General Discussion

SMC22307

(8,090 posts)

138. "Being left out all the time leads you to make your own culture."

Mon Dec 29, 2014, 08:09 PM

Dec 2014

Specifically, what "culture" have you and others created? Would hip-hop/ghetto rap be part of that creation? Is this "culture" helping or hurting blacks, black males in particular? For example, if two young men show up for an interview, one dressed professionally and the other dressed with his pants hanging below his ass crack, who will get hired?

I've worked in DC and surrounding areas for decades and see successful blacks every day. PG County, Maryland is nearly 65% black, and according to Wikipedia, "the 70th most affluent county in the United States by median income for families and the most affluent county in the United States with an African-American majority." What are they doing right?

I work in the IT industry -- lots of Indians (Hindu, Muslim and Sikh on my team) -- and have to say they seem to have assimilated beautifully, without losing their "culture." What are they doing right?

A vocal minority (no pun intended) on DU likes to chalk up black woes to racist whities, but at what point are *some* blacks culpable for their failures?

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How big a problem is "cultural appropriation" in the United States? [View all] Nye Bevan Dec 2014 OP

It only seems to be a problem here notadmblnd Dec 2014 #1

Doesn't the fact that you have completely ignored/dismissed ... 1StrongBlackMan Dec 2014 #34

I don't really understand your question notadmblnd Dec 2014 #48

No ... 1StrongBlackMan Dec 2014 #57

When I posted, there was no one else who had posted in the thread notadmblnd Dec 2014 #70

Speaking of Elvis... the Nudie Suit. SMC22307 Dec 2014 #124

Dismissing concerns of the minority is a strong form of white privilege in America. randys1 Dec 2014 #2

"Dismissing concerns of the minority..." Nuclear Unicorn Dec 2014 #6

Please define the concern Evergreen Emerald Dec 2014 #7

Dont ask me, I am not a Black person...ask a Black person, or read some of the threads here randys1 Dec 2014 #8

I see Evergreen Emerald Dec 2014 #11

"ask a Black person" Nuclear Unicorn Dec 2014 #13

Dismissing me with cute pictures is OK, but very few would find this amusing I think randys1 Dec 2014 #20

I wasn't talking about whether or not it's appropriate to speak for others. Nuclear Unicorn Dec 2014 #23

Curious that ... 1StrongBlackMan Dec 2014 #40

Is there a point you wish to make? Nuclear Unicorn Dec 2014 #42

Just making an observation that ... 1StrongBlackMan Dec 2014 #45

I'm not African American Nuclear Unicorn Dec 2014 #47

I apologize.n/t 1StrongBlackMan Dec 2014 #51

Oh, so that is the reason for the facepalm, so you are as surprised as I am... randys1 Dec 2014 #74

No, I think I misread/misinterpreted the facepalm pic ... 1StrongBlackMan Dec 2014 #85

Wow, really? Are they that clueless that they would laugh at the idea? wow randys1 Dec 2014 #107

My impression is that it is ludicrous to expect a single black person to represent the opinions Chemisse Dec 2014 #110

Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2014 #17

my brother in law nt arely staircase Dec 2014 #19

Now that is a cute "gotcha" comment randys1 Dec 2014 #22

Clarence Thomas? (nt) Nye Bevan Dec 2014 #25

You can always ask me. bravenak Dec 2014 #27

You tried to speak for all white people. Time to ditch the act. arcane1 Dec 2014 #101

Black people were left out of the 'melting pot'. bravenak Dec 2014 #44

Actually the Native Americans would probably quibble with you on this point... riderinthestorm Dec 2014 #65

You are right. bravenak Dec 2014 #66

"Being left out all the time leads you to make your own culture." SMC22307 Dec 2014 #138

It's you again. bravenak Dec 2014 #139

Ooh booy, have I made The List?! SMC22307 Dec 2014 #141

Those were not real questions. bravenak Dec 2014 #143

And I won't be frequenting your blog... SMC22307 Dec 2014 #146

So? bravenak Dec 2014 #149

Yeah, that approach won't work. SMC22307 Dec 2014 #150

For whom? bravenak Dec 2014 #151

Didn't know you had a blog. F4lconF16 Dec 2014 #152

I literally started it this week. bravenak Dec 2014 #153

Found it! F4lconF16 Dec 2014 #160

Awesome!!! bravenak Dec 2014 #166

Hip hop has been a global culture for the last 30+ years XemaSab Dec 2014 #3

"Saying that it "belongs" to one group of people but not others is questionable." Nuclear Unicorn Dec 2014 #10

