Subtle racism is still a lot of places in our society, but overt racism tends to be less prevalent than it was at other times in America’s history. So it makes it kind of surprising when you come across something so blatant as a school serving fried chicken and collard greens “In Honor of Martin Luther King” like a school in Colorado, delicious though that lunch may be.

Colorado was the first state to make Martin Luther King’s birthday a holiday, and the annual Marade, the march/parade in his honor, is the largest in the country.

So how does Denver Public Schools mark this august occasion? By offering a lunch menu on January 15 — the same day the city hosts the 25th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Business Social Responsibility Awards — that’s billed as “In Honor of M.L.King,” and features “Southern Style” chicken, collard greens and sweet potatoes.

Yesterday, DPS apologized for the menu, which was “highly insensitive in light of certain hurtful stereotypes still harbored in parts of our society,” according to a statement posted on the district’s web site.

[Westword]