CUL T Controversy erupted earlier this year when a white student manager of the basketball team walked with exaggerated gestures to the front of the student section of a basketball game wearing a durag. Some debated whether the incident was simply an ill-conceived display with no harm intended, or a stereotypical mockery of the African American community. However, many onlookers identifi ed the event as an act of cultural appropriation. While the line between cultural appropriation and appreciation is already blurry, this event has left many wondering, additionally, where to draw the line between coincidental cultural appropriation, and the distasteful and very much intentional mockery of a culture. Cultural appropriation is the exploitation of a distinct symbol or mannerism of signifi cance within a culture, oftentimes done without acknowledging its historical or cultural signifi cance. It is typically carried out by people of more societal privilege. Menlo-Atherton’s Black Student Union (BSU) discussed the issue of cultural appropriation in light of the incident. BSU member Maya Gallon expressed that she did not consider the incident to be an appropriation of black culture as she does not fi nd the durag to play a large role in her cultural identity. Gallon said that aside from the incident, “cultural appropriation is getting pretty bad and it’s something that I’ve been seeing a lot.” She defi ned cultural appropriation as “cherry picking parts of other people’s cultures, changing them to suit themselves better, and not giving the cultures due credit for them.” One distinct instance of this phenomenon that the BSU has discussed is the appropriation of boxer braids, or cornrows, a culturally signifi cant style within black community. Gallon described that they are now “used by white people in fashion,” and that the essential rebranding of the hairstyle, without acknowledgement of its rich cultural signifi cance, is what, for her, distinguishes appropriation from appreciation. She believes that schools should “talk to students about cultural appropriation, and defi ne it, so students know where to draw the line.” Ahzha McFadden, who teaches Latin American Studies and World Studies, said “sometimes people get confused and think that any time somebody does something outside of their culture that it is cultural appropriation.” She clarifi ed, “cultural appropriation is not 35 “Cherry picking parts of other people’s cultures, changing them to suit themselves better, and not giving the cultures due credit for them.” “Students have to feel safe, but we have created an environment at our school with segregation and microaggression happening more often than they should.” APPROPR
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