That's not what "cultural appropriation" is about. n/t 1StrongBlackMan Dec 2014 #41

Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2014 #4

Wow, you've been here for 12 hours, and you think the issue can be put to rest? Sheldon Cooper Dec 2014 #15

lol Bobbie Jo Dec 2014 #29

heh uppityperson Dec 2014 #38

A bunch of white people who think cultural appropriation is a joke voted and agreed gollygee Dec 2014 #80

Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2014 #82

Because they're tone deaf gollygee Dec 2014 #83

Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2014 #89

Which equals tone deaf. gollygee Dec 2014 #90

Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2014 #92

It isn't a well understood concept gollygee Dec 2014 #94

Only Native Americans should be allowed to drink coffee; eat chocolate, tomatoes pepper, corn, etc.. 4139 Dec 2014 #5

Hmmmm -- that makes me wonder Nuclear Unicorn Dec 2014 #14

Nope. bravenak Dec 2014 #28

what are you talking about? rbrnmw Dec 2014 #49

"insensitive"? Nuclear Unicorn Dec 2014 #59

I FOUND one!!!! bravenak Dec 2014 #63

Good one... randys1 Dec 2014 #76

Thank you.. whathehell Dec 2014 #104

Assimilating v. segregating v. appropriating. SMC22307 Dec 2014 #147

Corn, as in 'corned beef'... Every look up the etymology? 4139 Dec 2014 #64

Wrong. Skidmore Dec 2014 #93

Grain/granular is corn. Corned in corned beef is from the grains of rocksalt 4139 Dec 2014 #97

Coffee originated in Africa. (Ethiopia). NutmegYankee Dec 2014 #161

It's just another argument 2naSalit Dec 2014 #9

I can't think of anything I give less of a shit about than Katy Perry's hairstyle nt arely staircase Dec 2014 #12

I don't understand that statement in terms of how you voted. Can you explain? stevenleser Dec 2014 #16

I voted sarcastically, Steve nt arely staircase Dec 2014 #18

Fair enough. nt stevenleser Dec 2014 #21

Katy Perry "appropriated" an ethinc hairstyle? VScott Dec 2014 #24

Does anyone else remember when it was RW bigots who were the ones complaining about... FrodosPet Dec 2014 #26

This whole thing where you guys sit around laughing about appropriation is hurtful and mean. bravenak Dec 2014 #30

This discussion originated (AFAIK) from a thread posted by Gollygee on Christmas Day Nye Bevan Dec 2014 #31

I do not care where it originated. bravenak Dec 2014 #35

I guess you could care less about anything that makes you a wee bit uncomfortable rbrnmw Dec 2014 #54

Sounds like a slippery slope: Quantess Dec 2014 #114

This message was self-deleted by its author rbrnmw Dec 2014 #121

I posted that in respose to a thread about Iggy Azelea gollygee Dec 2014 #79

+1 JustAnotherGen Dec 2014 #33

Yep. bravenak Dec 2014 #37

This is awesome - JustAnotherGen Dec 2014 #46

Randy always makes me smile. bravenak Dec 2014 #56

so do I... randys1 Dec 2014 #78

" What's wrong with a brown skinned natural hair wearing little girl playing Annie? Nuclear Unicorn Dec 2014 #81

I think people who adopt the mannerisms of hip-hop are sincere in their appreciation of the artform. Throd Dec 2014 #36

I missed the whole blackface thing. bravenak Dec 2014 #39

Frankly and fundamentally, my hairstyle isn't your business. lumberjack_jeff Dec 2014 #50

I have no idea what you are talking about Jeff. bravenak Dec 2014 #53

I'm still uncertain ... 1StrongBlackMan Dec 2014 #32

I get the issue of context. lumberjack_jeff Dec 2014 #61

It depends on who you are. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Dec 2014 #43

Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2014 #73

I don't know from Katy Perry. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Dec 2014 #75

Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2014 #84

The focus should be on Erich Bloodaxe BSN Dec 2014 #88

Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2014 #91

Who gets to judge the legitimacy of the grievances? Erich Bloodaxe BSN Dec 2014 #95

Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2014 #96

I'm not African-American so maybe I shouldn't say anything at all on this subject Blue_In_AK Dec 2014 #52

Um.. This is America... Our "culture" was to take all the other "cultures" SomethingFishy Dec 2014 #55

The fact that we've been doing it for a long time doesn't make it OK gollygee Dec 2014 #87

You know what? If fellow members if DU have a problem with it, I pay attention. Raine1967 Dec 2014 #58

If you had taken the time to educate yourself you wouldn't be making jokes about it. rbrnmw Dec 2014 #60

