Belfast, Northern Ireland--I'm finally here. After six hours of flying, several
conversations involving me pretending to understand an Irish accent, a "Monk" episode and several meals in teeny, tiny airline trays, I landed safely in the capital city of Northern Ireland. I do love my American foods, but I decided to bring my dear readers with me in my journey as a TN2020 participant and first-time visitor to Northern Ireland.
Regional and local foods are important, whether you are in Bangor, Maine or Bangkok, Thailand. I implore you to resist the international Pizza Huts, Chilis, and Dunkin Donuts outlets, and eat locally as much as possible when you travel. One of the first things I did when I got to Belfast was head to a local pub for some golden fish and chips. Fish and chips is the U.K.'s most popular dish comprising a lightly battered piece of haddock or cod, served with what we know as steak french fries in the states. Similar to catfish in the U.S., the subtle flavor of the fish is seasoned by the what it's battered and what you put on it. So your flavor sources come from the beer and salt in the batter and the vinegar. Proper fish and chips also includes peas or mashed peas and a simple salad.
As I plunged the side of my fork into my crisp piece of fish, I breathed in the sights and smells of the pub, and I sighed to myself. I was wondering if people were looking at me, considering I was the only brown face in the room. I can't assume I know what people think when they see me here, but I can wonder if the history books in Ireland have done a better job than the ones in the U.S. in celebrating the complicated history of African-Americans and the Emerald Isle. Ireland, particularly cities Dublin and Belfast, has had a tremendous impact on African-American life and culture during the most important times in U.S. political and cultural history. From the anti-slavery movement of the 19th century to the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, Ireland has been a source of inspiration and support for African-Americans.
When on a black taxi tour of Belfast, I was thrilled to see a mural in commemoration of abolitionist-feminist Frederick Douglass on a wall of political images in the city. Douglass spent two years in the United Kingdom beginning in 1845 to plead the cause of abolition to Brits. Douglass arrived as the Potato Famine was ravishing Irish livelihood and he was in a unique position to truly empathize with the small farmers and families uncertain about securing their most basic needs under an oppressive regime. His two-year stint in Europe helped him secure the monies for his freedom, and Ireland remained deep in his heart for decades to come. As a lover of freedom, he supported Irish Home Rule, and visited the place where he said he was treated not "as a color, but as man," again in 1886.
The mural reminds the Irish, and visitors that Douglass was:
"Inspired by two Irishmen to escape from slavery Frederick Douglass came to Ireland during the famine. Henceforth he championed the abolition of slavery, women's rights and Irish freedom."
The mural also includes a message from Douglass to the Irish:
" Perhaps no class has carried prejudice against colour to a point more dangerous than have the Irish and yet no people have been more relentlessly oppressed on account of race and religion."
Later generations of African-American leaders would continue to see the Irish struggle as paralleling Black life in America. On the precipice of constructing a 'New Negro' movement in the U.S., philosopher and scholar Alain Locke declared, "In Harlem, Negro life is seizing upon its first chances for group expression and self-determination. That is why our comparison is taken with those nascent centers of folk-expression and self-determination which are playing a creative part in the world today. Without pretense to their political significance, Harlem has the same role to play for the New Negro as Dublin has had for the New Ireland..."
To learn more about Black America's green roots, for all the good and bad, check out Ken Burns' New York, enjoy some Harlem Renaissance writings and art, learn about Zora Neale Hurston's roots in Eatonville, Florida and raise a pint of Guinness to the spirit of our struggles and our common bonds.
Now that is food for thought...
Happy Eating!
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