A dessert named after a controversial former mayor of Washington, D.C., is drawing criticism from his widow, who claims it is “racist and disrespectful.”
Cora Masters Barry voiced her displeasure over the newly introduced “Marion Barry Knots” at the restaurant chain &pizza. “In this city, it is outrageously racist,” she stated in an interview with DC News Now, adding that she had not been consulted by the pizza chain prior to the dessert’s launch.
&pizza promoted the limited-time dessert with an enthusiastic press release, describing the knots as “doughy” and filled with berries, drizzled with creamy vanilla icing and topped generously with powdered sugar. The release included a playful note: “It’s criminal how good these are,” suggesting an ironic nod to the late mayor’s controversial past.
Marion Barry served as mayor from 1978 until 1991 and was reelected in 1994 after serving time for drug-related charges, which gained national attention. The promotional materials featured the knots alongside a small pile of white powder, sparking further outrage.
D.C. Council member Christina Henderson labeled the dessert as “tone deaf and hella disrespectful,” with other officials calling for a boycott of the product.
In response to the backlash, &pizza CEO Mike Burns defended the dessert, explaining that it is named after the marionberry, a type of berry. “We stuff that into a knot, drizzle it with icing, and then top it with powdered sugar. It’s delicious – we can’t wait for D.C. to try it,” he told The Washingtonian.
&pizza positions itself as an “anti-establishment establishment,” and Burns, who recently assumed leadership of the company, expressed intentions to return the brand to its “punk roots.”
As the controversy continues to unfold, it highlights the delicate balance businesses must strike when navigating cultural sensitivities in their marketing strategies.
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