When comedians and such say “that’s some black people sh*t” 98% of the time it’s actually something all people living in poverty can relate to. “White people don’t whip their kids” “you dont touch the thermostat in a black persons home” as someone that grew up in the inner city NW part of Roanoke I can assure you poor white people beat their kids and go off if a child in the house touches the thermostat because the electric bill. It would be detrimental to the establishment if poor whites and poor blacks realized they have more in common than not. Answer from mitchypoothedon on reddit.com
🌐
Black Peoples Recipes
blackpeoplesrecipes.com › home › soul food recipes › black cookout food menu
Black Cookout Food Menu - Black People's Recipes
May 26, 2022 - This collection of easy Black cookout or BBQ food will have your guests asking for more. You’ll find everything from main dishes to drinks, including our Kool-Aid Pie, Hennessy BBQ Wings, Candied Yams, and Seafood Boil.
Recipes
🌐
Dash of Jazz
dashofjazz.com › dash of jazz › recipe roundups › what to bring to the black cookout: 20 recipes for summer 2025
What to Bring to the Black Cookout: 20 Recipes for Summer 2025 - Dash of Jazz
May 6, 2025 - My grilled garlic curry salmon filets are an easy and flavorful add to the cookout spread and inclusive of any guests that might not eat meat or poultry. Compared to a barbecue, cookouts can be spur of the moment, so foods are sometimes ...
🌐
Cooks with Soul
cookswithsoul.com › home › recipes › barbecue › 35 backyard bbq ideas (what to bring to a cookout)
35 Backyard BBQ Ideas (What to Bring to a Cookout) - Cooks with Soul
August 28, 2025 - Black folks peach cobbler made with canned peaches and store bought pie crust is a classic soul food dessert recipe! ... An old-fashioned 7 Up cake pound cake recipe made in a Bundt pan and drizzled with lemon lime soda glaze.
Time   04:15:00
Calories   340
🌐
The Soul Food Pot
thesoulfoodpot.com › home › soul food cookout › the best black cookout food menu ideas & recipes
The Best Black Cookout Food Menu Ideas & Recipes - The Soul Food Pot
April 19, 2025 - Cajun food, BBQ chicken wings, and so on. In a Black family, you have to earn the right to bring the iconic Black potato salad recipe! Black people will ask the who, what, when, where, and why about potato salad brought to a cookout!
Time   45:00
Calories   399
🌐
Allrecipes
allrecipes.com › side-dishes-juneteenth-eat-the-culture-7510643
13 Sides from Black Food Bloggers to Serve for a Jubilant Juneteenth
May 13, 2024 - "Growing up, macaroni and cheese was an essential side dish for cookouts, celebrations, church functions, and holidays. I always felt like I hit the lottery, if I was the first to break the serving spoon through the golden crust on top of a freshly baked pan of macaroni and cheese. The steam and savory smell of cheese will forever live in my mind. It’s the perfect celebration food." — Her Mise En Place · "Affectionately known as "Southern Caviar" this delicious Black-Eyed Pea Salad is the perfect combo of smoky and zesty.
🌐
The Soul Food Pot
thesoulfoodpot.com › home › soul food podcast › the soul food pod episode 7: black cookout food
The Soul Food Pod Episode 7: Black Cookout Food - The Soul Food Pot
April 15, 2025 - ... Host Shaunda Necole explores why Black cookouts are a beloved tradition in the African American community and the cultural significance and love for a Black Southern potato salad recipe - also known as Black cookout potato salad!
Time   45:00
Calories   399
🌐
Reddit
reddit.com › r/roanoke › cookouts are a black thing?
r/roanoke on Reddit: Cookouts are a black thing?
March 29, 2023 -

Hey folks,

Over the last several years I've noticed an increase in articles about the "cookout" as a staple of black culture. Here's an example explaining to white readers what a cookout is. This is from a site I generally like but I'm confused about why the writer feels the need to explain what a cookout is.

https://www.theroot.com/white-folks-can-t-just-come-to-the-cookout-because-they-1792357577#:~:text=For%20our%20new%20white%20readers,a%20fish%20fry%20or%20something

My family is mostly white and I grew up in Roanoke. We've done this for as long as I can remember and we've always called it a "cookout."

For fellow Roanokers, do you see the "cookout" as a primarily black tradition? Is this something that originated in black culture that white folks have "borrowed" over time?

Sorry for such a niche post but I have an interest in linguistics and this one has been bugging me for a while.

