Some of the food served at UNCG on MLK Day stirred up temporary trouble, but it doesn’t seem to be anything serious.

One of Greensboro’s weekly newspapers, in last week’s issue, had as the lead story that the UNCG dining hall served fried chicken, watermelon and Kool-Aid on Jan. 12 as part of a MLK celebration dinner.

But, what could have turned into a hot mess seems to be just an ordinary day at the cafeteria.

Fried chicken and Kool-Aid are served almost every day at UNCG, along with several other items on a menu. During the next two weeks, some form of chicken – be it fried, baked or fajitas – is scheduled to be served for dinner 11 times.

It is understandable how fried chicken and watermelon could be viewed as offensive to a black person, and especially on a holiday for a man who helped to rally the world against racism and segregation. In the 1800s, watermelon and fried chicken were two of the stereotypical foods used to insult black people in films and advertisements. Even now, there is some sensitivity to the images.

To some extent the person responsible for setting the menu could be viewed as being insensitive or negligent. But nothing suggests that the food was intentionally served on the holiday. Actually, the UNCG cafeteria offers at least three main-course options for dinner every day. Chicken was one of them.

For all who accuse college students of being apathetic, take notice: food might be a flashpoint. At Howard University last semester, an unannounced visit by President Bush disrupted “Soul Food Thursday” and led to an impromptu protest about the inconvenience.

The UNCG and Howard students who decided to “stir the pot” with food-related issues can’t be blamed for not being socially conscious. But with soaring gas prices, disappearing personal freedoms, and elected representatives that apparently can be bought or sold, that same energy needs to be applied to fighting for what’s right in other areas of life.

Above editorial represents the views of the editorial board.