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Vianey Nava
Jason Roberts
English 1A
30 November 2015
“Culture Inappropriation”
There is no time in history where racism is inexistent, whether it is direct and visible, or
just in one’s subconscious. As a human being we will always have the instinct to judge no matter
what. However, Nadra Kareem Nittle, a race relations expert reveals that racism is not the only
issue when it comes to diversity of cultures and their acceptance from or towards others. Many
of the disputes on social media regard why it is okay for whites to disregard what a culture has
and is going through while they participate in appropriating the culture who’s struggle they are
ignoring. Part of the reason whites think it is okay to culture appropriate is due to the fact that
they are not aware of the struggle because they have yet to be exposed to the realities of it, so
they are insensitive to the culture and its values.
Many believe the biggest issue involving race and inequality of minorities is the lack of
awareness from the dominating races “White Supremacy.” This does not necessarily mean all
white people are racist and cruel, they are simply oblivious to the fact that they are better treated
than minorities. As President Obama said, “racism is a daily part of our lives. Like air and water,
it’s part of the environment in which we live, yet far too many white Americans still live in denial
about its persistence.” Broadcaster, author, and commentator, Keith Boykin paints the picture
that Blacks carry a magnet around their neck. Black people attract a lot of racism, magnets attract
a lot of metal. White people do not carry magnets so they do not attract metal/racism. But those
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without the magnet would continue to remain oblivious to the metal assault on their body. He
asserts, “until white Americans examine their own racial privilege and open their eyes to the
experience of Black Americans, they’ll never notice the magnet we carry every day.”
It is easy to see that part of the reason Whites are unaware of their many privileges is
because they do not know what their privileges even are. Peggy McIntosh, an American feminist
and anti-racism activist puts in perspective some of the many privileges a White person may
encounter; I can be pretty sure that my neighbors in such a location will be neutral or pleasant to
me, I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race
widely represented, When I am told about our national heritage or about “civilization,” I am
shown that people of my color made it what it is, I can go into a music shop and count on finding
