Before reading the book The Cooking Gene by Michael Twitty, I already knew some dangers African Americans had from the early development of the use of slavery, laws, and segregation. With my feeling of slavery, I have feared life as a slave because as a young black male that was never experienced working on a plantation picking cotton and being watched over with wipes and guns. As time was going moving forward the idea of slavery was disappearing by-laws but still had invisible underlinings like the early time of segregation of white and color. The effects of segregation black or people with colored skin hardly had any support from the government cause a lot of anger and struggles. All this information I knew is from outside views from text and films.
But for Michael Twitty and his book, it is different for him because he was learning stories from life as a person of color in the south, and his rage as a young boy learning these facts change his views of the world. With this in his mind, he already knew his life will be more difficult to live and move forward because the fact of racism is hidden to get in his way with every turn he takes. So, he will not be blindsided when he can’t get a job because his name does not match his skin like mine. One day I was trying to get a job to save so money to get my life started as a young adult. The job I tried to apply for was a cashier or cook at a local Popeye’s Chicken with their 2-step application process I easily pass the first step was online paperwork. The second step was to come in the store for an in-person interview but failed due to my last Savare which is French, but my skin was black. The worst part was the manager was white and he even had a member of staff who was Black in the back cooking.
