Race

race is connected to sweets in many and various ways. Central to any discussion of the relation between the two is power and the ways in which it informs our historical and contemporary understanding of sweetness. In many cultures, sweets have had a history as commodities of racism, or as objects used to distribute racist imagery, messages, and logic. Several racial or ethnic groups have been linked with negative connotations involving certain sweets (Haribo black licorice, for example). Focused on here is the African American experience in the United States, and the associated stereotypes, racist depictions, and health issues related to this experience.