Black Pepper...But the Lady is Brown

In the US I have never personally encountered a product with a caricature on the packaging. Maybe if I was in a museum or something like that, but never have I walked into a store and was like wow, that's racist. I guess I could say Aunt Jemima, a glorified mammy figure. Eh, so I guess I have. But! It was something that people were aware of and I wasn't the only one with a hurt in my spirit. But I digress, the reason for this post is to reiterate that racism is alive and well and it does not have borders.

A few days ago we walked into a common grocery chain here and were looking for ingredients to cook, like anybody would right? We get to the seasoning aisle and though we were only looking for salt, something caught my precious little eye. The picture below shows a brand that has decided to use this picture to describe black pepper. And no that does not mean melanin, although I thought it did. It is roughly translated to a powder of somesort. "Crn Piper" is translated into "black pepper".

Now Mecca, why would you post this, they're not going to stop producing this packaging. Well I know that. This post is to share my frustration as to why this is still happening in 2018! People who have never seen a Black person in real life might look at this and think that this is what they should base us on. Like I know I'm the livest five to come out of Omicron Spring 16, I know I am the first Black/African-American person that many people in my city have seen in person. I can tell by the stares, comments, and whatnot. And before they get to know me, all they have to compare me to are the celebrities on television #onedaymecca and this packet of pepper.

Why is this okay? It's not!

Although people may not think so, the United States has some a lil, A LIL, ways from where we were 60 years ago. We still ain't perfect, but have made a LIL progress. Now, coming from back home with the amount of progress we have made thus far, I wasn't ready for the progress that was still to be done in this part of the world as a whole. But Mecca, how do we help, how do we combat this to get everyone up to speed that packaging like this is not okay and treating others badly because of the melanin in their skin is a no no? TELL SOMEBODY.

All it takes is for one person to be like, hey this isn't okay, she's a human being, then it spreads. I feel like word-of-mouth is one of the best marketing techniques there is. Tell somebody, bring it up at dinner, call people out on their ignorance, when you see someone reaching for your Black co-worker's hair say something. Because between me and you (all of y'all), I can't get to everybody, I won't be able to reach everyone. Ten ants going out doing work is better than one. #ABugsLife

Now, breathe. In.......Out..... That was a lot, no lie. But it's the truth. Sometimes the truth hurts, and yeah it sucks, but we gotta hear it, and we gotta act on it. I love y'all, #grouphug

...... and no, I did not buy the pepper, it is still sitting on the shelf.

#macedonia #shopping #pepper #sayitloudimblackandimproud #speakup #dothework #lil