After the American Civil War, in several areas of the South, former slaves grew watermelon on their own land as a cash crop to sell. Thus, for African Americans, watermelons were a symbol of liberation and self-reliance. However, for many in the majority white culture, watermelons embodied and threatened a loss of dominance. Southern White resentment against African Americans led to a politically potent cultural caricature, using the watermelon to disparage African Americans as childish and unclean, among other negative attributes.
I hate when racists stereotype food. In most cases it’s fucking delicious if prepared correctly: I love rice, chicken wings, watermelons, chilli, kebab, etc.
Food should bring joy not hate.
I wonder if watermelon being easy to draw and a fun word to say had anything to do with it. It’s a lyrical word (ask Harry Styles), and racism is easier to spread when it’s a catchy song or rhyme. Plus, painting or drawing a watermelon is dead simple and obvious. Like why not blueberries or peaches? Harriet Beecher Stowe made oranges a thing in Florida, but that’s not a stereotype. Is it because nothing rhymes with orange? Was it too hard to make a cartoon peach look different from a cartoon orange?
