Eating While Black: Food Shaming and Race in America

by Psyche A. Williams-Forson

Psyche A. Williams-Forson is one of our leading thinkers about food in America. In Eating While Black, she offers her knowledge and experience to illuminate how anti-Black racism operates in the practice and culture of eating. She shows how mass media, nutrition science, economics, and public policy drive entrenched opinions among both Black and non-Black Americans about what is healthful and right to eat. Distorted views of how and what Black people eat are pervasive, bolstering the belief that they must be corrected and regulated. What is at stake is nothing less than whether Americans can learn to embrace nonracist understandings and practices in relation to food.

Sustainable culture—what keeps a community alive and thriving—is essential to Black peoples’ fight for access and equity, and food is central to this fight. Starkly exposing the rampant shaming and policing around how Black people eat, Williams-Forson contemplates food’s role in cultural transmission, belonging, homemaking, and survival. Black people’s relationships to food have historically been connected to extreme forms of control and scarcity—as well as to stunning creativity and ingenuity. In advancing dialogue about eating and race, this book urges us to think and talk about food in new ways in order to improve American society on both personal and structural levels.

Psyche A. Williams-Forson, the author of Building Houses out of Chicken Legs: Black Women, Food, and Power is a professor of American studies at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, Social Justice, Race, Audiobook, History, Culinary

272 pages, Hardcover

First published August 16, 2022

About the author

Dr. Psyche Williams-Forson is professor and chair of the Department of American Studies at the University of Maryland College Park. She is author of Eating While Black: Food Shaming and Race in America (winner of the James Beard Media Award for Food Issues and Advocacy, 2023); co-editor of Taking Food Public: Redefining Food in a Changing World (2013); and, Building Houses out of Chicken Legs: Black Women, Food, and Power (winner of the Elli Köngäs-Maranda Prize, American Folklore Society). She is known nationally and internationally for her work in building the scholarly subfield of Black food studies, and she has published numerous articles on topics such as Black women, food, and power; food and literature; food and sustainability; race, food, and design thinking; eating and workplace cultures; as well as the historical legacies of race and gender (mis)representation, with (and without) food. She has also been interviewed on numerous podcasts, in several news articles, and for documentaries, including Al Roker's "Family Style" (NBC Today), Netflix’s "Ugly Delicious," and The Invisible Vegan. Dr. Williams-Forson is an affiliate faculty member of the Theatre, Dance, and Performing Studies, the Departments of African American Studies, Anthropology, The Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and the Consortium on Race, Gender, and Ethnicity.

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Dr. Psyche A. Williams-Forson is a professor, speaker, scholar, and author of several books on African American food cultures and history.


Dr. Psyche A. Williams-Forbes

In 'Eating While Black: Food Shaming and Race in America' Williams-Forson observes that Black people's lives - including their food choices - are constantly being policed, surveilled, and vilified. She goes on to say that, "Somebody is always watching, waiting to tell Black people what they should and should not, can and cannot, eat."



According to the author, the custom of policing Black people's consumption comes from a broader history of trying to control Black lives from a position of white privilege and power. In current times, Black people are urged to 'eat healthy'......



.....which would (presumably) require limiting consumption of 'soul food' like fried chicken, candied yams, collard greens with pork, macaroni and cheese, spoonbread, chitlins, etc.



Food is central to everyone's culture, and operates on multiple levels beyond merely satisfying our stomachs. For instance, foods we're accustomed to are affiliated with our memories, and help us feel connected to our families and communities. Williams-Forson notes, "African Americans self-define and reinforce group identities through their expressive culture: food, clothing, dance, speech and language, games, and so forth." Asking Black people to change their eating habits is like "interrupting and disrupting [their] lifeways."







Moreover, the author observes that Black people are as varied in food practices as anyone else in America. They eat from fast-food chains, Whole Foods, farmers markets, their own gardens, the dollar store, supermarkets, etc. They eat fresh, frozen, and canned. They are carnivores, vegans pescatarians, and vegetarians.



So why are African-Americans criticized for their food choices?

In fact, Black people not alone in this. William-Forbes writes, "Almost all cultures of people experience food shaming as well as fat- and body image- shaming." In this book, though, the author concentrates on African American people. She notes, "From incendiary and denigrating images of African Americans with chicken and watermelon, to policies that suggest African Americans have the worst health records, to arguments that food is the culprit in our early deaths, racist ideas are continuously contrived in order to try to convince us and society at large of Black inferiority."



