Rabu, 19 Agustus 2009

Thanks Dick Gregory!

My father worked as a corrections officer on a tower where he spent his shift listening to talk radio shows and reading. He had no formal college education however his breadth of knowledge was truly impressive particularly on history and nutrition. One day my dad heard Dick Gregory on the radio who had become a natural food advocate in the late 1960s stressing the importance of eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables, vitamins and condemning the typical American diet, especially the African American diet. My father latched on to Gregory’s message, read his books, and revolutionized are family’s eating habits. As a result I grew up eating Cheerios, Life, Raisin Brain, and other boring “healthy cereals” for breakfast despite the protest of my two older brothers and me. In addition, in m the morning my dad started taking all kinds of vitamins and supplement and making what we called shakes back then, smoothies today, with nasty smelling brewer’s yeast and fruit juices. Rarely did we have bacon and eggs or other “normal” breakfast food. Thanks Dick Gregory! I am sure others had similar experience with “enlightened” parents who tortured their children with teaspoons of cod liver oil, black strap molasses, or muffins so high in fiber they tasted like card board. For more on Dick Gregory and the natural eating movement of the 1960s and 70s see chapter 9 in my book Hog and Hominy http://cup.columbia.edu/book/978-0-231-14638-8/hog-and-hominy

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