Imagine...

[MrScorpio]

[raven mad]

1. Or getting your entire senior creative writing poems for the grade stolen -

and find them published later under the thief's name.

The gal who did it paid, big time............ I still had the original (on paper) scratchings............

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. Important issue, but must not confuse cultural participation with appropriation.

Thank you for starting this thread. It is an interesting topic for me, since I have lived on three continents (Africa, North America, Asia) and visited three others. I may not participate much but I hope to follow it.

Yes, it is not right for example for a non-Native American to wear a First Nations headdress without approval or invitation. This is because those headdresses have important ceremonial functions (as one aspect of the issue).

But that does not mean all headdresses are out of bounds. First Nations headdresses can inspire other creative effort.

This is much in the same line as when African Americans took music from Africa and added English / celtic elements and instrumentation to make something new that all Americans and all the world enjoy. That music has in turn inspired enormous creativity around the world in many cultures, including returning to Africa and re-invigorating music there. The guitar owes a great deal to Spanish development. Is King Sunny Ade culturally appropriating the electric guitar?

If blond women and men are disallowed wearing cornrows and braids and dashiki shirts, are African Americans disallowed wearing suits and buzz cuts? No and no.

Cultural participation can be respectful while encouraging the mixing and creativity.

We (the people of the world) can use all elements of all cultures in respectful ways (which means not in all ways or all situations) while maintaining our identities and the identities of other people and other peoples.

[MrScorpio]

3. Well...

What about the reactions that people of color get when they practice their own culture, vs the reactions that white people get when the practice the cultures of people of color? Remember that this is still a culture where black and brown bodies are negatively stereotyped. The result is that taking culture from black and brown bodies and transferring that cult onto white bodies is considered as "improvement."

For example, when black people played their own music, this was the warning of white majority:



But then when whites decided that it was okay for themselves to play black music, guess who became the best thing since sliced Wonder bread:



And even today, we're not even allowed to express ourselves in our own culture sometimes:




Let's not forget that there a long standing trend in this country of appropriation as a from of oppression through stereotyping:



Of course, who gets to determine what's considered offensive and what what isn't? When people of color protest the use of negative stereotypes by whites, we're told that we should lighten up, stop being so "politically correct," or the appropriation is actually a form of tribute:



This is the danger here:



The problem is whenever the majority takes something and never gives it the credit from with it came:



End the end, let's not forget that this is a country where whiteness is already considered the standard by which everything else is relegated to an inferior status. Where the air of whiteness is granted as an authority. But instead, let's consider that this is the question that we need to ask ourselves:

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. Lots of good points in your post.

The hypocriticality that is sometimes present is a good marker of appropriation, as you say.

And your last graphic is wonderful and accurate. "What if America loved Black People as much as Black Culture?" This is really key. A lot of other friction and issues would melt away if this came true.

[Nitram]

5. I think some "cultural appropriation" is actually a sign of empathy and admiration.

Like language, fashion and art will always go where they want to and nobody can stop them for good or for evil. that's like trying to stop the tides or the revolution of the earth. That said, it is important to acknowledge the roots of music, art and fashion, and show respect to the cultures from which they arose.