Williams-Forbes goes to say that fuller and rounder Black people's bodies are seen as evidence of laziness or slothfulness rather than as attractive and Rubenesque. As a consequence, African American women "are beset by the emotional, physiological, and political consequences of race and gender shaming. This shaming has tangible, even disastrous consequences."

The author asserts that all this stems from racism, be it conscious or unconscious. In addition, those who advocate 'eating healthy' (consuming more fruits and vegetables) don't take into consideration the fact that farmers' markets and well-supplied supermarkets are sometimes scarce in Black neighborhoods.



Williams-Forbes believes it's best if Black people are in charge of their own culinary lives, and other people - who know little about Black history and culture - should mind their own business. The author writes, "At the heart of much food shaming and attempts at regulating is a lack of awareness and understanding of cultural differences." Sadly, food shaming has practical consequences, as many African Americans avoid eating chicken and watermelon in public.

The author is generous with quotes and examples that illustrate her points, including observations from professors, scholars, social media, and journalists; scenes from books, movies, and TV shows; photos from library archives; her personal experiences; and so on. Pictures are included in the book, which illustrate some of Williams-Forbes arguments.


Michael Kenneth Williams as Chalky White and Jeffrey Wright as Valentin Narcisse in “Boardwalk Empire”

Though the author defends African American food habits, she does not mean to imply that 'eating healthy' is unimportant. Williams-Forbes writes, "Creating healthy bodies requires a redefinition of the food stories that define our cultures....Rather than urging people to change what they eat, a more effective approach may be to help communities incorporate healthier preparation techniques and ingredients into foods already rich in cultural meaning."



Williams-Forbes strays from the topic of food quite a bit, frequently addressing other aspects of Black oppression, such as the historic middle passage and hundreds of years of slavery; discrimination in housing, employment, and education; Black people being seen as criminals; African Americans being considered cheap and uncouth; discriminatory agricultural practices; violence against African Americans; and more.



Though these topics are interesting, their insertion makes the book choppy.

The narrative is interesting and informative, and there are extensive notes at the end, detailing the author's research. Recommended to readers interested in the subject.

Thanks to Netgalley, Psyche A. Williams-Forbes, and the University of North Carolina Press for a copy of the book.

You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com

[Montessahall Montessahall · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh! Are we now racially politicizing eating? Really? This book is a defense of unhealthy foods consumed by SOME folks of African-American heritage. The historical origins of these foods as discussed in the book is interesting and important to share. An attempt to justify why unhealthy foods are a good thing without regards to health is misguided at best. Before anyone reading my review go there, I am a woman of color. Does that make me an authority on all things concerning people of color? Of course not. However, I have witnessed throughout my lifetime the damaging impact of certain foods on the health of my community. I have always advocated enjoying and sharing ethic foods that are delicious but unhealthy to be consumed in moderation. It's not personal folks, it's food.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll admit that this was an aspect of both diet shaming and systemic racism that I hadn't spent much time thinking about, but what is considered "healthy" is an important topic that has huge ramifications for how healthy, sustainable, and practical a diet actually ends up being and for how people interact with food in and out of their cultural background.

This book covers a lot of ground on the topic, from history of cultural-based food shaming in America to reasons why some attempts to help food deserts don't actually help the community. I learned a lot, and this challenged a lot of my own ideas about what healthy food actually means.

One of my biggest takeaways is that society should meet people where they're at and take cultural context into consideration when it comes to nutrition. There are many ways to be healthy, and eating healthily (and more importantly being healthy) can be possible while eating a variety of foods, and more people are actually likely to stick with a healthy and nutritious diet if they're eating foods they like and are familiar with.

Definitely recommend for anyone interested in learning more on the topic! I'm going to be looking out for additional resources on this because I found it equally fascinating and important.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need to take my time with this review. While I’m not Black, there were a few points in the book that hit home for me very personally, especially when I thought about it from my parents’ perspectives on what food meant to my family as Koreans, as immigrants, and as poor. I’m not appropriating the conversation away from the Black experience, but I’m trying to frame it in a way that can help me grasp it better through my own experiences.

