Last night Baller Alert posted a pic of caucasian producers Diplo & Skrillex doin the dab on the AMAs red carpet: https://instagram.com/p/-aXAUZl726/

The comment section went livid with thousands of comments like "fucking white people", "its dead now", "we cant have anything"

I thought this super hype reaction was a lil OD, but me and my friend got into it. Two hiphop / pop producers referencing a popular dance isnt a big deal. She didnt completely agree, and I woke up to this novel from her. I think she spoke balanced and eloquently on issues that people often have a hard time tackling without getting hotheaded. It goes:

"Okay, so you are going to think I'm crazy for this novel, but I was thinking a lot about appropriation vs assimilation. I definitely talk to people who disagree with me on a number of subjects but you were so strongly opposed on something that generally folks I have encountered both white and black have a pretty similar consensus about.

I think you often view me as being fueled off of emotion when I speak about race, but I'm angry about things that have become viewed as normal and okay when they're still contributing to a larger issue.

(S/N: if you read all of zolas story you can read this 👀)

Regarding The dab: it doesn't completely make sense. Trying to link that to cultural appropriation in that context, just doesn't work. people just want to be mad....

The main reason the dab doesn't work is because of the power dynamics and the history of it. It's just a victory dance, no? It's rooted in pop culture/a viral dance. I genuinely don't understand that one. I think what's propelling those hateful comments is more so a general frustration by black folks and so they've become hypersensitive to certain things... but it's useless energy.

Not everything started by POC can be seen as cultural appropriation, the main thing about actually legitimate appropriation is history.

What signifies something as being cultural appropriation is when a particular style leads to racist generalizations or stereotypes but then it is seen as cool when this same style is seen on the ethnic majority/people in power (in Americas case/the western worlds case this is white people).

For example, one of the biggest stereotypes against black women is the way they speak (ghetto, hood, sassy, ratchet etc).

And then someone like iggy azalea, a white woman in a position of power and influence chooses to speak that way (only when it's convenient and profitable to her).... People become rightfully frustrated. Why is it okay for her but not okay for a black woman? When people are denied jobs and resources for these superficial attributes and then it is glorified in mainstream media on white people it becomes a problem. And yes it can be argued that she is widely criticized for this, but for her to have made it this far is puzzling/problematic.

That's not a personal attack on her, she probably doesn't mean any deliberate harm and she's just trying to make her coin, but that's where intent vs impact comes. The impact is that she is "performing" and it makes it look like things that are unique to black culture can be worn, almost like a trendy accessory. Then be taken off when it's not of use or not trendy anymore.

One could argue nick minaj who puts on blonde wigs and blue contacts... isn't she appropriating? But, Nicki lives in a country where Eurocentric standards of beauty have always been the norm (I'm sure there are people somewhere in America who've been made fun of for having blonde hair and people who have their own personal vendettas against blondes but in general these are attributes that are praised and not looked down upon) cultural assimilation would be a more appropriate definition.

So the same is also applicable when it comes to black hairstyles. For years being told braids and cornrows are hood styles but are now high fashion/cool/edgy all of a sudden on white people. Do you see how that can be seen as harmful?

Of course there are white folks who've never seen it as a "hood" style but for the vast majority of America throughout history it's signified as being something less than acceptable. And these are facts, not feelings.

America is a melting pot though so for sure things are definitely going to be mixed up. I'm not mad because whomever white person decides to wear dreadlocks, of course that's not a great use of my energy. but it is important for that person to realize that hairstyle they've taken on as a fad, amongst other styles when worn on black people is associated quite often with crime and being ghetto. And black folks even today in schools and at work are asked to change their natural hairstyles. I, along with many other black folks wouldn't dare show up to a job interview with my hair in cornrows or in an Afro. Although I love these styles on myself. Why is that?

I think if people truly realized the history behind why their "appreciation" for certain aspects of cultures is seen as offensive rather than being defensive as to why it's not growth can happen.

So then these insensitivities and instances of appropriation are what lead to larger issues. People adopting certain aspects of other cultures further divides us. And yes petty arguments about the dab don't contribute to uniting us either.

POC aren't immune to this either. I don't stand behind black folks rocking bindis.

The main argument being here is that aspect of people's cultures.... however popular they've become and far removed from their original context shouldn't be treated as trends/costumes.

The hurt when kids at coachella start wearing Native American headdresses comes because there was literally a genocide against native Americans and they were forced to assimilate to western ways of dressing... And now people can choose aspects of their culture to wear as a costume? While they still try to pick up the pieces from centuries of hurt. That's insensitive.

I speak and feel so strongly about this because racism is complex and so ingrained in the US's society it's important to look at what is contributing to the lack of understanding. Legitimate appropriation isn't the cause of racism but it's definitely feeding the beast.

Ignoring that appropriation is a real thing won't help, but also drawing attention about every white person with cornrows won't help either.

You know, a psychiatrist who is seeing an ill patient doesn't just see the problem and start thinking of solutions for the future. They try and get to know that persons history, and what could have contributed to how they got where they are now in order to find solutions.

We have to figure out how to propel forward while acknowledging what's contributing to the hurt.

Minorities in America have and continue to feel the affects of racism and these instances of appropriation by the majority (people in positions of power) aren't working towards healing.

I'm interested in learning more so that I can have more eloquent discussions that heal and move us in the right direction.

You the real MVP if you read this."