The Origins of Soul Food in Black Urban Identity

Great Migration  Period in American history when African-Americans from the South moved North  New York and Chicago were top two destinations for migrants  In Chicago, migrants predominately settled on the South Side  In 1920, 4.1% of Chicago’s population was African American  By 1944, it would be 9.3%  Period in American history when African-Americans from the South moved North  New York and Chicago were top two destinations for migrants  In Chicago, migrants predominately settled on the South Side  In 1920, 4.1% of Chicago’s population was African American  By 1944, it would be 9.3%

Clash Between The Cultures  Most Black migrants to Chicago came from the rural South  Their culture directly clashed with the Black bourgeois establishment  Black native Chicagoans took pride in their “clean” ways and manners, and were upset when migrants wouldn’t conform  Most Black migrants to Chicago came from the rural South  Their culture directly clashed with the Black bourgeois establishment  Black native Chicagoans took pride in their “clean” ways and manners, and were upset when migrants wouldn’t conform

Clash Between The Cultures, cont’d.  These conflicts were clearly demonstrated in the pages of the Chicago Defender  The Defender constantly railed against the “unsightly, unsanitary eating places and wagons  Raved about one restaurant which catered to white clientele by hiring Chinese cooks, who were considered “exotic”  These conflicts were clearly demonstrated in the pages of the Chicago Defender  The Defender constantly railed against the “unsightly, unsanitary eating places and wagons  Raved about one restaurant which catered to white clientele by hiring Chinese cooks, who were considered “exotic”

Clash Between The Cultures, cont’d.  The Defender also gave condescending advice to Black households  One column urged Black people to eat and prepare European-style foods  Hot cross buns  Cucumber finger sandwiches  Another column warned of the health perils of eating condiments  All contributed to the stereotype of Black migrants as unclean  The Defender also gave condescending advice to Black households  One column urged Black people to eat and prepare European-style foods  Hot cross buns  Cucumber finger sandwiches  Another column warned of the health perils of eating condiments  All contributed to the stereotype of Black migrants as unclean

History of the Southern foods  Slave cooks prepared meals from ingredients indigenous to North America that resembled African plants  Sweet potatoes  Peanuts  Watermelon  Okra  Through this fusion, the lexicon for Southern Black meals was created  Fried chicken  Chitlins  BBQ  Pot likker  Slave cooks prepared meals from ingredients indigenous to North America that resembled African plants  Sweet potatoes  Peanuts  Watermelon  Okra  Through this fusion, the lexicon for Southern Black meals was created  Fried chicken  Chitlins  BBQ  Pot likker

Food as a Pride of the People  Post-Civil War, Southern landowners focused on profitable crops such as tobacco, and grew less food  Diseases such as boll weevil and soil exhausted by the nutrient draining tobacco and cotton plants meant that many sharecroppers were barely feeding their families  Landowners wouldn’t let sharecroppers portion off land for food, forcing them to buy food from stores owned by the landowners, further raising their debt  Post-Civil War, Southern landowners focused on profitable crops such as tobacco, and grew less food  Diseases such as boll weevil and soil exhausted by the nutrient draining tobacco and cotton plants meant that many sharecroppers were barely feeding their families  Landowners wouldn’t let sharecroppers portion off land for food, forcing them to buy food from stores owned by the landowners, further raising their debt

Food as a Pride of the People, cont’d.  Sharecroppers continued to grow small amounts of food and rely heavily on fishing, foraging, and small game hunting for sustenance  Communal eating once again rose to the forefront in Black culture as small items were gathered together for large feasts  Food came to represent the resilience of Southern Black culture  Sharecroppers continued to grow small amounts of food and rely heavily on fishing, foraging, and small game hunting for sustenance  Communal eating once again rose to the forefront in Black culture as small items were gathered together for large feasts  Food came to represent the resilience of Southern Black culture

Small changes in the diet  When Black people changed location, they changed diets  But did so slowly and without impact on the diet  Meals became lighter and meals were eaten in order to work around an urban work schedule  When Black people changed location, they changed diets  But did so slowly and without impact on the diet  Meals became lighter and meals were eaten in order to work around an urban work schedule