The book falls short of five stars because it was too long for me, relative to the content. I was saddened throughout, up until maybe the epilogue, but not because of the content - yes, there was a lot of saddening content - but more so because the author is clearly highly educated, a subject matter expert, and a deeply thoughtful educator. Yet almost the whole book is written in defense mode. I find myself in this position a lot, so I admit I might be projecting, but I’ve seen it in my life and with other BIPoC (especially women) where our words are automatically questioned and challenged or even discarded simply because they came from us. It felt like the author was preemptively deflecting any pushback she might get in person (or maybe she had to do it because her publisher questioned her authority - happens all the time at my work place). She was so painstaking in avoiding any hint of assumptions being made on her part and bulked up many scenarios and passages with heft that I thought could’ve been shed and instead filled with more examples of how food has been weaponized against Blacks and Indigenous, which could’ve made for a stronger book.

The book also brought up a lot of complex feelings I have for my own nonstandard body (nonstandard for a Korean woman) and the shame I was subjected to by family, peers, community, medical professionals, and even strangers. I remember looking at nutritionists and dieticians recommended by my doctors and tuning out because they could only structure programs for me that voided out my heritage and vegetarianism (I’ve been a vegetarian since I could chew). I remembered sitting in their offices and wondering if all their patients were White carnivores or omnivores, because their programs didn’t fit me as a person. So when she was talking about Latricia, I felt for her - we definitely had different backgrounds (again - me not being Black is a big difference), but I grew up in a similar urban environment and suffered a lot of ridicule and bullying for being too fat. More than feeling empathy for her, I was also really angry for all the unfairness and racism working against her.

I think I would enjoy taking one of the author’s classes. I like where she starts from: a lot of common sense and the need to check our assumptions and privilege when judging anyone but ourselves. I like where she ends: the importance of being an antiracist and how that differs from not being racist.

[Ayre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Racism and food is honestly something I've never thought about so when I got the opportunity to read this and learn if I had any unconscious biases (and how I could change them) I took took it. This is a very academic read so don't expect the text to flow or be entertaining in any way.

I'm glad I read this although I didn't enjoy it much as a reading experience. I don't feel like I learned anything new but it did make me think about things in a way I hadn't before. Based on my reading experience and some of the other reviews I've read I believe Dr. Williams-Forson's writing isn't easy to understand, she tends to overexplain her point where the point gets lost.

I'm also disappointed that she often quotes a known TERF. Although this book doesn't address sexuality at all I don't want to be reminded of hate every time I have to read her name.

I'd recommend this to anyone who cant mind their business and likes to comment on people's weight unsolicited.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. I wasn't required to read this review.

[Bernard Lavallée · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the author's first book, so I was excited to read this one.

The subject of this book is the myriad of ways racism is enacted through food in our everyday lives. Her main thesis is that there are still a lot of stereotypes on how black people eat, how they should eat, how we should help them eating right... It is ripe with examples from the author's life, pop culture and news.

However, I felt the book was often times repetitive and could have been shorter. The tone is very scholarly, so I would suggest it to people who are interested in this subject.

[Gwendolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non-fiction isn't my first choice when it comes to reading for pleasure but the title of the book intrigued me. I figured I would learn something new about me and American society.

I struggled at first listening to this book, but I eventually was able to put myself in the mindset of college days and post when I worked in a research lab. This was structured like research papers I had read and worked on.

I felt like the last half was more informative and relatable for me. I did want a clear historical answer on why Black people eat certain foods (e.g. salt meats, hamhocks, chitlins) and why the answers we've been given in the past are inaccurate. I eventually realized that it wasn't stated in "black & white" because it is more complex and not a simple answer.

Next time someone ask or tell me something ignorant, I will be telling them to worry about themselves lol

We can't give half stars, but this is a 3.5 for me.

[Alesia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was so informative but as someone who does research I still felt like some of this was just extremely repetitive. Could have been condensed a bit and still made the same excellent points.

[Amethyst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was drawn to this book because of the gorgeous cover and my (and my family's) own complicated history with food and body image. Loved that it centers Black people. It breaks down anti-Black racism (even from Black people), food choice, food shaming, and the stories told about African American food. Instead of being prescriptive, she offers why we should reimagine food in sustainable ways. She also gives context to why everyone cannot simply shop at farmers markets (and how Black farmers have historically been excluded from them). 

