Administrators at a Northern California private school have issued an apology after being accused of serving a racist school lunch in honor of Black History Month.
Yahoo News reported that Carondelet High School for Girls in Concord, Calif., has angered both parents and students in the school over a menu that consisted of fried chicken, collard greens, watermelon and corn bread.
School officials have apologized for "perpetuating racial stereotypes," and also sent home an apology letter to parents on Wednesday.
"I'd like to apologize for the announcement and any hurt this caused students, parents or community members," Principal Nancy Libby said in a letter. "Please know that at no time at Carondelet do we wish to perpetuate racial stereotypes."
Students at Carondelet High School for Girls reportedly wanted to come up with ways to celebrate Black History Month themselves. According to a school spokeswoman, there was a miscommunication between parties and the menu was planned, but publicized without administrative knowledge or permission.
News of the menu sparked outrage from local professors and educators.
"Chicken, watermelon, collard greens--these stereotypes of black Southern culture that come from the same place where the N-word comes from," University of San Francisco professor James Taylor told NBC Bay Area.
However, Ruth Wilson, chair of the African-American Studies Department at San Jose State University, said the food is not offensive, stating fried chicken is an American "mainstay, thanks in large part to Kentucky Fried Chicken's Colonel Sanders."
The school also announced to hold a diversity assembly to discuss the controversy.
