Considering I hail from an Egg McMuffin kind of world, it's quite refreshing to spend some time in Ireland, where breakfast is a serious affair. Continental breakfast at most U.S. hotels involve a muffin or a pack of Donettes and cup of coffee. Irish breakfast, by contrast, is a celebration of food groups, cuisines and a formidable challenge to the digestive system. A traditional Irish breakfast comprises rashers (or bacon), sausages (I tried a pork and leek version) fried eggs, puddings (white and black blood sausages), toast, potato cakes, baked beans, fried tomatoes and sauted mushrooms. And breads and pastries. Yes, all for breakfast...
My mom always advised that you start the day with brain food. We ate oatmeal not blood sausages, but my mom was so right. Breakfast isn't just about nourishing the mind either, it's also about nourishing communities. When the Black Panther Party for Self Defense formed in 1966, its youth leadership organized to protect their neighborhoods from police brutality. This vision grew into a wide array of programs ranging from education to health care. One of the Party's most visible programs was the Free Breakfast for School Children program, one of many 'survival programs,' that helped sustain the Party's many goals. Started in August of 1969 at Oakland's St. Augustine's Church, the breakfast program was the realization of a new vision for social programs that uplifted the dignity of its service recipients. At the breakfast programs, kids did not have to be embarrassed, families did not have to hide from prying social workers and youth learned that feeding your neighbor meant empowering your neighborhood. That is why police raids on Party food pantries, among other acts of violence, were particularly devastating to the organization's morale. The Party's history and its members is not a perfect story; yet, the successes and the programs of the movement can help us think creatively about our meals and how they can transform our lives. So, this weekend, how about you go to your local church, neighborhood association or group of friends and talk about ways to collect foods for families that are hurting during this financial crisis. Become inspired by the movements that shaped our nation, learn about the young, Party martyrs Fred Hampton and Mark Clark. Learn from the Party's failures to stand up for the freedom and dignity of women and abolish gender discrimination within its ranks. Reflect on the words of former Party member Marion Stamps: "It is our responsibility to see to it that our people have a decent place to live, decent food to eat, and quality health care."
Happy (communal) eating!
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