The small brown cake donut taught me how to find joy in an inequitable food system.
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Ode To The Super Donut
Credit: Yeji Kim

The Super Donut is a small, brown cake donut wrapped in a translucent film that has its name plastered right on it. It doesn’t look special at first glance, but if you grew up eating them at school, you know magic when you see it. When aSuper Donutwas warmed right to the edge of no return, it was a blessing that supercharged your day.

My Illinois elementary school was located in one of the few places where you could get a Super Donut, which also included Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, and Michigan. We would eat them in the cafeteria for breakfast as a part of the伊利诺伊州免费午餐和早餐计划that mandated free meals to all students who qualified. The program aimed to reducefood insecurity通过为低收入学生提供一致的餐点,但通常无法做的就是使食物开胃。vwin德赢ac米兰这使超级甜甜圈特别。

As a young Black child in Chicago, I longed for a bright spot in my otherwise drab breakfast schedule. What I remember most was how much power this little donut had over students in my elementary school. Since Super Donuts weren’t served every day, when they made an appearance on our trays, it would get everyone energized in the cafeteria.

A typical breakfast at what was then known as Myra Bradwell Elementary School consisted of rubbery pancakes, a side of mystery “sausage,” milk, and an always frozen juice drink that you would try to extract liquid from by sucking at your straw until your face turned blue. When we were lucky, the infamous Super Donut—the real breakfast of champions—appeared on our trays, turning the cafeteria into a busy floor of mini stock traders running around trying to make a deal with someone just to pocket an extra.

要求某人的超级甜甜圈总是有代价。也许这意味着第二天放弃果汁,或将巧克力牛奶换成纯牛奶 - 任何东西都可以达成交易。根据学生的不同,这可能意味着稍后放弃另一种喜欢的食物,例如烧烤鸡,这是一种受欢迎但罕见的午餐物品。vwin德赢ac米兰但是没有风险,没有奖励。因此,像学校中的许多其他人一样,我竭尽所能地掌握了那个甜甜圈。当我固定一个的那一刻,我会撕下塑料,看着蒸汽升起,吸入红糖气味。接下来的是尝试立即围巾,而不燃烧我的嘴屋顶。

The Super Donut taught me a number of early life lessons, the most important being how to find joy within an inequitable food system. It showed me that treating yourself to special foods is a valuable form of self-care. “Spoiling” myself with a specialty item allowed me to enjoy what I couldn’t have—luxury. What's more, Super Donuts became the currency I used to build friendships. They taught me the value of communal eating.

今天,当您在芝加哥的低收入学校看午餐室时,您会意识到,大多数CPS学生都依靠伊利诺伊州免费午餐和早餐计划作为他们的主要寄托来源。自从我上小学以来已经有十多年了,但没有改变。但是,如果您仔细观察,也许您会看到我小时候所做的事情 - 学生在他们面前所拥有的事情并找到快乐。正是这种做法使我们允许我们感到高兴,即使在一个不平等的食品体系中,人们常常无法理解低收入学生应得的食物使他们感觉良好。vwin德赢ac米兰

超级甜甜圈帮助我应对粮食不安全。vwin德赢ac米兰我不确定如果没有我在学校吃过的经验,我会成为今天的人。它帮助我理解了一个欢乐是宝贵商品的世界。我有一个小的棕色甜甜圈要感谢。