I am talking about cultural appropriation.
Ilava, the founder of an African-inspired boutique with a strong social mission, attracts a lot of women from all walks of life. The number one comment she receives from many white women and other non-black ethnic women is: “I love the style, colors, and practicability of the line, and most importantly, I LOVE the social mission, but I am afraid that if I wear this, I will be accused of cultural appropriation.” As a result, I find it my responsibility to figure out the best way to address this concern.
For the sake of this article, Ilava is providing a working definition of “cultural appropriation.”
Culture: the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music, and arts.
(Merriam-Webster)
Cultural appropriation: Cultural appropriation, at times, also phrased as cultural misappropriation, is the adoption of elements of one culture by members of another culture. This can be controversial when members of a dominant culture are from a disadvantaged minority culture. (Oxford reference)
It is safe to state that life is better when we share and participate with other cultures, and the truth is if we only stick to our own culture, life would be extremely dull. We love to learn different languages; we own pieces of art from other cultures, and when it comes to music, one of my favorite cultural elements is listening to music from other cultures.
Just think about it. I will use myself as an example. I enjoy other cultures, music, cuisine, arts, and social habits. I can’t seem to wrap my head around the notion that I can only consume and engage in one culture. The world is extremely big, and I believe we all gain more by engaging with those who have experiences that differ from our own. However, one cultural component the strongest that gets people’s blood boiling is clothing.
Think about it:
No one would walk up to a group of white people sitting down at an Ethiopian restaurant to Injera and call them cultural vultures. On the other hand, if these same white people were to wear the beautiful Habesha Kemis (these are Ethiopian wear), the internet would go viral, or we would hear about it. We must ask ourselves, why? Why is it okay to eat the food but not wear clothes?
Here’s another perspective. Ilava is a young Tanzanian woman who comes from a country that has over 120 tribes or dialects. Her Mother is Nyamwezi, and her father is Hehe. She is not Maasai; however, she loves wearing the Maasai jewelry and the bold colors within the fabrics. However, she will not dare to wear certain ceremonial jewelry out of respect for the Maasai culture. As beautiful as the pieces may be, she will not try to make them into a fashion statement. This means that she also has to be careful and not practice cultural appropriation, which is a slippery slope for her as a native African woman.
image by Gaby Valladolid
Nevertheless, the concept of cultural appropriation did not come out of a vacuum; there is a reason behind it. Dominant members of society have abused and stolen other cultures with no remorse or regard for the damage it has caused.
We are having cultural appropriation issues because dominant members of our society have done an excellent job of stealing minority cultures. They have taken, branded, and marketed them as their own, and now we have to navigate this sensitive place.
For example, if you ask Ilava about the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” which was a popular hit and was covered by many artists in the U.S. However, it became a number-one hit when a doo-wop group, The Tokens, recorded it. This was a classic case of cultural appropriation of music. The song was originally written and performed in 1939 by a South African artist, Solomon Linda, who was known by the name Mbube. However, because the dominant members of society understood how the law worked, they were able to brand, market, and copyright the song, something that Mbube did not know. The song was later revived as it was featured in the very popular movie, “The Lion King.”
Another example is fashion. In 2011, Louis Vuitton debuted its collection with a traditional Maasai Fabric. The fashion industry was over the moon about this collection, but the Maasai people were not. I won’t get into intellectual property arguments here because we are talking about a population where 80% of its people live below the poverty line. In this case, you have a Western designer who used the Maasai culture and made products and profits, which, let’s face it, if they were to pay off for the Maasai people, those profits could’ve changed the trajectory of the population of this group of people.
The bottom line here is that we should all ACKNOWLEDGE, RESPECT, AND PAY UP for the use of other cultures!
Thus, how does one engage and consume other cultures without confiscating their rights? Without approval, is it going to be a waste?
If you can answer these questions with a “YES”, then Happy Shopping
Do you know where it comes from?
Do you know this is not custom but rather lifestyle?
Do you want to shop with a purpose?
Do you want to be a part of a fashionable global community that is changing the trajectory of women and girls in East Africa?
Can you rock it ?
So, let’s celebrate and embrace one another culture with acknowledgment, love, and respect. Let’s be diligent about learning the history, pain and joy which accompanies that which you wish to embrace.