Every regular speaker stores plenty of curious anecdotes: enthusiastic attendees of the speech, others eager to pick at the speaker; those who, with simplistic arguments, show ignorance or foolishness; well-meaning people who wish to deepen concepts or clarify poorly understood statements... “There’s everything in the Lord’s vineyard,” goes the saying. The formula: arm yourself with patience and display composure and didacticism. But what to do when the desire to provoke and insult is evident? An ostensible silence directed at the audience, witness and judge of the insolence, is often useful.
This expeditious pedagogical method triumphed over the malicious reactions of stern citizens, of the tenor “what have black people contributed to the progress of Humanity?” Social Sciences as a paradigm made it possible to demonstrate that the advances achieved since Homo Sapiens are not the exclusive heritage of one race, but the result of the interaction of the entire species; and countless examples of relevant ideas and inventions from various cultures could be cited. Everything is written. Reading is suggestive as an antidote to impertinence. A persuasive ruse soon becoming obsolete, given the momentum of the intolerant tsunami that is once again looming, unstoppable if Kamala Harris does not manage to sleep in the White House.
In such a case, the response that would disarm the living of the 21st century anchored in medieval times would be “French fries.” George Crum, born to a black slave and a native ‘Indian’, stood out in 1853 for his culinary skills at a restaurant in Saratoga Springs (New York). One day, a picky customer reproached the fries served for being too thick and oily. The skilled cook reacted: he cut the slices thinner, wrapped them in paper, and fried them with a lot of salt, a recipe that delighted the critic. Word spread and the tavern prospered. The most universal snack was born. Despite the success of his ingenuity, Crum never benefited from his creation, as he did not patent it. The crispy fry soon crossed all borders to become the popular snack we know today. However, he opened his own restaurant, frequented by the rich and famous to taste his renowned product. An undeniable culinary innovation, with a lasting impact, whose semi-black origin should be remembered every time a little slice crunches in our mouth.♦
