General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Five things white people should know about cultural appropriation [View all]ismnotwasm
(42,020 posts)I think about tropes and memes. Miley Cyrus who used Black women as props.
I think somethings resonate so strongly--the Blues for instance, that the appropriation is quite unintentional. For instance, although the majority of early Black what blues did not get credit until racism was filleted open a bit players such as Eric Clapton or singers such as Janis Jopln at least gave credit to the roots of what they were profiting off of, while delighting many people. I asked him to do things such as imagining Billie Holiday singing the Blues without the Orchestra backing
My oldest grandson, still 15, plays a mean Blues guitar. I made sure he knew about players like Robert Johnson or Buddy Woods, even if I had to look them up. He found other early Blues player to listen to on his own, recognized the blues in early Rock and Roll a lot faster than I did at his age, saw it right away in Jimi Hendrick's music. (He remains a Clapton fan, although for angst he adores Alice in Chains)
So acknowledgment is important at the very least-- an honoring, a respect offered.