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Black America Web
02-05-2025
- Health
- Black America Web
Why Do Black People Wash Their Chicken Before Cooking?
Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE Source: towfiqu ahamed / Getty Black people have been washing chicken, steak, and just about every other kind of meat since forever, and no, not with dish soap (despite that one viral video that haunts us all). It's a sacred kitchen ritual, passed down through generations and across the diaspora. Whether it's lemon, lime, vinegar, or a combo of all three, mixed with a touch of water, that citrusy rinse isn't just about cleanliness, it's about pride, tradition, and making sure your food is really ready before it hits the pan. In recent years, the internet (and a few food safety experts) have stirred the pot, claiming that washing meat is actually a health hazard and that didn't sit well with millions of Black people worldwide. For example, back in 2018, West Indian Canadian politician Marci Ien boldly stood her ground on CTV's The Social , proudly declaring herself a meat-washer. She revealed that she always uses 'a little bit of lemon' to get her chicken squeaky clean before cooking. Meanwhile, her white co-hosts suggested it was safer to just rip open the chicken pack and toss it straight into the pan — raw juices and all — to avoid spreading bacteria. Interestingly, Ien's co-hosts weren't just speaking from personal preference. Their take sounded very similar to findings uncovered in a 2019 USDA study. According to the research, washing raw poultry or meat can increase the risk of spreading harmful bacteria around the kitchen, especially when proper handwashing and sink sanitizing aren't happening. Basically, those raw meat juices can splatter everywhere, turning your sink and nearby surfaces into a bacteria playground. Instead of rinsing, the USDA recommended killing off any illness-causing germs the old-fashioned way, by cooking your meat to a safe internal temperature. Black folks didn't want to hear that mess. They made their passion for the century-old cooking technique known in the comments section of The Social's post on the debate. Standing in solidarity with Ien, some noted how it was a surefire way of getting rid of slime, blood, or unpleasant residue off the chicken, while others claimed that it was not only a crucial part of the cleaning process, but another way to add flavor and depth to poultry and raw meat. 'Washing or rinsing off bacteria and slime on meat is a must… water with vinegar or a little lime doesn't hurt anyone,' wrote one Black Instagram user. Another penned, 'I was taught you must wash (with Lemon juice) AND season (with 'fresh' green herbs) your meat properly before cooking! The No Touch Rip-N-Tip bags your co-host was reporting about doesn't make sense to me.' While a third added, 'It's important to wash meat followed by disinfecting kitchen surfaces. I mean do we question the washing of fruits?' Black food bloggers Epicurious Expeditions and Being Grace weren't shy about their love for washing meat either. For the former, it was less about following the rules and more about using common sense. She argued that you never know what goes down at the factory, maybe someone dropped that chicken on the floor, maybe it rolled past a rat, or maybe a worker tracked in who-knows-what from outside. So, a good lemon-and-water scrub? That's just basic damage control. And it's not just about mystery germs. Grace explained that she washes her chicken to get rid of any extra fat or flabby skin she has zero intention of eating. My mom's the same way. She trims that chicken like she's giving it a haircut and swears that it not only makes it healthier, but that it will taste better. I've never seen anyone in my family get sick from washing chicken with lemon, a touch of vinegar and water. While food safety experts may raise an eyebrow, there's no denying that this tradition is rooted in something deeper than just cleanliness; it's cultural, historical, and personal. In her 2022 article Why Do Black People Wash Chicken? , writer Brandi Crawford explored the historical roots of this practice, tracing it back to the era of slavery. Enslaved Africans were often given the least desirable cuts of meat, scraps and leftovers deemed unfit by slave owners. These included things like pig intestines (used to make chitterlings or chitlins), oxtail, chicken and turkey necks, hog jowls, and pig feet. 'To be direct, these areas of the animal smell awful. It would make sense why Blacks would want to give all of this food a thorough cleaning,' Crawford theorized. Despite these limitations, the ancestors found ways to clean, season, and transform these cuts into flavorful, nourishing meals, a legacy of resilience and resourcefulness that continues to influence Black cooking today. So, while the food safety debate rages on, for many, washing meat isn't just about hygiene, it's about honoring tradition, reclaiming a narrative, and adding a touch of ancestral care to every dish. At the end of the day, whether you're Team Wash or Team Sear-It-As-Is, one thing's for sure: this convo is about more than just meat, it's about culture, comfort, and how we all bring flavor to the kitchen in our own way. SEE ALSO: Breaking Down The Stereotype: Black People And Smoke Detectors Black People With Albinism: Challenging Beauty Norms & Stereotypes SEE ALSO Why Do Black People Wash Their Chicken Before Cooking? was originally published on
Global News
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Canada election 2025: Toronto Centre
See more sharing options Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook Toronto Centre is a federal riding located in Ontario. This riding is currently represented by Liberal MP Marci Ien who first took office in 2021. Ien collected 23,071 votes, winning 50.35 per cent of the vote in the 2021 federal election. Voters will decide who will represent Toronto Centre in Ontario during the upcoming Canadian election on April 28, 2025. Visit this page on election night for a complete breakdown of up to the minute results. Candidates Liberal: Evan Solomon Conservative: Luis Ibarra NDP: Samantha Green Green: Olivia Iheme Marxist-Leninist: Philip Fernandez Animal Protection Party: Simon Luisi Independent: Cleveland Marshall People's Party: Nathen Mazri
