Even Food Isn't Safe

I ate chicken wings and chuckled.

Because chicken wings were once slave food.

Back when the “good cuts” went to the master’s table,

and we were left with scraps, bones, and bruises.

But survival makes artists out of the desperate.

We seasoned struggle, fried it crisp,

and turned into a delicacy

what was meant to mock us

The audacity—

for him to look over,

see us not just surviving

but thriving 

licking our fingers in joy—

and decide he wants that too.

So now the wing has been elevated.

High-priced.

Artisan.

Deli meat for the gentrified.

Bar food for the hip.

Instagram-famous.

You need a small loan to eat what once got laughed off the plate.

The poor man can no longer afford

what he created to survive.

Because even joy seasoned with hardship

had to be taken too.

You know it’s petty

when food is involved.

For the search bar warriors:

This post dives into the history of chicken wings, exploring how chicken wings were originally slave food and became a popular American delicacy. It discusses how enslaved people turned discarded food into flavorful meals and how cultural appropriation of Black food traditions has led to the gentrification of chicken wings. Topics include the rising cost of chicken wings, how food that was once cheap is now expensive, and how soul food has been co-opted by restaurants and deli culture. If you're interested in the cultural history of food, Black culinary innovation, or how slave food became gourmet, this post explains it all.