`` Borrowed Powers : Essays On Cultural Appropriation, By Bruce Ziff

Appropriation is very disrespectful and harmful to the culture being appropriated. In everyday society, African-American culture is being used to be “cool” and “different”. The fact that society values a white person for doing the same things black people having being doing for decades, “everyone wants to be black until it’s time to be black”, and allowing people to remain prejudice and/or ignore the racism the black community deals with, has led me to believe that the appropriation of African-American culture is significant and its effects cannot be ignored or washed away.

When you hear “Black Lives Matter” someone else will try to refute your argument with “All Lives Matter.” The context of “Black Lives Matter” is not that other lives don’t have worth. The context of “Black Lives Matter” is that the value of black lives remains under assault in the United States. When people say, “Black Lives Matter,” they are acknowledging an important context that involves several centuries of slavery, civil rights, mass incarceration and brutality. It highlights the value of black lives because historically, this country often ignored that value. The problem with saying “All Lives Matter,” it that it ignores the context. There is a difference between saying something is true and something is relevant. For example, it’s like going to a Cancer fundraiser and screaming ‘There are other diseases too!’ Or when a parent says,” I love my son,” you don’t say “What about your daughter? Don’t you love all your children?” When a person says, “Black Lives Matter” we should not say “All Lives Matter.” It is an attempt to diminish the ongoing reality of white supremacy in America. It’s a demeaning way of other people’s stories. And yes, some people associate themselves with #blacklivesmatter have called for police deaths. But the cries of few groups do not invalidate an entire

Although I do agree with both of these statements. I also believe that as African Americans are rebelling against the norm and embracing their culture there has also been a rise in culture appropriation. Celebrities often wear things or do things which have usually have been associated negatively with a certain culture. For example, individual who styles their hair in cornrows. African Americans were often ridiculed for wear in their hair in this fashion so when individuals of the same group who were the ones that deemed that hairstyle inappropriate wear and do not acknowledge the struggle of it can be strange. More women and men are wearing their hair natural but I also have seen more people who do not have naturally curly hair trying to change

Over the years, we have seen how black culture has evolved in America. From our dance movements, music, hairstyles and language we see how other races embrace our culture; however, they do not embrace the people who created the culture they claim to love so much. It is baffling to know that America takes the things we created and make into their own without giving credit when credit is needed. The truth is black culture is one of this country’s biggest exports and symbols of youth, and people try to take advantage of it by mimicking it. Imitation is viewed as the sincerest form of flattery, yet somehow, this flattery does not expand to include the individual people that compose that black community and culture. In this paper, we will

Third, cultural appropriation is not only limited to where you get your clothing and/or how you dress, it's also how you speak. African American Vernacular English (AAVE), throughout history slaves used a certain language to articulate their thoughts with each other without their masters knowing, and that carried out to current day. But because of modern media, non-blacks deem it to be funny and entertaining. So they use it mocking the history and the people who use AAVE. Overall, it's more complex and detailed, to put in a simpler way know your

Cultural appropriation is shown in many ways among the public. When a member of the majority takes an element of a minority culture and attempts to make it their own, they are appropriating the minority’s culture. Appropriating a culture is disrespectful and can lead to loss of valuable meaning of cultural practices. This is shown in many ways, such as the use of blackface or wearing a significant piece of Native American history as a fashion accessory. Each of these elements is an example of appropriation of a minority culture and is never acceptable and needs to be stopped.

Being a white man, when the Black Lives Matter movement sprung up I didn't quite catch the gravity of those three words because I was blinded by privilege. In recent events, it has become impossible not to see the true weight of Black Lives Matter and what it means for us as a country and culture. Black Lives Matter is not negating any other groups importance but rather emphasizing a group that really needs our attention at this moment until everyone understands what it means. Until we have reached a point where we can all say "black lives matter" and begin to understand the consequence of "all lives matter", all lives do not matter to everyone and so those three words do not ring true. To respond to "black lives matter" with "all lives matter",

In America, cultural appropriation has been a prominent topic in the media. From the afro in the 70’s and perms in the 80’s, some ethnic groups see some ethnic groups culture fashionable and “aesthetic.” Though not intended, those specific groups (mostly African American and Native American cultures) see this as a form of mockery and feel discredited when someone with power in the media takes a certain style and profits. I believe that if you take a specific item out of it’s original context it is cultural appropriation by using certain items in the media as everyday

