Whole Foods gets rid of racist picture of President Obama eating chicken
A Whole Foods store in New York has been forced to take down an offensive sign showing President Obama eating chicken.
The image, which customers deemed offensive and racist, was used to promote a sale on organic chicken. It was shown on a chalkboard outside the supermarket.
A resident of the area where the sign was displayed, Woody Henderson, said, “There are certain things that have been used to put down Black people – watermelon, fried chicken.”
Jason Nunez, another shopper said, “Even if he’s not the President, you’re going to have an African American promoting the sale of chicken? They can do better than that.”
Not everyone asked outside the store said that it was offensive. Although they all agreed it looked like President Obama.
Joseph Joshua said, “Obviously it looks like the president, but I don’t think its racist.”
A spokesperson for Whole Foods said that the sign, which was put up earlier this week, and was not intended to be disrespectful, had now been removed. They said that as soon as a customer told them that it could be looked upon as being offensive and racist, it was immediately removed. They added that stores often use artists who use pop culture imagery to promote sales and items in stores around the country.
This is not the first time that customers have had to complain about President Obama’s image being used in a racial stereotype way to promote food items.
In 2009, two fast-food restaurants in Brooklyn and Manhattan called themselves ‘Obama Fried Chicken,’ although the staff said that it was supposed to pay homage to President Obama instead of offend people.
In Beijing, China President Obama’s face was used on signs for an ‘Obama Fried Chicken’ restaurant instead of using the face of Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken.
