A Republican candidate for New York’s state senate is under fire after he promised to give out stereotypical “black people” food to people who attended one of his campaign events in Harlem.
Brad Reed of Raw Story reports that Jon Girodes, the Republican candidate for New York’s 30th District, told thenews station that he planned to hand out “Kool-Aid, KFC and watermelons” to people who attended a Harlem campaign rally in the coming weeks.
Harlem is a mostly black neighborhood, and watermelons and fried chicken are two foods that are used to stereotype black Americans. In typical republican fashion, Girodes doesn’t think there’s anything offensive about his stunt since people in the neighborhood should be grateful that they’re getting free food.
“What I think is anyone who gives free food to people is doing them a favor,” Girodes said. “Get a bunch of people who say it’s offensive and let me go into their neighborhood and give it out for free and see if they take it.”
Harlem residents were not flattered by Girodes’s “generous” offer.
“It’s racist,” Harlem resident Tyrone Nero said. “Whoever he is, I think he should go back in whatever hole he crawled in and have a great life.”
“It’s more than an insult and anybody with any sense would see that’s pathetically racist and insulting,” said Harlem resident Scott Randolph.
Another resident responded to Girodes’s “donation” of food by offering to “donate various foots in his ass.”