I enjoyed reading your article on navigating the complicated relationship Black people have with fried chicken and watermelon.

My two sons are adopted and Black and I am white. This means the question of soul food can be somewhat complicated for my family.

My oldest son loves watermelon and mac and cheese more than any other food in the world. He is completely without any qualms or hesitations about this, no matter who is at the table with him. One of my greatest hopes is to raise both my sons to be proud of their Black heritage and Black culture.

Food is my love language, so naturally I’m drawn to making them delicious soul food favorites like shrimp and grits, mac and cheese and fried chicken. (They don’t like collard greens, though! That’s one for another day.) When I cook from cookbooks by modern Black chefs, I hope it doesn’t amount to cultural appropriation.

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I found it very interesting the article noted a difference between Black folks raised in predominantly white settings, who felt the need to code switch, and Black folks raised in mostly Black areas, who didn’t change what they ate based on who was present. Living in Columbia, I suspect my boys are surrounded by enough Black friends that they won’t ever shy away from eating any soul food dishes they desire.

Perhaps by seasoning our meals with some soul, I can help my sons love who they are and where they came from.

Leah Shepherd

Columbia