Black culture and APPROPRIATION
By: Zion Fitch
African-American culture is a term that refers to the culture of Americans of African descent in the United States. Black culture is experiencing a delicious dominance at the moment. It’s one that might seem odd given its contrast with the resurgence of racism. Black culture encompasses so many obstacles that have been over come. It includes beauty through music, hair, art, and beliefs. Black culture includes the fight for what has been taken and stripped from us. It includes protest both peaceful and violent. Black culture values hard work, family, community, equality, love, happiness, joy, and peace. Black culture is expressed through many different paintings, drawings, and people. Robyn Spencer says, "accurate representations of black culture is lived out through Barack Obama, Martin Luther King Jr., and several other influential black men and women.
So, what is culture? what is exactly is African- American culture? Where does it stem from? The distinct identity of African-American culture is rooted in the historical experience of the African-American people, including the Middle Passage. The culture is both distinct and enormously influential on American culture as a whole. African Americans are drawn from a diverse range of cultures and countries in Africa, later from the Caribbean and from Central and South America. They share a history of enslavement, acculturation, and racial oppression which give relevance to the initial bond of African heritage. There is an African American culture in America, and this culture is unique, rich, and distinctive. Culture is the sum total of the artifacts which accumulate as a group of people struggle for survival; survival includes the preparation of one’s people and one’s self, the reproduction of one’s people and one’s self, and the care of the progeny which results. Culture serves certain vital psychological and social functions; it is the material and source of a group’s identity. Culture includes the basic conditions of the existence of a people—their behaviors, style of life, values, preferences, and creative expressions.
The ways of life for Blacks in America are different in major aspects from the ways of life for Whites. The history of African Americans prior to their being shipped to the shores of America and the Black experience in America have produced an African American culture. June 2005 4 The importance of African American culture does not depend on its differences from other people, but simply for its own reality. Culture is a peoples total way of life; this includes everything—ideals, religious beliefs, manner of dress, language, folklore, customs, sense of time, humor, tools, and material products and leisure pursuits (Young, 1972). On the subject of African American culture, Charles E. Farger (1967) noted: "The American Negro is different from American whites. He has his own history, centering around the experience of slavery and its effects, and more recently including the rediscovery of his African heritage. The Negro has distinct cultural patterns—patterns of speech, patterns of music and dance, patterns of self-expression and relationship—which may have been produced by this history, but which have outlived it and are now surviving on their own creative energy and integrity. These like white ethnic characteristics will not and should not disappear in the future. It is indeed insidious “subterfuge for white supremacy” to expect blacks to abandon this heritage as the price explicit or implicit for integration via assimilation into America’s “mainstream.”
America loves appropriating black culture — even when black people themselves, at times, don’t receive much love from America. From dreadlocks to dashikis, white America has taken black traditions and used them for their own gain by failing to give proper credit, ignoring historical context or blatantly perpetuating stereotypes.
The past few years have been full of white people receiving praise for the same hairstyles people of color are looked down upon for wearing. Cultural staples were dubbed and black people were often eliminated from black spaces.
The meaning of cultural appropriation has gained more and more attention through the years, with people like Amandla Sternberg schooling the country on how harmful it can be. “The line between cultural appropriation and cultural exchange are always going to be blurred,” Stenberg said in her, "Don't Cash Crop my Cornrows" video. “Appropriation occurs when a style leads to racist generalizations or stereotypes where it originated but is deemed as high fashion, cool or funny when the privileged take it for themselves. Appropriation occurs when the appropriator is not aware of the deep significance of the culture they are partaking in.” It’s more than “just hair,” “just clothes” or “just slang.” And many times, it’s the livelihood of marginalized communities, but unfortunately, America still doesn't understand. One biggest examples of appropriation last year was Kylie Jenner's viral picture of "Kylie cornrows". This is a prime example of someone stealing black culture and claiming it as there own. When blacks wear cornrows they are frowned upon and deemed unprofessional and "thuggish". Zendaya sported the same cornrows to the Oscars in 2015."Fashion Police" host said, "she looked like she smells patchouli oil or weed." Cultural appropriation is a serious issue and we all need to unite to put a stop to it.