Top answer
1 of 14
29
You're missing the second half of the paragraph there that's the real important part: So, when someone of African lineage extends an invite to someone melanin-deficient to the metaphorical cookout, they’re more or less saying you’re cool enough to hang with us now. There's a much longer, more insidious culture of discrimination against black folks than white society wants to remember or generally acknowledge because it seems so petty and ridiculous, but it's there and it's led to a general distrust of "white allyship" because there are countless examples of such practices being exploitative or self-servicing in a way that ends up negatively affecting black communities. As u/_heebie_jeebie mentions, stating someone is "invited to the cookout" means that they are recognized as genuinely good people and can be trusted. It's less about cookouts being a primarily black tradition and more about it being a tradition that black folks generally recognize and understand.
2 of 14
14
When comedians and such say “that’s some black people sh*t” 98% of the time it’s actually something all people living in poverty can relate to. “White people don’t whip their kids” “you dont touch the thermostat in a black persons home” as someone that grew up in the inner city NW part of Roanoke I can assure you poor white people beat their kids and go off if a child in the house touches the thermostat because the electric bill. It would be detrimental to the establishment if poor whites and poor blacks realized they have more in common than not.
Find elsewhere
🌐
Pinterest
pinterest.com › explore › food and drink
The Best Black Cookout Food Menu Ideas & Recipes
Black folks Southern potato salad recipe is a must-have for any Black cookout food menu, family reunion, picnic, or potluck! It’s a creamy yet tangy dressing balanced by soul food seasonings and flavors.
🌐
TikTok
tiktok.com › discover › cookout-food-ideas-black-people
Cookout Food Ideas Black People | TikTok
October 13, 2025 - Everybody wanna day party and nobody want to get in the kitchen smh #easyrecipe #macaroni #friedcabbage #cookoutfood #bbqfood #blackpeoplerecipes #memorialday #4thofjuly #sidedish Easy Macaroni and Fried Cabbage Recipe for BBQ.
🌐
Pinterest
pinterest.com › explore › food and drink › food for special event › black cookout aesthetic food
Black Cookout Aesthetic Food
Search for easy dinners, fashion, etc. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. ... Discover Pinterest’s best ideas and inspiration for Black cookout aesthetic food.
🌐
The Soul Food Pot
thesoulfoodpot.com › home › soul food cookout › the best black bbq menu ideas
The Best Black BBQ Menu Ideas - The Soul Food Pot
April 26, 2025 - Southern soul food deviled eggs start as hard-boiled egg yolks mashed, seasoned to perfection, and stuffed into the egg whites to create the South's favorite appetizer and easy bite-size cookout recipe!
Time   35:00
Calories   125
🌐
The Soul Food Pot
thesoulfoodpot.com › home › soul food cookout › 26 best soul food cookout side dishes
26 Best Soul Food Cookout Side Dishes - The Soul Food Pot
April 25, 2025 - The answer is yes, and you won’t believe how good and crispy chicken can taste when it’s made in an air fryer! Whether fried catfish or fried flounder, both are acceptable choices for a soul food cookout!
Time   15:00
Calories   81
🌐
Apple Podcasts
podcasts.apple.com › us › podcast › black-cookout-food › id1679234434
Black Cookout Food - The Soul Food Pod - Apple Podcasts
May 7, 2023 - The episode also discusses the differences between Southern and soul food cuisine and explains why Black people don't trust potato salad made by non-Black people. Then Shaunda and her mom play a hilarious game of "Would You Rather?"
🌐
Reddit
reddit.com › r/cooking › southern black chefs of america what is your best picnic food recipes?
r/Cooking on Reddit: Southern black chefs of America what is your best picnic food recipes?
November 9, 2020 -

I’m a white dude and have a really close friend of 5-6 years from our military days who is black. He always picks on me for my “white person food.” It’s always all in good fun. Anyway he is visiting my wife and I soon and I want to surprise him with some flavorful black food dishes. Any suggestions? Recipes?

Edit: just wanted to say thank you to everyone who gave me their input. You guys are truly awesome. I wish I could have everyone here to try everything we make!

🌐
Cuisine Noir
cuisinenoir.com › home › there’s nothing like a black family cookout
There's Nothing Like a Black Family Cookout: Food and Fun
September 4, 2024 - “If you’re going to do a half ... you NOT bring to a Black family cookout? “The easy thing to say would be potato salad with raisins in it,” laughs Gillespie....
🌐
Black Peoples Recipes
blackpeoplesrecipes.com › home › bbq and cookout › best vegan black cookout recipes
Best Vegan Cookout Recipes | Black People's Recipes
May 26, 2022 - The good news is that there are plenty of vegan Black cookout recipes that let you enjoy all your favorite dishes without the meat, cheese, and butter. You can cook, eat, and drink with your family and friends—and you don’t have to sit at a picnic table with a plate of cornbread and fruit salad! We’re talking vegan mac and cheese, finger-lickin’ good BBQ tofu, and loaded potato salad with crispy bits of coconut bacon. Cookouts usually involve two types of food: the proteins that are cooked on the grill and the dishes that are prepared in advance inside and then brought outdoors for the cookout.
🌐
Ruby's Bowie
rubysbowie.com › post › the-evolution-of-black-cookout-culture-from-family-gatherings-to-catered-affairs
The Evolution of Black Cookout Culture: From Family Gatherings to Catered Affairs
July 19, 2024 - They feature classic dishes like BBQ ribs, fried chicken, collard greens, and macaroni and cheese or include barbeque foods like hotdogs and burgers. At the same time, games like spades and dominoes keep the competitive spirit alive.
🌐
Black Peoples Recipes
blackpeoplesrecipes.com › home › holiday recipes › july 4th bbq menu ideas
July 4th BBQ Menu Ideas - blackpeoplesrecipes.com
May 26, 2022 - At a black family cookout, barbecue food makes up most of the main dishes. Nothing beats the aroma of juicy seasoned meat roasting on open flames. These main dish recipes include staples like ribs, but also a few alternative options like vegan and keto versions of some staple dishes. ... Power up your smoker with this easy recipe.
🌐
TikTok
tiktok.com › discover › bbq-cookout-food-ideas-black-people
Bbq Cookout Food Ideas Black People | TikTok
4 weeks ago - Discover delicious BBQ cookout food ideas tailored for Black families, featuring easy recipes like baked beans and potato salad to elevate your gatherings! black people cookout food ideas, inexpensive BBQ recipes for families, easy BBQ sides ...
🌐
Spotify
open.spotify.com › episode › 5nXS3g2x6vvB4pI3jO2ifv
Black Cookout Food - The Soul Food Pod | Podcast on Spotify
May 7, 2023 - On this episode, host Shaunda Necole and her mom, Mama Mary (Ma-Ma), explore why Black cookouts are a beloved tradition in the African American community, the cultural significance and love for Black folks' potato salad at African American ...