Consistency  Black meals remained consistent with their Southern history  Accessibility to Southern foods was a factor in moving North  Black cooks used only fresh ingredients, not processed foods  Black meals remained consistent with their Southern history  Accessibility to Southern foods was a factor in moving North  Black cooks used only fresh ingredients, not processed foods

Contribution to mass culture in Chicago  Stores began to cater to the hours and tastes of Southern migrants  The cash wage provided a spending power to Black migrants that they hadn’t previously had  Also, migrant entrepreneurs began to open their own restaurants and establishments  In 1928, restaurant and grocery store owners comprised of 30% of all Black entrepreneurs  In 1930, 235 Black women were restaurant owners, making it the #1 “clean” profession  Stores began to cater to the hours and tastes of Southern migrants  The cash wage provided a spending power to Black migrants that they hadn’t previously had  Also, migrant entrepreneurs began to open their own restaurants and establishments  In 1928, restaurant and grocery store owners comprised of 30% of all Black entrepreneurs  In 1930, 235 Black women were restaurant owners, making it the #1 “clean” profession

Prejudice and Diverging Attitudes  The Defender promoted Black entrepreneurship on the South Side…  …but only for those bourgeois establishments like the Elite and the DeLuxe  Middle class Black folk thought it distasteful to be seen around “lazy, jitterbugging” migrants  As the Depression neared, a different mindset came to the community  The Chicago Whip initiated the “Don’t Spend Your Money Where You Can’t Work” campaign  Capitalism ensured that this campaign wouldn’t work, as most businesses on the South Side were owned by non-Blacks  The Defender promoted Black entrepreneurship on the South Side…  …but only for those bourgeois establishments like the Elite and the DeLuxe  Middle class Black folk thought it distasteful to be seen around “lazy, jitterbugging” migrants  As the Depression neared, a different mindset came to the community  The Chicago Whip initiated the “Don’t Spend Your Money Where You Can’t Work” campaign  Capitalism ensured that this campaign wouldn’t work, as most businesses on the South Side were owned by non-Blacks

The Decline  Chicago was the site of two prosperous Black banks  However, ties between the banks and small businesses were not established  Black banks had limited capital; suffered badly after 1929 crash  Because of that, small businesses were forced to close, limit credit, or turn to white banks  Chicago was the site of two prosperous Black banks  However, ties between the banks and small businesses were not established  Black banks had limited capital; suffered badly after 1929 crash  Because of that, small businesses were forced to close, limit credit, or turn to white banks

The Decline, cont’d.  As overcrowding set in from the migration, commercial space became more valuable  Land became more expensive  Landlords, both Black and white, wouldn’t rent to people who they didn’t consider “respectable”  As overcrowding set in from the migration, commercial space became more valuable  Land became more expensive  Landlords, both Black and white, wouldn’t rent to people who they didn’t consider “respectable”

The Decline, cont’d  Competition with white businesses became more difficult  Thinking was that lower-class Black people had been brainwashed with the mentality that they had to shop in a white store  Offering credit was also a problem  Businesses owned by whites were more likely to offer credit, as they had more resources than Black business owners  Competition with white businesses became more difficult  Thinking was that lower-class Black people had been brainwashed with the mentality that they had to shop in a white store  Offering credit was also a problem  Businesses owned by whites were more likely to offer credit, as they had more resources than Black business owners

The Decline, cont’d.  Although Black people owned half the businesses on the South Side, Black people only spent 10% of their dollars there  60-95% of the stores that opened there closed within seven years, resulting in high turnover  Although Black people owned half the businesses on the South Side, Black people only spent 10% of their dollars there  60-95% of the stores that opened there closed within seven years, resulting in high turnover

Conclusion  Post-World War II, Black businesses began to rise again  Fewer division between establishment and migrants as racial solidarity sets in  Showed the rise in power of the migrant business owners  The Defender eventually started running ads for migrant businesses  Post-World War II, Black businesses began to rise again  Fewer division between establishment and migrants as racial solidarity sets in  Showed the rise in power of the migrant business owners  The Defender eventually started running ads for migrant businesses