CBC
28-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Reinstate federal minister for women, gender equality and youth, say northern organizations
Northern women's organizations are calling on the prime minister to reinstate the federal minister for women and gender equality and youth (WAGE). Since March 14, a letter asking Prime Minister Mark Carney to reinstate the minister has been signed by nearly 400 organizations from across the country, including YWCA N.W.T., YWCA Agvik Nunavut, the Yukon Status of Women Council, and the Yukon Women's Transition Home Society. Some northern women's organizations were at the United Nations' Commission on the Status of Women in New York City advocating to former WAGE minister Marci Ien this month when they first learned the prime minister had eliminated her position in his cabinet shuffle. The portfolio was added to Minister Steven Guilbeault's role as minister of Canadian culture and identity, and Parks Canada. Rae Lamache, executive director of the Yukon Status of Women Council, said it sent "shockwaves" through their sector, and left Yukon groups' advocacy to Ien in limbo. "It would have been inconceivable to me that the new prime minister would cut the minister. It does send quite a message, especially in these uncertain times," said Lamache, pointing to the gutting of ministries, programs and organizations focused on equity in the U.S. WAGE is among several priorities now without dedicated cabinet positions, including official languages, diversity, inclusion, persons with disabilities and seniors. "It does raise eyebrows, to put it mildly," Lamache said. "This is not a symbolic loss. This is not simply a reshuffling of ministerial responsibilities. There was really important work in relationship building and advocacy being done at this level and it does feel very disheartening," she said. WAGE funded education on intimate partner violence for lawyers and family violence professionals, and a manual to assist people navigating family court, said Lamache. Minister Ien personally visited the Yukon in December to encourage organizations to apply for underused funding, which led to a peer support, education, research and outreach program for sex workers, she said. Thirteen feminist organizations forming the Yukon Women's Coalition are tackling systemic issues of intimate partner violence in the territory, which has one of the highest levels of reported gender-based violence in Canada, said Lamache. They run a sexual education hub, a young feminist club and a mentorship program for men and boys to be allied against domestic violence — all funded by WAGE, she said. "It's work that we are very proud of. We don't think projects like this will be as fundable without somebody advocating for them at the table," said Lamache. Jackie Neapole, executive director of the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women, said WAGE is a key funder. Since 2018, it backed major investments in childcare, the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence — all the "beginnings of very, very important feminist policies that have a large impact on women across the country," said Neapole. "It's such a big job that you need somebody specifically dedicated to that," she said. Nunavut's YWCA Agvik executive director, Sherri Robertson, said that during the pandemic former WAGE minister Maryam Monsef's advocacy ensured efficient crisis response and funding. "Given the increase in femicides and the increased danger women are in when economies suffer, now is the time to increase not decrease resources," she said. In Canada, a woman or girl is killed every 48 hours, according to the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability's 2022 report. That year, the organization documented 184 women and girls who were killed by violence. In 2018, 44 per cent of women reported experiencing some form of psychological, physical, or sexual violence by an intimate partner in their lifetimes, according to the Canadian Women's Foundation. More than half of Nunavut's population is under 18, and children are often raised in single-parent homes and face food insecurity, overcrowding and a housing crisis. Robertson says this exposes northern women to "all types of risk for exploitation." Hawa Dumbuya-Sesay, executive director for YWCA N.W.T., said "the message it's sending to us is that the federal government does not prioritize the issues and health and well-being of women and families. "Equality is not yet achieved in any way, shape or form," she said. "Survivors continue to face a lot of challenges and barriers when it comes to getting adequate support." Dumbuya-Sesay is skeptical that civil servants in the federal department for women and gender equality will sustain the work the former minister did to elevate frontline workers' concerns on childcare, reproductive rights, violence against women, and housing insecurity. "Many things are going to be ignored. Funding is not going to be allocated to issues. The voices and concerns of service providers that are working with women that are facing these challenges are not going to be heard or communicated," she said. Through WAGE, YWCA N.W.T. secured funding for safe homes, and saw federal funds of $16 million over four years disbursed to the N.W.T. "It's not just when a woman faces violence, that she's the only one who suffers. The children also suffer as a result of that violence," Dumbuya-Sesay said. Lucy Kuptana, N.W.T.'s minister responsible for the status of women, said in a statement that WAGE offers "critical" funding for women's shelters and community initiatives. The N.W.T.'s gender equity division will "continue to work closely with their federal colleagues from the department of women and gender equality," she said.
