Appropriation vs Appreciation

There is a fine line between these two terms. The term ‘cultural appropriation’ is one that is everywhere and unavoidable. Some disregard it as people being hypersensitive while others are ready to criticise anything and everything. However, this doesn’t mean it isn’t possible to show love of a culture without offending its members.

So what exactly is cultural appropriation? It involves members of a dominant group exploiting the culture of less privileged groups, often with little understanding of the latter’s history, experience and traditions. This is not to say that appropriation is intentional, in fact most appropriate without awareness of their actions, which is why it is so important to be educated on the matter.

What’s really worrying is that cultural appropriation has not only become more common, but today many individuals are being penalised for adopting practices their own culture created! How is it that certain white celebrities are able to flaunt their braids on stage without being questioned, while several black women that choose to braid their hair to keep it neat and tidy are being penalised and are losing out on jobs because of their hairstyle? How has this double standard occurred?

Many are confused as to the distaste towards what they see as embracing the beauty of another culture, but this is the exact problem. Yes, you are embracing the beauty of a culture, but you are doing so without appreciating the struggles that people of that culture face. In other words, you are picking and choosing the parts of the culture you want, which is offensive. Shockingly enough, this isn’t something that is only practiced by normal individuals, it’s practiced by celebrities and even fashion brands, who should know better than to promote this.

An example of this is the promotion of the dashiki in the Western world. The dashiki first appeared in the Western world in the 60s as a means for African American men to rebel against the cultural and political struggles they faced on a regular basis. It was used as a way to protest the disrespect shown to African Americans, to show pride in their black roots and to demand rights equivalent to those of others races. Today, it remains a symbol of pride within the African community. In West Africa especially it is a form of traditional dress and is often worn during special occasions, such as weddings or graduations.

As someone that grew up and was witness to various aunties and uncles wearing such clothing on special occasions, it is quite confusing to me that this has now become a fashion statement in Western culture. Having said that, I believe that there is nothing wrong with wearing items from a different culture as long as you take the time to educate yourself on the item’s origins, and as long as you can be 100% sure that you aren’t causing offence. So next time you think about buying that ‘African-inspired’ cape from Urban Outfitters, or wearing that bindi to Bestival, think about this – is one moment of being ‘on trend’ worth the ignorance people will believe you possess as a result?