I Am Not Available for Your Consumption

by Shaker Mod aforalpha[Content Note: Racism othering.]About annually, in celebration of the presence of cacao butter and tastebuds, I order a few bars of vegan whitened chocolate. This can be a Large Deal. It is a large deal since it involves shipping & handling and perhaps cold packs. I anxiously waited until December this season, wishing to avoid wasting cash on the cold packs and also have some lovely, lovely chocolate to savor throughout finals, but my personal favorite store was offered out. Don’t worry, I'll try another. I immediately considered Food Fight Grocery in Tigard, OR. This is an all vegan supermarket which i might have dreamed about playing supermarket sweep in. (Don't judge me.) I drawn up their online store page, typed "whitened chocolate" in to the search and located this:"Whenever you seem like whitened is appropriate. Or mix with dark choc chips to eracism."I just read might I did not want chocolate any longer. I needed Alka-Seltzer. And equality. You will find a lot of things wrong with individuals two sentences, I hardly know where to start. I believe most likely the place to start is really a indication that you will find too many individuals the condition of Or that do seem like whitened is appropriate. The Southern Poverty Law Center lists 12 whitened supremacist hate groups within the condition of Or. You realize, I only like whitened chocolate. Guess what happens I do not like? Things I find completely and absolutely abhorrent? The ideologies famous individuals hate groups. And every one of those things within the 11 pages of hate occurrences (racially motivated or else) reported to police force in Or from 2003-2012. That somebody will make a tale about my chocolate preference being about whitened supremacy, eliminationism, and, within my situation, self-hate, is not humor—it's racism.The product description further makes light of institutionalized racism and racial violence by showing whitened supremacy as two equally valid options. They are just preferences! Today whitened chocolate macadamia tomorrow triple chocolate chunk. It isn't like people die due to this or anything. And, while we are about them, I'm not a dark nick. Marginalized people aren't mix-inches. Society is not some kind of make-your-own-sundae bar. "Hmm, this board of company directors tastes just a little racist." And trust, adding a few people of color isn't enough to...eracism. Probably the individual accountable for this jewel of the description of product is somebody that counts POC among hir buddies (or possibly "buddies"). Possibly zie is hirself an individual of color. But. No, I'm formally completed with people mentioning to individuals, especially people of color, as food. No chocolate, mocha, caramel. No "you appear sufficiently good to eat." Individuals are not food. Company the product description describes whitened people like a baking product, too, however in a culture having a lengthy good reputation for dehumanizing and othering people of color, mentioning to individuals of color as food only serves to strengthen the thought of POC as existing for that benefit and pleasure of whitened people.