We all need to realize the beauty of black culture and the reality of appropriation. We need to unite together, people of all races, beliefs, and ethnicity to put an end to prejudice beliefs, hatred towards each other, and put racism behind us. It is our job to create a society where everyone's culture is valued and appreciated. Will you help end the atrocities our society faces
So, what is culture? what is exactly is African- American culture? Where does it stem from? The distinct identity of African-American culture is rooted in the historical experience of the African-American people, including the Middle Passage. The culture is both distinct and enormously influential on American culture as a whole. African Americans are drawn from a diverse range of cultures and countries in Africa, later from the Caribbean and from Central and South America. They share a history of enslavement, acculturation, and racial oppression which give relevance to the initial bond of African heritage. There is an African American culture in America, and this culture is unique, rich, and distinctive. Culture is the sum total of the artifacts which accumulate as a group of people struggle for survival; survival includes the preparation of one’s people and one’s self, the reproduction of one’s people and one’s self, and the care of the progeny which results. Culture serves certain vital psychological and social functions; it is the material and source of a group’s identity. Culture includes the basic conditions of the existence of a people—their behaviors, style of life, values, preferences, and creative expressions.
The ways of life for Blacks in America are different in major aspects from the ways of life for Whites. The history of African Americans prior to their being shipped to the shores of America and the Black experience in America have produced an African American culture. June 2005 4 The importance of African American culture does not depend on its differences from other people, but simply for its own reality. Culture is a peoples total way of life; this includes everything—ideals, religious beliefs, manner of dress, language, folklore, customs, sense of time, humor, tools, and material products and leisure pursuits (Young, 1972). On the subject of African American culture, Charles E. Farger (1967) noted: "The American Negro is different from American whites. He has his own history, centering around the experience of slavery and its effects, and more recently including the rediscovery of his African heritage. The Negro has distinct cultural patterns—patterns of speech, patterns of music and dance, patterns of self-expression and relationship—which may have been produced by this history, but which have outlived it and are now surviving on their own creative energy and integrity. These like white ethnic characteristics will not and should not disappear in the future. It is indeed insidious “subterfuge for white supremacy” to expect blacks to abandon this heritage as the price explicit or implicit for integration via assimilation into America’s “mainstream.”
America loves appropriating black culture — even when black people themselves, at times, don’t receive much love from America. From dreadlocks to dashikis, white America has taken black traditions and used them for their own gain by failing to give proper credit, ignoring historical context or blatantly perpetuating stereotypes.
The past few years have been full of white people receiving praise for the same hairstyles people of color are looked down upon for wearing. Cultural staples were dubbed and black people were often eliminated from black spaces.
The meaning of cultural appropriation has gained more and more attention through the years, with people like Amandla Sternberg schooling the country on how harmful it can be. “The line between cultural appropriation and cultural exchange are always going to be blurred,” Stenberg said in her, "Don't Cash Crop my Cornrows" video. “Appropriation occurs when a style leads to racist generalizations or stereotypes where it originated but is deemed as high fashion, cool or funny when the privileged take it for themselves. Appropriation occurs when the appropriator is not aware of the deep significance of the culture they are partaking in.” It’s more than “just hair,” “just clothes” or “just slang.” And many times, it’s the livelihood of marginalized communities, but unfortunately, America still doesn't understand. One biggest examples of appropriation last year was Kylie Jenner's viral picture of "Kylie cornrows". This is a prime example of someone stealing black culture and claiming it as there own. When blacks wear cornrows they are frowned upon and deemed unprofessional and "thuggish". Zendaya sported the same cornrows to the Oscars in 2015."Fashion Police" host said, "she looked like she smells patchouli oil or weed." Cultural appropriation is a serious issue and we all need to unite to put a stop to it.
We all need to realize the beauty of black culture and the reality of appropriation. We need to unite together, people of all races, beliefs, and ethnicity to put an end to prejudice beliefs, hatred towards each other, and put racism behind us. It is our job to create a society where everyone's culture is valued and appreciated. Will you help end the atrocities our society faces