Before reading this book, I believed I knew some about the history of what Black people have eaten in the US, essentially that enslaved people were forced to eat and innovate from food scraps. This book blows that myth up and provides many, many examples of what Black people have contributed to the way food is eaten within the US. For example, "Millet, tubers (yams), rice, and other foodstuffs became as much a part of the economic, political, and cultural fabric of slavery as the enslaved people themselves. Africa contributed other foods to these voyages as well, including okra, black-eyed peas, plantains, and bananas, pigeon peas, watermelon, peanuts, sesame seeds, and melegueta peppers. They also brought with them the knowledge of cooking techniques such as slow cooking (like stewing and cooking down), grilling, roasting (using cabbage instead of banana leaves to wrap meat) and deep-frying. They introduced plants and herbs such as tamarind, hibiscus flowers, and kola nuts to improve tastes and fight diseases resulting from vitamin deficiency. And they had knowledge of spices, grasses, and herbs that were used for medicinal purposes as well as to disguise spoiled meats and to enhance flavors."

The most powerful part of the book, to me, was the section on how a 12-year-old Black girl was shamed through an article on childhood obesity by the Washington Post (that seems to have since been removed from online content). It hyper-focused on her personal decisions instead of discussing the structural barriers and made plenty of assumptions. It offered solutions that weren't inclusive of culture nor appear to be sustainable. It showed how even well-meaning narratives can be harmful, highlighting the need to correct distorted views around what and how Black people eat. 

There are so many valuable nuggets throughout this book and it is certainly worth reading to correct long standing narratives. I only wish the book was structured a bit differently. The strongest parts were in the middle and end, and I hope those points get through to readers. There were also a lot of TV references that I felt didn't add anything/took away from the book. Since reading this book, I've already witnessed several examples of how the media misrepresents or shames Black people for our food choices. 

A big thank you to Psyche A. Williams-Forson, University of North Carolina Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review before its release on August 16, 2022. 

[Jaclyn Hillis]

I knew I needed this book as soon as I saw it. I work in a high school where every student qualifies for free breakfast and lunch. But the problem I see on a regular basis, when they come to me complaining of headache, fatigue, lightheadedness, etc., is that they haven’t eaten all day. They may buy snacks from a snack cabinet, but generally they turn down the free food because it’s “nasty.” And I have no idea what to do about it… I can’t just mind my own business when it comes to the health of my athletes.

"How and what people eat are intensely personal and central to the daily fabric of our lives. These issues and the conversations that surround them must be approached with respect for that complexity and with a sense of humility for what people are going through and what factors into their decisions. There should be no judgment!"

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was kindly provided an audio of this book via NetGalley in order to give an honest review.

Eating While Black, like its title already suggests, talks about food culture, the importance of comfort foods, healthy eating (and how it isn’t always as easy as it sounds), prejudices and racism around the black community and food, and so much more.

It’s a book that makes you think, especially as a white person living in central Europe, and educates as well. There are so many aspects that I never would or could have considered.
I like the writing style, and the narration of the audiobook is really good too!

[Kate Lyon]

Super interesting commentary on how we all ought to mind our own business when it comes to others’ food habits. Everyone is different, and that should be celebrated, learned about, enjoyed, and accommodated for rather than judged, put down, pushed aside, or ignored. Race definitely plays into this, and I now have more tools with which to examine my own thoughts/patterns regarding food and race and culture.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

“History is more than chains on your ankles and knowing this black leader and that black leader. There’s much more to history than that.” This book open my eye to a different aspect of systemic racism. It also show how sometimes internal thoughts is deeply embedded internalized racism.

[Daniel Harding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straightforward. Encourages the reader to engage and to recognize their own perspective while attempting to clearly define the writers own perspective and the intended and unintended results. Challenging from the perspective in which I casually observe things. A worthwhile read.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to give my honest opinion on Eating While Black.

This book shares the unfortunate events that happen while being black in America. It shows how little Blacks are values even when it comes down to eating. The author shared a story in regards to her child who was profiled at school and how that affected her. Also shared the stereotype that Blacks only eat Fried Chicken and Watermelon.

This book is a book that is not only for Blacks but for everyone as I feel that everyone can learn something from it.

Great Read!

