Gumbo or chicken and waffles? Food as a metaphor of the African American identity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/LL.1.2022.003Keywords
African American children’s literature, picture book, foodscape, text-image relationships, African American identityAbstract
African American children’s literature has always been political. Its primary aim is to promote a positive image of black community in the United States, as well as to shape the racial identity of young readers. For many African American authors food has become a metaphor of cultural and emotional bonds, being a source of optimism, pride in being Black and the willingness to struggle with social inequalities. The aim of the article is to discuss the social and political functions of food in African American communities, as shown in selected picture books by black authors and illustrators, such as Nikki Giovanni, Faith Ringgold, Bryan Collier and Oge Mora. The analysis of the relationships between verbal narratives and outstanding illustrations by renown American artists, showing the home space in which food stands for the uniqueness of African American culture, is the main part of the article.
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