Proglodytes behold what they have wrought...and they're not very keen on it

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Comrade Grumpy (11,011 posts)

"Electronic Dance Music Festivals Fraught With White Privilege"
 
This is an op-ed published in a Boston University campus paper.

http://www.bupipedream.com/opinion/53740/edm-festivals-fraught-with-white-privilege/

As an avid fan of house music and member of Binghamton University’s Hoop Troop, I’m almost the typical attendant of EDM festivals. However, my experience at this past summer’s Electric Forest Festival proved to me that so many white people just don’t get it. Because I am a person of color, what should have been an exhilarating adventure turned out to be a nightmare. I faced covert racism and microaggressions from pseudo-hippies that left me cynical about festival culture and colorblindness among the younger generation.

Festivals such as Coachella have already received backlash for the cultural appropriation of Native American headdresses; so much so that a plethora of festivals have banned the sporting of the war bonnets. Yet something that the media doesn’t address is the cultural appropriation of dreadlocks that is so apparent in EDM festival culture. The amount of white people with dreads at Electric Forest was astounding. I was prepared to be one of the few people of color at the festival, but I wasn’t prepared to see people steal my culture.

Many festival attendees fail to realize the cultural significance of hair as a part of black identity, especially dreadlocks. Historically, straightening black hair was a form of survival, in hopes of gaining access to opportunities and resources that African-Americans were denied. Wearing afro-textured in its natural state is a declaration against the European standard of beauty.

Now, there is nothing wrong with black people who straighten their hair, but there is everything wrong with white people having dreadlocks. The difference is that one group is assimilating into dominant culture, whereas the other is borrowing an important aspect of identity from a marginalized group. There is a lot of pressure in the workplace for black people to cut their dreads; there is the case of Ashley Davis, a Missouri woman whose company implemented a policy banning dreadlocks and other hairstyles. There is also the case of 7-year-old Tiana Parker, an Oklahoma girl who had to switch schools after she was sent home for her locs, a hairstyle deemed not “presentable” by school officials. So it is mocking and obnoxious for white people to wear them. I rock faux-locs myself as a protective style for my natural hair, so I was very offended by every white person I saw wearing dreads.

Another issue I have with these festivals is the visible drug culture within them. I am by no means judging anyone for their choices, but the role of drugs in the majority-white festivals is vastly different than it is in the black community. As I witnessed the open sale and use of narcotics on the festival campgrounds, I couldn’t help but think about the black and brown people from low-income neighborhoods that are disproportionately thrown in jail for drugs.

The war on drugs started during Richard Nixon’s presidency in the 1970s, and became an excuse to over-police and incarcerate men and women in poor, minority neighborhoods. According to the NAACP, five times as many whites as African-Americans use drugs, yet African-Americans are imprisoned for drug offenses at 10 times the rate of whites. Former U.S. Marshal and Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Matthew Fogg has recently spoken out about his administrators advising him to not enforce drug laws in white areas. Law enforcement’s application of drug policies is racially organized and takes for granted the lives of people of color. While white kids are partying worry-free on festival grounds, black people are unjustly vilified for drugs.

Overall, my time at the Electric Forest was a bust. The scenery was magical and I got to see Lauryn Hill perform, but this was not a safe space for me to express my love of music as a black woman.

– Chelsea Desruisseaux is a junior majoring in human development

Useless major

Useless commentary

Useless person

MicaelS (5,640 posts)

1. She has got to be ****ing kidding.

Now, there is nothing wrong with black people who straighten their hair, but there is everything wrong with white people having dreadlocks. The difference is that one group is assimilating into dominant culture, whereas the other is borrowing an important aspect of identity from a marginalized group. There is a lot of pressure in the workplace for black people to cut their dreads; there is the case of Ashley Davis, a Missouri woman whose company implemented a policy banning dreadlocks and other hairstyles. There is also the case of 7-year-old Tiana Parker, an Oklahoma girl who had to switch schools after she was sent home for her locs, a hairstyle deemed not “presentable” by school officials. So it is mocking and obnoxious for white people to wear them. I rock faux-locs myself as a protective style for my natural hair, so I was very offended by every white person I saw wearing dreads.

My hair was so red and curly when I was in my twenties, I had a natural, and looked like Bernie from the 1960s TV show Room 222. And I didn't do anything to my hair either. I guess if she were alive back then I would have been accused of being "mocking and obnoxious" for this pale white guy to wear them.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3918490&mesg_id=3918712

geek tragedy (45,349 posts)

2. OFFS nt

hifiguy (20,478 posts)

3. There is a time and a place for every kind of stupidity

and that place is called college.

Is this even for REAL??? This is what the word "sophomoric" was coined to describe even if she is a junior.

Hair is hair, and dope is dope. Oddly enough, young people wear lots of kinds of out-there hair-styles and dope of various types appears at party scenes, at least if I am remembering my youth correctly. I am shocked, SHOCKED I tell you!!

BlueJazz (21,996 posts)

4. "There's everything wrong with white people having dreadlocks" Bullshit...Bullshit.

People can wear their hair any damn way they want to. That would be like me disapproving of a black individual wearing their hair like Doris Day.

(I would hope the person would tell me to "**** You, Asshole")

RadiationTherapy (5,236 posts)

7. I believe "cultural appropriation" will no longer be a useful term soon.
 
Not because it will end, but because the internet will make the act so commonplace that the term will lose any relevant meaning.

seveneyes (3,145 posts)

8. majoring in human development she is?
 
