My Pen Is Mighty

You Can Call Me ‘Cookie’ Or ‘Peaches,’ But Not ‘Chocolate’

Using food as ‘verbal hugs’ is welcome within the Black community, but outsiders should tread lightly.

In the Black community, we sometimes use food — like this vanilla, caramel and chocolate layered dessert — as a stand-in for skin color. It’s only a problem if folk abuse the practice. Image: Getty

I grew up two houses down from a jolly little kid we all called “Sugarman.” Two of my mom’s best girlfriends were only known by the moniker…