Eater DC, June 30, 2020: Call Your Mother Removes Menu References to Black Celebrities After Instagram Backlash, Conversations With Staff
D.C. bagel shop Call Your Mother announced a series of changes to its business yesterday in an effort to answer criticism that the self-described “Jew-ish” deli has co-opted Black culture while building its following and winning national acclaim.
Both Eater and Bon Appétit have honored the deli with national accolades that have helped fuel a fast expansion from its original location in the gentrifying Park View neighborhood. At the same time, input from residents and employees has forced the company to acknowledge that it profited off of cultural currency it lifted from Black athletes and musicians it featured on its walls and menus. Call Your Mother has taken down a photograph of the rapper Drake, changed the names of bagels that referred to other Black celebrities with ties to Judaism, and pledged further actions to increase diversity in its workforce while supporting its community.
