Growing up, I never liked watermelon. Partially because I didn't want to try it but I also remember my negative connection with the fruit. From watching Black face cartoons devour watermelon to seeing meme culture exploit Black stereotypes for digital fame and monetary gain, my family telling me it was good just wasn’t enough. I was too embarrassed and self conscious to eat it.
But then, something clicked. In high school I decided to take my health very seriously. At the same time, I learned to embrace my culture and look more into why some of these stereotypes existed specifically for foundational Black Americans.
Turns out we were making bank, paving a way, growing and expanding with the help of this wonderful crop. According to historian William R Black, enslaved people would often negotiate contracts to cultivate and sell their own crops. Watermelon became a popular choice due to its cultivation simplicity.
Newly emancipated Africans continued to cultivate watermelon and found this avenue of entrepreneurship as a “taste of freedom”.
This financial independence upset many throughout the Jim Crow era and in efforts to squash African American business, Smear campaigns were released. I’m sure even in 2024, many people are still very familiar with these campaigns.
Speaking of 2024…
Today is May 12th. It has been over 200 days since Israel’s war on Gaza. Nearly 85% of Palestine’s 2.3 Million people have been displaced and more than 14,000 children have been killed.
Palestine also has a strong history and connection to the watermelon. After Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967, it banned the Palestinian Flag. Although the ban was lifted in 1993, they are still routinely confiscated by the Israeli police. As an act of resistance, artists who were banned from painting the flag of Palestine and flowers that represented the flag of Palestine, decided to take an alternative route. They began to use watermelon as a symbol of their flag, resilience, and national pride.
The health benefits of this fruit make me reflect on the similarities of these two nations. From rampant food deserts in America to preventing the spread of humanitarian aid in Palestine, displacement and starvation are two tactics that have been used to further disempower both groups. And yet, the strength still permeates through the soil.
Seeded watermelon is a gift and a lesson.
Health and wellness is our birthright.