August 2, 2011 | 11:41 AM | By

“Eating While Black: How I Navigate Watermelon, Fried Chicken, and Frozen Yogurt”

Writer Aydrea Walden reflects on a recent visit to Pinkberry, where she was repeatedly offered the “Watermelon” option. The upscale frozen yogurt store’s staff also assumed she was with the only black family in the shop:


Maybe Pinkberry was really trying to move the watermelon that week. And the week after that. (For the record, the signs outside the store were pushing the seasonal salted caramel). Maybe I did really resemble the strangers standing behind me in a meaningful way. Whatever it was, I suddenly felt uncomfortable.

I reside on the uncomfortable side of the race equation every day of my life…Through it all, I’ve also denied myself a hell of a lot of fried chicken

— www.good.is

About the author

DCentric was created to examine the ways race and class interact in Washington, D.C., a city with a vibrant mix of cultures and neighborhoods. Your guides to the changing district are reporters Anna John and Elahe Izadi. View all posts by Anna →