“What Would America Be Like If It Loved Black People As Much As It Loves Black Culture?
In a newly release video that has gone viral over the weekend, garnishing over one million views in just four days, ‘Hunger Games’ actress, Amanda Stenberg discusses the rampant ‘Cultural Appropriation‘ that is catapulting Hip Hop and the rap culture at large.
Many of us have heard similar argument repeatedly in recent years [especially during award ceremonies] when accolades are given to white talent acts such as Macklemore, Iggy Azalea , Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, their hip hop deeds over black artists. Rapper, Azealia Banks calls it ‘Black Smudging’, and Lord Jamal, Rah Digga, Talib Kwalei, and others call it ‘Buffoonery’
It seems that the elephant in the room is often blurred out when one attempts to point out the systematic agenda behind the insertion of ‘Cultural Appropriation’
In short, ‘Cultural Appropriation’ occurs when:
” Elements are copied from the minority culture by a member of the dominant culture, and then these elements are used outside of their original cultural context. Often in the process, the original meanings of the cultural elements are distorted or even desecrated. These cultural elements, which may have deep meaning to the original culture, can then be reduced to “exotic” fashion by those from the dominant culture. When this is done, the appropriator, ‘who does not experience that oppression is able to ‘play,’ temporarily, an ‘exotic’ other, without experience any of the daily discrimination’s faced by other cultures . “
Now that we’ve gotten that out the way, take a read at what Stenberg had to say on the issue.
” Black Hair has always been an essential component of black culture. It’s apart of our identity. Braids, Locs, Twists, and Cornrows, etc. Cornrows are a functional way of keeping black textured hair ‘unknotted’ and ‘neat’ but like with style. So you can see why our hair is such a big part of hip hop and rap culture. These are styles and music that people in African American communities created in order to affirm our identities and our voices. “
” As Hip Hop became more pop and became integrated into pop culture, so did black culture. Black Culture became popular. As the early 2,000’s through 2010 white people began wearing ‘clothing’ and ‘accessories’ associated with hip hop and more and more celebrities could be seen wearing cornrows, braids and even grills. By 2013 the fashion world had adopted cornrows as well. Cornrows and Braids had been seen on high fashion runways shows like Marcesa, and Alexander McQueen, and magazine editorial campaigns featured cornrows as a new urban hairstyle. “
” Miley Ciley twerks, and uses black women as props, and in 2014 in one of her videos ‘ This How We Do ‘ Katy Perry uses ebonics, hand gestures, and eats watermelon while wearing cornrows before cutting into a picture of Aretha Franklin.”
No only were white people becoming rappers, but they were excelling in the world of Hip Hop, …. so what does this all mean.
Hit the play button to hear the rest.
In the words of one youtube commenter who quoted George Orwell:
” The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those that speak it”
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