[Marisol M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first came across, Eating While Black, I was intrigued by the title. Living in the United States I know from experience that race permeates every aspect of society. I was interested to learn more about the way food/food shaming affects BIPOC communities/peoples (specifically the Black community). This narration was very easy to listen to and kept me captivated throughout. I really appreciated that the author explained exactly what they were going to be talking about. They explained what lens/perspective they were using. They used current examples and examples from the past. They relayed the origin of eating while black and how that has changed throughout our history. This book made me aware of the ways I have perpetuated racist notions (specifically within my latine/x community). It called me out but I’m glad that it did because living in the United States no one escapes these racist structures and systems that surround us. I was able to relate what I was learning to my own community and how we are also food shamed and how we food shame others. This book is a conversation starter. It is planting the seed to admit that the way we view/police food needs to change. I think this is a book everyone should read. There were some times where I felt that the author repeated themselves often. I’m not sure if this was done on purpose but that sometimes confused me a little bit but also it made that specific point stick. Again, this book was very eye opening and it has made me view food in a whole new way.

Thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

[Mairy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very curious about this book with its teasing title. I was hoping this book would have had a more historic than sociological context since I love learning about food: the origins of customs, eating habits, and such. I was disappointed that it was so racism-centered. I tried to understand the concept of food shaming, in vain. This subject was too far-fetched even though it contained many good points on food-related matters.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange of my honest opinion.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

*This book was received as a free Advanced Reviewer's Copy from NetGalley.

My pick in food history books has been trending towards those with more of a sociological/political theme lately. Which makes sense, because you can't separate food out from culture and the way it shapes us as humans. This book, written by Williams-Forson, trends heavily in that vein, explaining the impacts that food and people's view on race and culture have.

It should come as no surprise that Williams-Forson is a professor, this book definitely has academic notes to it. But it is still an approachable book to read, and offers readers not only anecdotes but other facts about how food can be used to "other" people or shame. The core of this book explores food shaming, first describing what it is, and then myth-busting some of the thoughts on food. Some notable myths covered are "people eat certain foods because it is all that is available" and "certain foods are always bad for you or unhealthy".

The second one really stuck for me. Because it's often thought that fast food, etc. is bad for you and you shouldn't be eating it, that people who eat it are lazy/cheap/that's all they have access to, etc.; it's easy to miss that that food can be nourishing in ways other than for your physical body. It ignores the fact that certain foods can be nourishing for the soul and mental well-being, which is extremely important.

The food shaming was a tough read as well. Having never experienced it personally (because of my privilege as a white middle-class person), I had heard other people talk about their experiences. That, combined with the different examples presented in this book really drove home how awful it is that people can't just eat what they want without being judged. That even in the act of nourishment and doing something EVERYBODY has to do (eat), there are still people looking to catch people in the "wrong" just because of their race. It has to be exhausting.

I think this is an important read if you're learning about food in general. Not just because if we're talking about food, we're talking about the people who eat it, but also because we just need to do better, we need to recognize when there are issues, and we need to make sure that we are not perpetuating those issues.

Review by M. Reynard 2022

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eating While Black is an absolutely vital read by Dr. Psyche A. Williams-Forson that explores the realities around the food shaming of (and within) Black communities in America. Her essays are deeply thought-provoking and challenging in that she asks the reader to look not only at the perpetuation of dangerous food-related stereotypes that are wielded to further anti-Black racism, but beyond–to also consider the ways in which histories of migration, body shaming, class, and food security (or perceptions of food insecurity) play a major role in the intense policing of what Black people eat. Food, she emphasizes, also plays a crucial role in spiritual comfort and legacy-building, especially in times of disaster and trauma.

Additionally, she asks us to reflect on sustainability and accessibility, especially of context-specific groceries that would serve the immediate community in productive, rather than reductive ways. This was explored in my favourite essay, “Eating in the Meantime: Expanding African American Food Stories in a Changing Food World”, where she critiques the financially unsustainable nature of the farmers market, touches upon the rise of dollar store groceries, and asks us to contemplate the intentions behind community gardens and the performativity of grant writing and inclusivity initiatives that ultimately fall flat. A lot of what she said in this essay totally resonated with me, and has equipped me with a more critical eye.

My only, very mild, critique is that the academic writing style of most of the book (ie. introducing methodologies, lots of citations) lessened the impact of some of the statements made. This is why the aforementioned essay was my favourite; I felt it broke away from this structure and as a result was the most engaging text, as the ideas were rooted in Dr. Williams-Forson’s experiences, thoughts, and recommendations rather than reflecting upon external references or analyzing different media. Not the most constructive criticism considering the academic background of the book itself, but it did weigh on my mind a bit while reading.

