You might have heard a surprising trend has emerged on TikTok where “Gingers” White redheaded are finding real kinship with Black folks, sparked by a Black woman’s humorous assertion that “All Gingers are Black.” This joke resonated deeply, leading emotional redheads to share experiences of white-on-white racism, of feeling like outsiders simply because they look different and to express appreciation for the acceptance they’ve found within the Black community. Now, as Black folks are known to do, our hearts went out, and we rolled out the welcome mat with an invite to the cookout. So, to all our new ginger kinfolk in the Black community, here’s a little heads-up before you come on over to the festivities.
What is the Black Cookout?
The cookout is a gathering where Black people come together and, until someone has had too much brown liquor, commune in peace and enjoy Blackness. It’s hard to get an invite to this affair, but, if we are being honest, every Black cookout usually has at least one white person there because they are dating or married to a Black person.
However, when we have a conversation about inviting a white person to the cookout, what we really are discussing is the worthiness of the person under consideration. Or, to put it differently, what a white person has done for Black folks or Black culture to earn a spot at the gathering.
Whenever a white person does anything good for Black folks, people jokingly say: “Well, that person is invited to the cookout.” It is usually laughed off and others agree.
This is not to say that no white person in the history of whiteness deserved an invite. John Brown, the radical abolitionist who killed enslavers, freed slaves and gave his life for the cause certainly deserved an invite. As did Bobby Caldwell, the white man who fooled generations of Black folks into thinking he was one of us with the song “What You Won’t Do For Love.”
Those dudes deserved an invite. But the times have changed and we are getting picky about who we let in.
Why Is This a Sacred Black space?
There are few places where Black people can go and just be ourselves. We must perform on the job. We can’t be ourselves in the grocery store. It is important to protect spaces where we can let loose and just be the beautiful Black people we are. The moment you let a white person into that space, the energy will shift. We must protect Black spaces at all costs.
So here are the type of people we are wary about inviting to the magical place we call the “cook out,” which will help you ensure you are not one of them:
They might want to put raisins in the potato salad
This is not an urban myth. Nor is it just a funny segment that the late Chadwick Boseman did on Saturday Night Live. There are actual recipes for potato salad that feature raisins. Nah. We might invite the wrong one.
They might not know how to act when the music starts playing
What will they do when the Cha Cha slide comes on? Have they even heard the song “Boots on the Ground?” They need to know how to act when these songs are played. But who trusts that they will?
Can they play Spades?
At any cookout, someone will pull out the cards. If a white person sits at the table and start letting jacks walk, then an elder in attendance will not hesitate to slap the ever-loving sh*t outta their mouth. Let’s just not put ourselves in such an awkward position.
You don’t know how they or their family members voted
When Trump first took office, we thought it was a fluke. When he won the second time, despite all his tomfoolery, we all started looking at white folks with a side eye: Either they voted for this dude, or they had family members who did. Anyone who either voted for our current president or let a family member vote for him absolutely cannot attend the cookout. Full stop.
Ultimately, it should be a Black space
There are few places where Black people can go and just be ourselves. We must perform on the job. We can’t be ourselves in the grocery store. It is important to protect spaces where we can let loose and just be the beautiful Black people we are. The moment you let a white person into that space, the energy will shift. We must protect Black spaces at all costs.