognition and it has been taken credit for by Europeans and Whites since the early establishment of the United States.

For centuries, the United States has been seen as a food and food-product paradise; with a constant bombardment of daily specials, “two-for-one” deals, and never ending combo options oozing from every corner of the food-scape. For many Americans, over indulgence is a frequent occurrence-studies show more than 50% of adults say they eat out at least once a week (“58% Eat at A Restaurant”, 2013). Even in this scene of gluttony, the poverty stricken and systematically oppressed find themselves in food deserts across The States; that’s more than 45 million Americans without access to healthy, reasonably priced foodstuffs. Of this group of 45 million, the African American community holds the seat for the highest poverty rate among various racial and ethnic groups at an astounding 26.2% in 2014 (DeNavas-Walt, 2015).

Traditionally, the African American diet consisted of leafy green vegetables, fish, poultry, and beans. However, the cooking methods, such as deep frying, the heavy use of gravy, pork fat, and butter add a large amount fat and cholesterol to an otherwise heart-healthy diet. “Soul food” with its fried chicken, fried pork chops, and corn bread have become the traditional comfort food, and there is a large significant placed in the African-American culture on community and family gatherings centered around food. Historically, African-Americans lived a highly active lifestyle that compensated for a higher than average fat content in their diet. As modern trends swing toward a more sedentary lifestyle, the direct result is heart disease rising to be the leading cause of death among African-Americans (Cowling, 2006, p8).

There are some who may argue that oppression is a concept of the past and that it does not exist in our modern society; however, oppression it not always an overt power one person or group exerts over another. It can come in more subtle forms, many of which that have become such normative aspects of our society that some oppressors and oppressed individuals alike may not immediately recognize its impact. In

are in a very tightly controlled world, one in which they are not free to do what they want.

Imagery of how workers were getting sick when pulling the guts out of the slaughtered pigs that for the most part can only leave readers saddened. “A culture that just uses a pig as a pile of protoplasmic inanimate structure, to be manipulated by whatever creative design the human can foist on that critter, will probably view individuals within its community, and other cultures in the community of nations, with the same type of disdain and disrespect and controlling type mentalities,” (Wiber 350). Wiber tries to establish that these meat products are anything but one hundred percent real meat. Instead they’re filled with artificial fillers made of who knows

Society has found a way to control the minds and bodies of mankind. Society has done this through stripping individuality, restricting knowledge, forbidding emotions, constricting mankind’s values, choosing everything for mankind, and not allowing any man to be

The term Soul Food originated from the cuisine developed by African Slaves mainly from the American South. A dark period in the history of the United States resulted in a cuisine fashion from the meager ingredients available to slaves and sharecropper black families. The meat used was usually the least desirable cuts and vegetables, some bordering weeds, were all that was available for the black slaves to prepare nutritious meals for their families. From the meager ingredients involved a cuisine that is simply yet hearty and delicious.

Fried chicken, mash potatoes and collard greens mixed with fatback meat was my family’s favorite Sunday meal. Soul food, as it has been called, is valued by many African American families. Given the worldwide obesity epidemic that appears to be affecting most ethnic groups, there is an appreciation that the causes of obesity among African American families and others must lie in the fundamental aspects of the food supply (Capers, C et al. 2011). In my opinion, African Americans in the United Sates are more likely to be obese because there is a large number of low-income families’ and many are uninsured. According to the Office of Minority Health, African American women have the highest rates of being obese compared to other groups in

What I would like any one to get from this topic is that slavery could exist in a many forms to deceive or mistreat people that are unaware of their rights while being enslavement. This new form of slavery is bribed. Just because it is not visually seen to you does not mean it does not occur. Contemporary enslavement occurs everywhere in this world. Also, I want it to be understood that this new idea of slavery can be interrelated with three factors. The rapid growth in population, which makes it hard for the government to physically keep track of how many people exist in today’s societies. Due to the rapid population growth, the population has flooded the world's labor markets with millions of underprivileged, distressed people. Farmers are another target for people with the power to enslave humans to dehumanize poor farmers due to the modernized agriculture. Rapid economic change in evolving nations has elevated corruption and violence, abolishing social rules that might once have sheltered the most vulnerable individuals. Disposable People connects well with the topic of enslavement in the contemporary society because it gives readers a vivid image of enslavement in post slavery and new slavery in this

The way Society is going now is controlled by a ‘few’ who have control of vast resources for directing and manipulating the masses. And they have violent oppression of those who will not submit to their structured system of control as a back up resource.