Overall, this book was such a stand out for me, and I and will definitely buy a physical copy when it is released so I can annotate it and share it with others.

Thank you so much to The University of North Carolina Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Williams-Forson's "Eating While Black" provides a deep-dive into the social context of food, blackness, fatphobia, and food access (and many more points!) and how these all relate to how American society has policed black people in regards to food and the ways in which we understand (or not) "healthy eating."

The book begins with an anecdote of a Karen-esque figure food-shaming a Black metro worker, who responds with "worry about yourself;" this concept becomes a theme throughout the text. The biggest tl;dr I can offer is "worry about yourself," not just in the context of food but also in life.

Some of the more salient points that stuck out to me:

--food shaming of individual black people for the ways in which they eat that does not examine the contexts of their daily lives, learned history, and social systems is blame-y and weird because it falls into the trap of holding and individual accountable for representing a group overall and ALSO worry about yourself

--the "War on Obesity" is similar to the "War on Drugs" or the "War on Poverty;" they are simply weird shorthand for "war on fat people" and "war on people who use drugs" and "war on poor people

--Guy Fieri can be out here pounding whatever greasy mess he wants on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives but god forbid any black person ever eat anything with a modicum of grease ever because they'll be seen as morally bankrupt

--farmer's markets can be really culturally skewed towards whiteness in a very exclusionary way; I happen to live in a majority black city where there are black vendors at the farmers' markets BUT the point still stands and I know that this is not true for the majority of American spaces and even our farmers' markets do not fully represent the demographics of the city and still skew more towards whiteness

The tone of the book switches back and forth between being more academic and less formal, but does so in a seamless manner. I think this book would make a great textbook in a relevant college-level class (author is a prof, duh, of course she wrote a great textbook) but is also something that non-academics can appreciate and learn from.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

[J Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eating While Black: Food Shaming and Race in America, by Psyche A Williams-Forson, is a wide-ranging and fascinating look at food and eating where they intersect with race and both individual and systemic racism.

For me, and I think for many readers, what stood out were the many more subtle uses of food and eating habits that reinforce racial, and racist, stereotypes and thus help to maintain the system. Even some well-intentioned policies or suggestions are guilty. If you convince, or shame, people into wanting to eat certain foods because they are healthier but the system has made such foods almost impossible to get in the neighborhoods where people live, have you done more good than bad?

The examples and stories here cover a wide range, from the actual food, to the spaces within which food can be consumed, and even the perception of those who prepare the food and create recipes. Running parallel to the idea of food and food consumption, of course, is body image. I found myself going back to another book I read, Fearing the Black Body by Sabrina Springs, and looking specifically at the parts that overlap with Williams-Forson's argument.

If you read this with even a little bit of reflective thought you will have moments when you feel uncomfortable with things you may have done or said (or thought). That is good, we need to feel this so we can begin to make change. Because food is a staple of life we sometimes make the mistake of thinking of it as not being a part of social justice issues, which also means we perhaps are less vigilant about considering how our societal stereotypes affect our thinking about it.

I would recommend this to just about everyone. It will speak to those who love food and share it all the time to help them make sure they are indeed sharing the joy of food and eating. The more we are aware of the subtle ways racism is embedded in our society, and within ourselves (no matter how we try to root it out), the more we can make both personal and societal change a reality.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Vilas Annavarapu · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book was fine. the Williams-Forson's project here is to question, prod, and complicate "single stories" about Black foodways, and she certainly accomplishes that. time and time again, i wanted her to say so much more than she did. for example, I found the author's point that health narratives around Black people create "hysteria where no actual threat exists in order to justify surveilling, controlling, and killing Black people," quite compelling, but there wasn't more analysis here. hysteria & emotionality are highly relevant to food cultures, and i was hoping for a deeper structural analysis or a set of relevant author observations. a lot of the book read like a dissertation--there were lots of citations and little space to breathe between them. that said, there were lots of great takeaways:

1. food is complex. bodies are complex. our relationship to food and our bodies are complex. to make moral judgements based on what our eyes see is foolish. Williams-Forson does a great job invoking trauma, structural racism, history, comfort, and access as other points to the prism of food.
2. so much of food is about meaning making. we should not disrupt people's self-narratives, but create conditions so foodways can expand. eating new food should be a joy and choice, not an imposition. there's a tension here between familiarity and discovery that needs to be explored without a moralizing framework.

as someone building a food/beverage worker-cooperative in South Jackson understanding food habits is crucial. food that is not "traditionally" Southern (although historically it might be), will likely meet resistance. i'm excited to discover how foodways could meld together and communities create new self-understandings through the shared love of something new.