I've never gotten the impression that JustAnotherGen Dec 2014 #62

yes makes sense rbrnmw Dec 2014 #77

If you think a post is indefensibly racist, you should alert on it. Nye Bevan Dec 2014 #67

The poll was done to mock the issue and concerns of certain people, clearly randys1 Dec 2014 #106

Not sure how a poll asking DUers how they feel about an issue is "mocking it" Nye Bevan Dec 2014 #108

Yeah, just me, I am the only one... randys1 Dec 2014 #109

That was my interpretation! etherealtruth Dec 2014 #134

I love this poll EOM Kurska Dec 2014 #68

White people vote on a minority concern. White people win. kwassa Dec 2014 #69

I call it ridiculous too. bravenak Dec 2014 #72

I agree. I think the OP is condescending in the extreme. kwassa Dec 2014 #105

Patting themselves on the back. janlyn Dec 2014 #122

+1 bravenak Dec 2014 #123

I must say, I still don't quite get the complaints about white people protesting police brutality. Nye Bevan Dec 2014 #127

It wasn't so much about whites attending protests, janlyn Dec 2014 #133

What else could you expect from DU? There was a post a few days ago from someone trying to tell Number23 Dec 2014 #116

To be fair, my OP was asking the community a question, Nye Bevan Dec 2014 #130

No, it was you in your inimitable way suggesting it was unimportant. kwassa Dec 2014 #136

It's great to see the jury system working to encourage civility (nt) Nye Bevan Dec 2014 #140

Such as it is. Civility does not, however, imply respect. kwassa Dec 2014 #142

Ditto you JustAnotherGen Dec 2014 #163

Not only would I TRULY like to echo kwassa's sentiment expressed in post #142 Number23 Dec 2014 #155

I get that it doesn't feel great to see a member of a historically dominant culture take on aspects aikoaiko Dec 2014 #71

I actually think of it every time I read your username. kwassa Dec 2014 #112

aiko is an alternative, less common spelling for iko, so I've been told aikoaiko Dec 2014 #132

When people eat Weiners, Frankfurters, Hamburgers, or go to a Delicatessen, or kindergarden NutmegYankee Dec 2014 #86

Better example: John Lennon and the Beatles were evil because... 4139 Dec 2014 #100

My, you are just super INVESTED in this, aren't ya???? Putting up poll after poll about this Number23 Dec 2014 #98

What is your solution Blue_In_AK Dec 2014 #102

Appreciating and appropriating are not the same thing Number23 Dec 2014 #115

I understand what you're saying with regard to the music and fashion industries, Blue_In_AK Dec 2014 #135

For one thing, stop telling people of color that this issue (and others that we want to address) are Number23 Dec 2014 #156

I didn't vote in this poll Blue_In_AK Dec 2014 #157

I posted two polls, including this one, but the first was specifically on Katy Perry's cornrows. Nye Bevan Dec 2014 #103

We all wait with baited breath on your groundbreaking and no doubt culturally astute pronouncement Number23 Dec 2014 #117

It's actually "bated breath" (no "i") (nt) Nye Bevan Dec 2014 #119

No, when dealing with flame bait, it's exactly as I posted. Number23 Dec 2014 #120

Many in this thread are confusing education with disagreement LittleBlue Dec 2014 #99

Er, wait, what? abelenkpe Dec 2014 #111

Shave their heads, if you are really interested in speed. kwassa Dec 2014 #129

Yeah I know eventually abelenkpe Dec 2014 #137

How generally clueless and ignorant are you, exactly? Spider Jerusalem Dec 2014 #113

"I would have to say the answer seems to be "extremely"." Number23 Dec 2014 #118

Here's the original thread citing Katy Perry's cornrows: Nye Bevan Dec 2014 #125

That isn't the original thread about "cultural appropriation". Spider Jerusalem Dec 2014 #126

It was the first one I saw. Nye Bevan Dec 2014 #128

The article uses that as an example gollygee Dec 2014 #131

This poll is actually informative LittleBlue Dec 2014 #144

"Naturally be more receptive"? Spider Jerusalem Dec 2014 #145

Yeah, but we're still 95% Democrats LittleBlue Dec 2014 #148

Iggy Azalea apparently spent half her teen years in the south. U4ikLefty Dec 2014 #159

Cultural appropriation is what humans do. Yo_Mama Dec 2014 #154

We have a culture? WinkyDink Dec 2014 #158

I'm one of the proud 3% ileus Dec 2014 #162

How interesting the respondents to this JustAnotherGen Dec 2014 #164

Ask the Rolling Stones or the Beatles. alarimer Dec 2014 #165