Write about a time when you realized that your perception of a particular food was based on a stereotype. Explain what the food was, what you originally believed about it, and where that belief came from. Then describe how your perspective changed after experiencing or learning more about the food. Be sure to include specific details about the moment your thinking shifted and what you learned from that experience.

 As it might sounds crazy to some people, my stereotypical perception of a food came from collard greens. I know in most African American cultures collard greens are an essential, but when I was younger I always viewed them in an odd way. The stereotype came from the fact that I was a young child, and most young child’s across America start out with a weird relationship with any type of vegetables. It was until 2017, when my family hosted a birthday party for my grandmother. I always avoided collard greens when choosing the meals on my plate, but this specific day I decided to choose them. After making my plate, I went to the table with my cousins and sat down. I would usually target the Mac and cheese or cornbread first, but I decided to go for the collard greens first. I bit into a fork-full of greens, and immediately that’s where my mind was reprogrammed. After that day, I started eating more collard greens every time we went to a family reunion.