Cultural appropriation is a huge topic, within today’s society, many question what is cultural appropriation and what is not. The definition of cultural appropriation is, “....the use of ideas, symbols, artifacts, images, objects, etc., derived from contact between different cultures. It often implies a negative view towards the minority culture by the dominant one and is often culturally insensitive”(Biron). Examples of cultural appropriation would be portraying a culture through stereotypical depictions of them or wearing a culture as a ‘trend’. Another example would be wearing a headdress to portray a Native American or wearing a sombrero and a poncho to depict a Mexican. Just those words sound degrading and racist each of these ethnicities. Many think it is socially acceptable to be insensitive to a culture, because they classify the appropriation as them appreciating the culture. Cultural appropriation shows only the stereotypical view of culture and has no regards to the actual culture. Many look at the cultures as inspiration for ideas, but that does not mean to steal the ideas completely. Cultural appropriation is not only insensitive, but also racist. Blackface, for example, was used to portray an African American by painting the face of an non-black actor black. The NFL team Redskins uses an offensive and racist word to label their team; their mascot is a “Native American” wearing headdress. First and foremost, not all Native American cultures wear headdresses, these depictions of Native culture show natives as all the same. Minorities have faced appropriation for decades, but why did this problem only recently come about?

They believe that it is impossible to steal abstract concepts such as the idea of a hairstyle or types of clothing. “You [don’t] lose the ability to do something just because someone else can do it too.” (Brianna). This quote gives an insight to the idea that what one group of people may invent and identify themselves with, is free and open to all other cultures to essentially adopt also. People in favor of cultural appropriation make the argument that by attacking each and every person for stepping outside of their own culture; we lose our ability as human beings to create cross-cultural understanding and appreciation. People who view cultural appropriation as unproblematic use this argument as part of justification for why the United States is considered a melting pot. Majority of the people who claim to be opponents to the negative aspects of cultural appropriation are not aware of the significance of the cultures that they are engaging

What is cultural appropriation? It’s a term that has been used a lot in the past few years but also not enough. It’s lack of usage in everyday conversation leads to many misconceptions about what it really means. When you hear those words, you may think of angry social justice warriors who want to tell you want you can and cannot do. And while you have the right to do what you want, those “SJWs” have every right to be angry about appropriation. Though you may think we’re being “too sensitive” about what classifies as appropriation, it’s important that you know why we’re so upset over it. So, what is cultural appropriation?

Why don’t we start with cornrows. A hairstyle worn by black people for hundreds of years simply to keep their hair tamed. Anyone can rock this style. Black people have faced stigmatized for wearing this style. As it turns out, this seems to happen with all black styles even including the natural fro. Black women in particular face backlash when deciding to maintain their hair in its natural state. It is not uncommon for working black women to be told their natural hair is unacceptable. The natural state of black hair is thick and course. Cornrows make this hair type manageable for day to day living. Other races often overlook this fact, despite its purpose and origin. In fact, there are even schools that forbid students to wear these types of styles. Meanwhile fashion models and celebrities like Kylie Jenner, get praised for wearing cornrows… And that’s the main point. Culture appropriation is when one group is being penalized for wearing natural hair styles, while the other is praised and called “edgy” and

1. Amandla Stenberg defines cultural appropriation as a rampant phenomenon, which it occurs when the appropriator does not have a deep understanding of the significance of a certain culture. Then use this culture as a part of their artworks. 2. The widespread appropriation of hip hop culture rises the movement called “Black Lives Matter”, which is an institutional racism, when the time the police department as an institution brutality against black people.

Cultural appropriation, whether it be intentional or not, should be avoided at all costs because cultural appropriation allows our society to continue to (1) express appreciation for a culture, but not for its people, (2) glorify those who adopt features of the oppressed cultured group but discredits its members. (Thesis)

Cultural appropriation is the ultimate dichotomy. The conqueror or oppressor says that a group of people are worthless, that they are less than human and don’t deserve equal rights. The oppressors strip these people of their rights, their dignity, and often, their culture. At the same time, this isn’t good enough for the conquerors. The culture that these people have created and the fruits of their labor are frequently bastardized and pulled into the culture of the oppressors. What remains is often a shell or husk of the beliefs and art of the people who created the culture. Western culture takes what they see to be the best elements of a culture and