Insights on Cultural Appropriation by Tanya Cushman

Dec 9, 2024

Notes on Tanya Cushman's Presentation on Cultural Appropriation

Introduction

  • Tanya Cushman shares her journey from being a teacher to becoming a content creator.
  • Found fulfillment during the pandemic by creating educational content on TikTok.
  • Focus on UK black history and cultural commentary.
  • Transitioned from teaching in a classroom to reaching a broader audience online.

Cultural Appropriation

  • Definition: The unacknowledged, inappropriate adoption of customs, practices, ideas from one culture by members of another culture (Oxford Dictionary).
  • Discussion of cancel culture and its connection to cultural appropriation.
  • Lack of safe spaces for dialogue on cultural appropriation.

The Survival Toolkit: The Three P's of Cultural Appropriation

  1. Cultural Property

    • Essential elements identifying a culture.
    • Example: Dreadlocks, their significance in Rastafarian culture.
    • Historical context of dreadlocks: Origin of the term and its colonial implications.
    • Importance of distinguishing cultural significance from mere hairstyles.
  2. Privilege

    • Discussion of privilege in the context of cultural appropriation.
    • Privilege derived from societal structures benefits the dominant culture.
    • Example: Halloween costumes and the use of blackface as a blatant form of cultural appropriation.
    • Call to responsibility for those with privilege to address societal issues.
  3. Profit

    • Issues of profit derived from cultural appropriation.
    • Example: Louis Vuitton's misrepresentation of Jamaican culture in fashion.
    • Call for economic awareness and support for black-owned businesses.
    • Mention of Black Pound Day as a platform for supporting UK-led black businesses.

Conclusion

  • Encouragement to use the three P's as a tool for identifying cultural appropriation.
  • Emphasis on the responsibility that comes with power and privilege.
  • Final thoughts on creating a more equal, diverse, and inclusive society.