Lo-Lo’s Chicken and Waffles is a chain of homemade Southern soul food restaurants. In our book Black and White Like You and Me, we have a section about stereotypes including types of food blacks enjoy. Clearly then, the stereotype is that Lo-Lo’s would only be frequented by Blacks. Not so fast!
Jake, my oldest son, lives in Phoenix, Arizona and loves to try different restaurants. He stumbled across Lo-Lo’s and even bought a t-shirt to remember the wonderful experience and to directly advertise this tasty establishment.
He was wearing this shirt one day when a black acquaintance good-naturedly asked him why he was wearing that shirt. “That’s a black restaurant serving black food. Why are you wearing that shirt?” My son assured him that he had frequented Lo-Lo’s several times. Pretending disbelief, the acquaintance said, “If that is true, I don’t want you wearing that shirt or going to that place again. That place is for blacks only.” I want to make it clear that my son knew the guy was just kidding him. Jake, always the quick wit, responded, “Well, if I stop going there, you are never to go to “Cracker” Barrel again!
Interesting little exchange between these two young men. On one level, you might think why should there have even been a dialogue about this. On another level, you might think that this is quite healthy racially. I prefer the latter thinking. Those two felt comfortable enough with each other that they could joke about a stereotype. This is how we abolish ignorance.
Referencing the title, let’s delve into what a sandbox is.
A sandbox is a self-contained place of joy where imagination rules.
Once you step into the sandbox you enter a new world. All members of the sandbox are welcome unless you start throwing sand or destroying what others have built or take away what others have been using. Certainly, it is a place of sharing and cooperating. In the sandbox, you learn your place in the group either playing together or making something on your own.
Jake and his black counterpart continued the conversation even after the soul food banter. I was surprised that my son clearly remembered and told the young man about being a four-year-old playing in the neighbor’s sandbox with other children including blacks. No one said that this was a black or white sandbox. I believe that a healthy racial attitude began there for my son. It was an integrated sandbox. Hmm?
