Give a voice to the voiceless!

File this one under, “What the hell?”

Carondelet High School in Concord, Calif., an all-girls Catholic high school, has come under some well-deserved scrutiny for serving, in honor of Black History Month, a lunch of fried chicken, cornbread and watermelon. Let’s all take a moment to chew on that for a second. For gay pride month, perhaps the cafeteria could serve Skittles and the right to be fired from your job.

The school cook, Leslie Calhoun, said she has been trying to institute a special menu for Black History Month for some time but was just this year allowed to do so. Calhoun, who I should note is herself African-American, said she doesn’t understand the controversy surrounding her menu choices. “I don’t understand at all,” she told reporters. “It’s not trying to offend anybody and it’s not trying to suggest that that’s all that African-Americans eat. It’s just a good meal. I thought it would go over well.” Does the fact that the cook is black make the meal less offense, just as offensive, or more offensive?

The school has since apologized for having offended anyone and has held a general assembly on “diversity,” because nothing resonates more with the student than a forced-to-attend assembly. “Hey kids, don’t be racist. OK? And don’t bully. Now help yourself to some more collard greens.” How did they amend the menu to make it a little less minstrel-esque? According to the school, they simply removed the slice of watermelon.

Oh. And if you ever wanted to know just what exactly privileged private school girls eat during the day, take a look at the school’s regular menu here.

They had me at buttermilk pancakes, free-range eggs and “house-made” ice cream sandwiches.

Give a voice to the voiceless!