Feed Voters and They Will Listen Part 2
Courtesy of the Library of Congress
Is Part 2 of out Maysville, Kentucky Stumping and Eating series, the role of food in campaigning for public office. After the pit master (most had been African-Americans) roasted the meat, he directed his crew to place it upon large elevated wooden tables. The pit master’s staff of African-American servers brandishing knives, saws, and cleavers chopped and hacked the carcasses into small chunks and then took those chunks and threw them on a common pile and thereafter spread them on a table where stacks of bread accompanied the barbecued meats. This is how common folk at barbecues ate. Notice the caste dimension to political rallies then: The wealthier classes brought their dinner along with them and spread tables on the grass after the manner of picnic life.” What are the symbols of caste at contemporary political rallies today: what, when and where you are served; who you eat with and your proximity to the candidates and their celebrity surrogates?
