UberEats has been accused of being ‘tone deaf’ after playing on stereotypes for Black History Month by using a picture of a Black woman eating fried chicken.
The advert comes as part of a promotion that aims to ‘celebrate’ Black History Month by offering a discount at Afro Caribbean restaurants for the month of October.
UberEats users can get £5 off when they spend £25 at selected restaurants that offer African and Caribbean influenced cuisine from Thursday 1st October until Wednesday 7th October, and then every following Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday throughout the month.
Black History Month is meant to be an opportunity to recognise, celebrate and amplify Black stories and voices, and some believe the food delivery company has missed the mark with this ‘tone deaf’ promotion and image.
‘Wow …. I see they want to push the stereotypes on TV and advertising,’ Tweeted one critic.
‘Yikes to this tone deaf marketing,’ added another.
‘Really classy of @UberEats to use Black History Month as a marketing campaign. And to illustrate Black History Month with… a photo of a Black person…eating chicken? Nice.’
Another added: ‘How is using a stereotypical picture of a black woman eating chicken for your black history month promo meant to celebrate black history let alone dismantle racism? @UberEats I just don’t understand the logic.’
The issue is with the long-standing and reductive stereotype that says all Black people love fried chicken.
It’s an archaic, racist stereotype that harks back to post-slavery America – historians believe the implication is that it is a messy food that you eat with your hands, therefore it is dirty.
There was also a famous scene in the racist 1915 film about the founder of the Ku Klux Klan, The Birth of a Nation, in which a Black person is scene eating fried chicken in a grotesque manner.
So this problematic history is why some feel it was inappropriate for an image of a Black person eating chicken to be used in a promotion for Black History Month.
Others called into question other aspects of the promotion – asking if the restaurants included in the deal were Black-owned, which is not specified in the terms of the deal.
‘Restaurants that offer “African & Caribbean influenced cuisine” doesn’t even necessarily mean they are black owned,’ said one. ‘Yes, it can still celebrate black cultural foods but it is not supporting the people. Matter of fact, it’s not even authentic.’
Metro.co.uk has approached UberEats for comment.
We will update this article if we receive a response.
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Black History Month
October marks Black History Month, which reflects on the achievements, cultures and contributions of black people in the UK and across the globe, as well as educating others about the diverse history of those from African and Caribbean descent.
For more information about the events and celebrations that are taking place this year, visit the official Black History Month website.
source https://metro.co.uk/2020/10/02/ubereats-slammed-for-tone-deaf-black-history-month-post-showing-black-girl-eating-chicken-13359922/
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