Teens could explore ‘flavors’ of slave trade in Illinois cooking class. Outrage ensued

A summer cooking class that sought to expose teens to the “history and flavors of the transatlantic slave trade” has been shelved after backlash in an Illinois community, according to news outlets.

The weeklong program was among classes offered by the Park District of Oak Park in its initial 2023 Summer Camp Guide, NBC Chicago reported. Criticism was swift, prompting the district to cancel the class that some deemed racially insensitive.

“Your camper will cook and investigate the history and flavors of the transatlantic slave trade,” the course description read before it was scrubbed from the guide, according to the Wednesday Journal. “Each day, your camper will discover a new port from the route and understand the significance of slavery on every meal we eat.”

The class was advertised to young teens and aimed to explore various African countries while teaching participants the origins of foods such as okra, the newspaper reported. Jan Arnold, executive director for the park district, said the curriculum was developed by a group of Black women for a community in Texas where students weren’t being taught the history of slavery in the U.S.

In a statement Jan. 30, officials said the program was also a response “to requests by community members to provide more intentional culturally specific offerings.”

“In this case, we unintentionally missed the mark on promoting the program,” the statement read.

Community leaders agreed and voiced their frustration online.

“The racial insensitivity expressed in the title and description of this class was so out of character for this village that I felt it was necessary to drop the unspoken rule of cross-government criticism and comment publicly with a letter to the [Wednesday Journal],” Oak Park Trustee Cory Wesley wrote on Facebook.

The city sits just west of downtown Chicago and is home to more than 53,200 residents — at least 18% of whom identify as Black or African American, census data shows.

Anthony Clark, a history teacher at Oak Park and River Forest High School, recalled being shocked at the course description and said “there is a lot of pain and trauma and death attached to this cuisine,” NBC Chicago reported.

“I didn’t think it was serious,” Clark told the station. “I thought someone had photoshopped it as some type of joke.”

Oak Park Trustee Brian Straw also criticized the listing at the start of Black History Month, writing: “It is abundantly clear that there is still much work to be done here.”

The Chicago suburb is just the latest community to be roiled by a racial faux pas. Food vendor Aramark faced backlash after students at a New York middle school were served chicken and watermelon on the first day of Black History Month, McClatchy News reported.

Oak Park officials apologized for the summer program’s description and removed mentions of the Transatlantic Slave Trade in January before canceling the class altogether.

“The Village of Oak Park, though it has no jurisdiction over the camp offering, has heard from many of the community members and deeply acknowledges the frustration and disappointment,” the city said in a statement on Jan. 30.

Who’s James Weldon Johnson? The history and lyrics behind ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’

Ohio cops unveil cruiser to celebrate Black History Month — but use fake MLK quote

Clemson students’ ‘affirmative action bake sale’ prompts backlash. ‘Sick behavior’