Good luck with that.

Throd (5,775 posts)

9. "but this was not a safe space for me to express my love of music as a black woman."

WTF?

Warren DeMontague (60,443 posts)

11. Aside from seeing white people with dreads smoking pot, what other micro-aggressions did she
 
personally experience?

("it turned out to be a NIGHTMARE!")

She doesn't actually say.

She's yours.

All yours


http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026561487

[Carl]

Now, there is nothing wrong with black people who straighten their hair, but there is everything wrong with white people having dreadlocks. The difference is that one group is assimilating into dominant culture, whereas the other is borrowing an important aspect of identity from a marginalized group.

Dumbasses reject that for the stupidity that it is but gleefully use the exact same principle to declare that blacks like Sharpton,Rev.Wright etc can`t be racists.

[DumbAss Tanker]

As soon as the word "Microaggression" enters the conversation, you know you're talking to a complete tool.

[SVPete]

When DU-folk recognize your patheticity you have taken pathetic where no idiot has gone before.

[98ZJUSMC]

As soon as the word "Microaggression" enters the conversation, you know you're talking to a complete tool.

Gots alls the currents leftie buzzwords.  microagressions, safe space, covert racism, black identity.

...and shit.

majoring in human development

   Practice this:  Large Fries wifs your order?

...and the Number One whopper of the year, so far:

but the role of drugs in the majority-white festivals is vastly different than it is in the black community.

 

Yes, idiots..... this is just one, of your smahtestest, bestest little kOlLiDgE snowflakes.

[obumazombie]

Almost a lucid thought...

RadiationTherapy (5,236 posts)

7. I believe "cultural appropriation" will no longer be a useful term soon.
 
Not because it will end, but because the internet will make the act so commonplace that the term will lose any relevant meaning.

Replace "cultural appropriation" with racism.
Then you will have a bona died lucid thought.

[diesel driver]

...Yes, idiots..... this is just one, of your smahtestest, bestest little kOlLiDgE snowflakes.

SNOWFLAKE!!!!   

 

[miskie]

The author of the original article isn't very keen on history.

Though dreads are part of African culture, they are also part of Indian, Greek, and Buddhist cultures - as well as many others. So, no.. Nobody is stealing "your culture".

The truth is "Your culture" is thousands of years away from the origins of dreadlocks. So stop the special snowflake whining and stop trying to drive wedges between people based on a false sense of identity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreadlocks

[thundley4]

I faced covert racism and microaggressions from pseudo-hippies that left me cynical about festival culture and colorblindness among the younger generation.

As soon as the word "Microaggression" enters the conversation, you know you're talking to a complete tool.

A minority person indoctrinated to hate by  liberal academia.  Also known as a butthurt liberal with a chip on their shoulder the size of Mt. Everest.

[Big Dog]

As soon as the word "Microaggression" enters the conversation, you know you're talking to a complete tool.

Along with "trigger words", "trigger warning", "safe space", "dog whistle", and "rape culture".

A great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.

[obumazombie]

Almost a lucid thought...


Replace "cultural appropriation" with racism.
Then you will have a bona fide lucid thought.

I think I got caught with autocorrect.
And not cousin nadin autocorrect.

[SVPete]

Random thought ... if appreciating music styles that to some degree originated among blacks is "cultural appropriation", were "white" Motown fans cultural-appropriators? People who love the music of Duke Ellington and Count Basie? Chubby Checker, Little Richard, and Chuck Berry?

OTOH, sports like basketball, football, and baseball were created by "whites" ...

At the risk of committing cultural appropriation, How Low Can Stupid Go?!

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Random thought ... if appreciating music styles that to some degree originated among blacks is "cultural appropriation", were "white" Motown fans cultural-appropriators? People who love the music of Duke Ellington and Count Basie? Chubby Checker, Little Richard, and Chuck Berry?

OTOH, sports like basketball, football, and baseball were created by "whites" ...

At the risk of committing cultural appropriation, How Low Can Stupid Go?!

The new Proglodyte talking point is to discuss the "power dynamic."

If you're part of the presumed out-of-power group you cannot be racist, culturally appropriate or engage in any biased activity.

You're merely claiming what is due/creating a safe space.

If you're part of the in-power group of the oppressor you have strict rules (that are never defined) about how you must approach all things not culturally unique to your group.

[Ptarmigan]

A minority person indoctrinated to hate by  liberal academia.  Also known as a butthurt liberal with a chip on their shoulder the size of Mt. Everest Olympus Mons.

FIFY. Olympus Mons is the tallest known mountain in the Solar System. It is on Mars and makes Mt. Everest look like a small hill.

http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/ask/199-Where-is-the-highest-mountain-in-our-Solar-System-

[SVPete]

The new Proglodyte talking point is to discuss the "power dynamic."

If you're part of the presumed out-of-power group you cannot be racist, culturally appropriate or engage in any biased activity.

You're merely claiming what is due/creating a safe space.

If you're part of the in-power group of the oppressor you have strict rules (that are never defined) about how you must approach all things not culturally unique to your group.

There are a couple of good words for that, one slang, and the other "proper English": Weaselry and equivocation. "Moving the goalposts" and "WTH nonsense are you spouting now?!" work pretty well, too.

Dictionaries are Micro-Aggressions and White Privilege!