[Shelley Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Food is both intensely personal and intensely political. What we eat reflects not only on personal preferences and the choices available, but also on history, economics and culture. Any intervention, no matter how well-intended, into an individual's or a community's food habits needs to be taken in humility and with a full understanding of the complexity involved. Shaming someone for eating what they eat should have no place in this equation.

This is the argument that Williams-Forson makes in this thought-provoking and convincing book. African-American experiences with food, and with food shaming, are placed front and center. Stereotypes about what Black people eat or don't eat, and the healthiness of traditional cuisines, are examined, and the politics of food production and distribution dissected. Food, she argues, is central to a sense of identity and belonging. Anti-Black racism underlie and undermine many choices around food. Policies like redlining create food deserts. Likewise unequal government agricultural policies have slashed the numbers of Black farmers and land ownership, from one million African-American farmers working over 40 million acres in the 1920s, to today's figure of 1.4 percent of all farmers owning less than five million acres. Issues like these, rather than individual 'laziness' or lack of health education, affect food choices.

The way personal experiences are interspersed with statistics makes reading this slender book easier to read. The author does a good job of showing the complexity around food and identity in a way that appeals both to an average reader and to an academic.

[Magen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book opens with an anecdote about a Black Transit Authority worker eating on a Metro train, which was not allowed up until recently. When asked (quite rudely) about it (and after being photographed) the employee responded “worry about yourself”. The author uses this to set the tone for the rest of the book. Because of course it’s certainly more complicated than that but it was a perfect premise. Food is a tool. For power, for comfort, for control, both personally and professionally. Williams-Forson takes us through many examples and anecdotes that fall under the personal and professional categories, as well as pop culture. Food is such a huge part of each person, of their culture, and the view that Black people must be regulated in all things, even what and how they eat, seems disturbingly prominent in the media and everyday life in general. It’s also not just about food or eating or clothes or music or the dozens of other things Black people are freely criticized for—it’s how all those things are inexplicably linked together. The patterns are there, we must pay attention and call out this racism for what it is.

The book read like a particularly interesting textbook. I greatly enjoyed reading it, Williams-Forson has an enjoyable writing style that leads the reader to think and question as they read. I often took a moment to reflect on a chapter or section after finishing. And ultimately, the original anecdote’s point stands. Worry about yourself!

Thank you to NetGalley and the University of North Carolina Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. (NC proud!)

[Ann Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is quite powerful. You can find racism in so many parts of daily life and food is most definitely not exempt.

Williams-Forson exposes racism in so many different aspects of the simple act of eating. She looks at history, economics, advertising, news, culture, and so much more. From the very beginning of her book she says “I found myself thinking about what it means simply to eat publicly and privately as a Black person in America. So often our food encounters - whether trying to get, prepare, consume, or enjoy food - are under fire.”

Our author uses stories from her own life as well as scenes from notable television shows like Boardwalk Empire and The Wire, which really take her ideas home.

When she talks about her daughter being weighed in front of a classroom as her health teacher talked about the dangers that Black people face with obesity my jaw DROPPED.

A handful of things I cannot stop thinking about after reading this book:
- Why are Black people shamed for enjoying foods they love with their family because others may see it as “unhealthy,” yet others are praised for their sophisticated taste in eating at decadent high-end restaurant?
- Why are many farmers market initiatives that are set up specifically to address fresh food deserts in Black communities mostly cater to white consumers?
- Why are Black children consistently seen as older than white children and therefore as having more control over their food consumption?

This book is eye-opening and another way we can examine our racial biases and be better.

[Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Forgot how I came across this book, but I was fascinated by the idea. With the holiday season upon us, food is always an issue. What's acceptable and what's not to bring to potlucks. How to manage holiday lunches/dinners/parties, etc. What sort of access people have to different types of foods and what that says about us. This is a book that is specifically looking at food and how anti-Blackness operates when it comes to food.

It was interesting to see the history, political/social/etc. contexts that drive perceptions, access, and cultural attachments to food and its roots. And that quite frankly, a lot of this has been driven by political forces rooted in racism that affect everything from food access to health impacts to what people *think* Black people eat/like to eat, etc.

