(originally published in Print May 2018) I want to first acknowledge that I know that this is a contentious debate. Normally, I can’t even say the words “cultural appropriation” without being shut down, accused of being a “social justice warrior perpetrating call-out culture”, whatever that’s supposed to mean. A calm, intellectual discussion about this “non-issue” […]
cultural appropriation
Resistance: more than celebration
RACISM is never an “isolated incident.” Instead, it’s more of a societal plague, fluttering around academia, institutions, politics, and the privatised workspace. It’s got everything to do with colonial jokes and railway jokes and it’s got everything to do with direct threats and abuse. Thus, whilst racism remains a stubborn stain permeating deep into society, […]
Is Practicing Yoga A Form of Cultural Appropriation?
Is it just me or does everyone seem to be a yogi these days? Scrolling through Instagram, it is not uncommon to see, most frequently, a size six fitness blogger in a carefully tailored Lululemon outfit doing some complicated yoga pose in a scenic background. This is usually followed by a spiritual or ‘self love’ quote […]
Appreciation or appropriation? The cultural trends infiltrating the fashion industry
Go to any festival this year, and you’ll be confronted by hordes of white, middle-class youth rocking bindis and faux-Kente-printed shirts. The vast majority have probably never been near India or Ghana. I doubt they’re clocked on to black history or pan-Africanism or are well versed in Hinduism. But does that matter? Well, increasing numbers […]
Festival Fashion 2016: Do’s and Don’ts
IIt’s that time of year again – when festival lineups begin flooding our Facebook feeds, ticket frenzies heat up and the fashion world starts talking about how to make your wellies look chic. For many, festivals are just as much about the fashion as the music – but what’s in this year and what’s out? […]
Navigating cultural appropriation vs. appreciation
It is seemingly very easy to pooh-pooh accusations of cultural appropriation – especially in extreme cases – as overly-sensitive millennial outrage. Yet, it is a problem that clearly runs much deeper than the fashion statements or musical choices of the rich and famous. Each claim of appropriation is a reflection of hundreds of years of […]