Racial harmony in the kitchen
Healing the world... one cookie at a time
December 6, 2006
Amanda Ling
I would consider myself an accepting person.
I mean, as a person of colour (remember, “black” isn’t the only one that counts), I welcome the fact that Canada is a melting pot of cultures. Or whatever. Which is why I was so impressed with the Trinity Western University slogan for the year: “Engage your world: lead.”
Oh man, that phrase just screams “I-love-you-in-the-name-of-Jesus-no-matter-what-colour-you-are!” Beautiful. However, I have to say that even though I have witnessed a good amount of ethnic acceptance here on campus, there is one place that I have yet to find adequate cultural sensitivity: the kitchen.
Yes, the kitchen, where sacred and lasting bonding takes place. There should especially be no racial stipulations here. So, as a student leader who has an obligation to convincingly role-play this year’s catchphrase (and trust me, there’s nothing more I’d like to do than personally engage the globe in a loving embrace), I decided to do something about the racist kitchens on campus.
In all honesty, the following story happened completely by coincidence, but because I am a TWU student, I believe that there are no coincidences – only divine interventions.
I was in Robson a couple weeks ago, baking cookies with a friend, a pale, non-coloured friend. As we were putting the dough on the sheets, Chris Nash, a half-coloured friend, walked in. He flashed us a smile, passed aimlessly through the kitchen, and headed back to his room.
So, through this seemingly pointless and random kitchen-walkthrough by Chris, my pale friend and I had an epiphany as we stared at our dough. We decided to make a black cookie. In other words, we piled as many chocolate chips onto the surface of one cookie as we could. I mean, hello, what better way to connect with Chris than by making him a cookie that echoed his skin colour?
Exhibit A: look at the picture to your right. Here is Chris, gleefully devouring his cookie. Notice the way the chocolate matches his eyebrows, his hair, and his velvety skin. I know, I sort of wish we were both still single.
Selfish reasons aside, the important aspect of this story is that my friend and I were able to make a real-life connection with a person of colour through the use of the kitchen.
So let’s recap: my white friend, my black friend, and I, created an eternal hallowed bond through nothing more than sugar, flour, eggs, and chocolate chips. So, the next time you find yourself wanting to engage your world and make a new friend, just find a kitchen. It doesn’t take as much time or effort as truly following the TWU slogan, and you won’t be disappointed with the outcome.
Now you go...
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