Do have to agree with the negative reviews, though. It felt like that it was for an audience that was not me (fine!) but also felt very academic in the sense that it was for someone who was already very familiar with the subject matter. It may have to do with me being not being the target audience but it just felt like this did not quite get the point it wanted across to someone who isn't quite as knowledgeable (but might for someone who is!).

Overall I did think it was good to read but also could have gone without. I borrowed this from the library and that was best for me.

[Cass · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love stumbling upon books on a topic that I have never thought of or known before, but after reading it creates an urge to keep exploring deeper into it. For how ubiquitous and meaning-embedded food is, I struggle to understand how I went this long without looking deep into it.
I knew I would be getting something incredible out of this book when Williams-Forson continually emphasized that people are complex and contradictory. I've been becoming less and less tolerant of books (or any media) that try to make sweeping and/or profound statements by lumping everyone in a group together. It's particularly harmful when discussing black people, because (as should come to no surprise) black people are a massive and widely diverse group -- a group that eats many different things for many different reasons. I (as a white person) never realized how many conundrums and rules come with eating while black, and never have truly understood the impact of my food shaming/teasing. I've also bought into the idea of improving people's diet through veganism and farmers markets and the like, and even though I knew that these things weren't realistic, I didn't see how much I was limiting myself through not considering the challenges and comforts black people have with eating, cooking, buying, planning, and enjoying food.

[Lizzie (Dizzy Lizzie’s Book Emporium) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to NetGalley and University of North Carolina Press / RB Media for early access to the audiobook of Eating While Black: Food Shaming and Race in America by Psyche A. Williams-Forsen in exchange for an honest review.

CW: body shaming, food shaming, diet culture, racism, racial slurs, disordered eating

In a racism-saturated society, nothing and no one is untouched by our history of racial oppression. This includes how we think about food. Food policing, akin to tone policing, means that many black people feel restricted in what foods they can eat, where, and with whom in order to maintain their dignity. This book explores food's role in survival, homemaking, and belonging for Black Americans and challenges all people, regardless of race to "worry about yourself" when it comes to other peoples' food decisions.

I have always been a huge proponent of the idea that food is connection and represents so much more than just the sustenance we need to survive. Food is life, culture, community, creativity, fun. Food is also political, just as bodies are political. As such, food is yet another means by which people have been oppressed. This book is a fantastic analysis of the intersectionality of systemic racism, food apartheid, diet culture, white supremacy and body shaming. This is not a book that you should jump straight into if you have not done any preliminary work in deconstructing your own personal biases and recognizing your own role in systemic oppression. However, if you have done that initial work and you are ready to unPACK, UNpack, UNPACK, then this is an excellent resource.

[Becca Deverter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Tantor Audio for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is incredibly important in addressing the complexity surrounding the issues of food in the Black community by discussing general stereotypes about what Black people eat and don’t eat, misconceptions about the Black community in general regarding symbolic and traditional cuisines, and the politics of food distribution. People may be upset that everything is becoming “political,” but that is truly the state of our society and Williams-Forson demonstrated this by discussing redlining, food deserts, and inequitable agricultural policies. We need to embrace these issues and learn from them so that we can enact change. The author shows that racism is engrained in all of our society, including food — food is not a black and white issue, it is truly complex and the ultimate display of power. I think everyone needs to read this in order to address these issues that have always been a part of our society. This was a delightful mix of personal stories and scholarly research, which I believe enriched this book and made it more personal.

The narrator, L. Malaika Cooper was lovely. Her voice was clear and steady, and her narration kept me hooked.

[CC Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have heard a few things about racism and food over the past few years that as a white cis woman living in Europe I have never thought about and wanted to make an effort of understanding better. I am unsure how qualified I am to give a good review of a book that does not represent me but would only be educational for me. I cannot verify or claim how well this represents reality.

I really appreciate the information in this book but it was a lot more academic in writing style than I am usually comfortable with - this really had an impact on my reading experience that I did not necessarily anticipate. This book holds a wealth of information into the way food and the surrounding customs and culture connects and interacts with race and class but I would have much more appreciated if it would have been done in a personal narrative style. I usually enjoy non-fiction most if it tries to read like fiction - maybe that is a clear me-problem and other readers would be the exact opposite. For those who appreciate an academic format with everything including citations and quotations this book might be a gem to learn from - it simply was not the right style for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of the book in exchange for this honest review.