Growing up, I never liked watermelon. Part of it was simply my refusal to try it, but I also carried a negative association with the fruit. I remember watching racist caricatures of Black people devouring watermelon in cartoons, and seeing meme culture exploit these stereotypes for digital fame and monetary gain. Despite my family’s encouragement that it was delicious and healthy, I was too embarrassed and self-conscious to eat it.
Then something shifted. In high school, I became deeply committed to taking my health seriously. At the same time, I began to embrace my culture and explore the history behind these stereotypes, particularly as they related to foundational Black Americans.
What I discovered was powerful. Black Americans were thriving, innovating, and building wealth with the help of watermelon. According to historian William R. Black, enslaved people often negotiated contracts to cultivate and sell their own crops, with watermelon being a popular choice due to its ease of cultivation.
After emancipation, newly freed Black Americans continued to grow watermelon, seeing it as a form of entrepreneurial independence—what some considered a “taste of freedom.”
This success, however, threatened many during the Jim Crow era. In an attempt to undermine Black entrepreneurship, smear campaigns were launched. And, in 2024, it’s clear that the echoes of these campaigns still persist in popular culture.
African Americans aren't the only group with a political history connected to watermelon.
After Israel's occupation of the West Bank in 1967, the Palestinian flag was banned. Although the ban was lifted in 1993, the flag is still routinely confiscated by Israeli police. The use of watermelon as a symbol became more prominent when artists, prohibited from publicly displaying the flag or its colors, started incorporating watermelon into their work as an alternative way to express their identity and defiance.
The watermelon, with its green rind, white flesh, and red interior, mirrored the colors of the Palestinian flag (green, white, red, and black), making it a subtle yet powerful symbol of resistance and solidarity.
In NYC, the streets are filled with kuffiyehs, flags, and even watermelon-themed accessories, all symbols of global solidarity with Palestine. Yet, many grocery stores sell watermelon without one essential feature—black seeds. Due to profit-driven interests, seeded watermelons are hard to come by, and some New Yorkers wonder why they must travel miles to buy them from street vendors.
Thankfully, there's a guy not too far from my house. He's not on Google though. More like if you know, you know.
So, the next time you see a seeded watermelon, consider how this fruit has shaped the identities of countless people throughout history and reflects a deep connection to global autonomy, and reclaiming both physical and financial independence.