Keff-what? Art and Appropriation

On the very first day of one of my high school art classes, my Theory of Aesthetics teacher sat us down and asked us a question: “What is art?” Surely this was a rhetorical question - this was an art class after all, and he, the teacher, was supposed to answer that question for us. But it wasn’t a rhetorical question.

Here’s the thing about art: it needs inspiration. The Greeks knew this better than anybody; they worshipped nine muses dedicated to the preservation of the creative spirit. But where we get our inspiration and how we use it can have a big impact on whether art is art, or say, plagiarism.

We all know that plagiarism is a major no-no because it’s a lie. It’s fine to draw inspiration from artists who’ve already done really cool stuff, but downright copying, especially without giving credit where credit is due is not okay.

But what about cultural plagiarism? Does that even exist? Can you steal someone’s culture? Is it even stealing when you do? I mean, we live in America, the melting pot, isn’t that kind of the point? We take everything and make it better?

Well, no. It is stealing when you take someone’s cultural traditions and symbols and make them your own, in whatever sense that may be. In fact, it’s called “cultural appropriation.”

So why do you have to worry about it? Well, let’s look at one form of art I can guarantee you’ve been exposed to on an everyday basis since you were old enough to know what cool is: fashion. Fashion is everywhere and trends come and go about as quickly as boy-bands.  Somewhere in that drive to hop on to the next big thing in fashion, we’ve forgotten to stop and check whether or not that absolutely adorable Aztec print top is buying into the latest and greatest cultural appropriation trend.

What’s the difference between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation you ask? Let’s take a look. The clothing and accessories worn by different cultures are important because they symbolize certain elements of their heritage or their religious practices. A pattern and the colors in it could have a very specific meaning for a group of people. For instance, in many regions of Africa and the Middle East textile patterns were and are used to identify tribes, heritage and political loyalties. When those patterns start popping up on shelves in the U.S. there are a couple of issues. The first and foremost is that no one really understands where the pattern comes from or what it could mean, only that it gets you “that look.”  There’s no understanding about who the original creator of that pattern is, or what cultural implications it has beyond how well it matches your new pants.

Photo courtesy http://sunshinejoy.com/page/Keffiyeh_Scarves.html. 

Ever heard of a Keffiyeh? How about those cute hipster scarves with those cool patterns? Yeah, you know what I’m talking about. BAM. Cultural appropriation. The scarf trend draws its inspiration from the Keffiyeh. The Keffiyeh is worn throughout the Middle East, and it carries a lot of significance in countries like Jordan and Palestine. So that cute hipster look isn’t just a fashion forward way to keep your neck warm; it’s a symbol of patriotism and heritage to people clear on the other side of the globe.

Wearing these trends like it’s nothing is a problem because they come from a place of history. There’s meaning and importance associated with a lot of symbols that we have no clue about. It’s one thing to travel somewhere, learn about a culture and bring back a piece of clothing or an accessory as a memory of that trip. In doing so, you are demonstrating cultural appreciation and you actually have some clue what you’re wearing and why it means something.

Going into American Outfitters and picking up the latest in tribal prints is one of the most blatant forms of disrespect out there. When we buy clothes without understanding what we’re wearing, we’re basically telling a lot of people around the world that their cultures and traditions aren’t important to us; that they’re just part of a trend that we can cast off whenever something better comes along.

It’s not easy to avoid cultural appropriation when you’re out shopping. But you can do it. Helpful hint: those feather headdresses you’re about to drop a couple hundred bucks on are definitely not okay. Take a second and research the history and significance of headdresses to Native Americans and you might find yourself thinking twice about wearing one to your next rave. Understanding where these trends are coming from not only increases your knowledge, but helps you to avoid the pitfalls of spending your money on something that disrespects someone else.

In fact, the more you know, the more you can direct your spending choices toward something that can actually help other people. Take the project 3Strands, which employs victims of sex trafficking and produces bracelets that you can buy in stores like Whole Foods and Apricot Lane. Money from sales helps free women from trafficking and employs women who would otherwise be shunned.

Money speaks pretty gosh darn loudly, and you say a lot with what you buy. Art is beautiful and wonderful. It’s great to push the boundaries with what counts as art and what’s acceptable, but when it comes to your closet, make sure you understand the fashion statements you’re making, or else you could end up saying more about yourself than you realize.

Take a look at this photographers’ take on cultural appropriation in fashion.

Planet Kids' Staff Are Keeping New Hampshire In Their Thoughts

While some of us at Planet Kids were working on Sunday morning of Aug. 11, 2013, providing supervised visitation; there was a horrible tragedy happening in a place providing the very same services in Manchester, N.H.

Please keep all of the children and parents that are victims of domestic violence in your thoughts. Help to cure the cycle of violence. Report any form of violence that you suspect and help to promote peace.

The victims in New Hampshire are in our thoughts here at Planet Kids, and we send the utmost love to you.

Posted by Amber, Planet Kids visit monitor.

Expanded Secret Seconds Thrift Store to Reopen August 14

The Broadway location of Secret Seconds  is reopening on Wednesday, Aug. 13. The new store looks great, and we are so excited! 

We are now accepting donations, and we even have room for gently used furniture with all of the additional space. 

Take a look at how it's coming along, and come see us on Wednesday. 

And of course, Secret Seconds staff can help you pick out exactly what you need. We are pretty talented. 

Thanks for your support!

Posted by Shelby, Secret Seconds store staff

Paula v. Paul

In legal cases of defamation, there is a certain standard that is applied to people in the public eye. In order for a celebrity to prove that she has been defamed, she must prove that there was something called “actual malice.” This means the celebrity has to prove the person defaming her spread lies on purpose and completely ignored the truth. Now let's look at what happens when a celebrity is the one doing the defaming. Do we hold celebrities to the same standard? Do we look at the intent behind the celebrity’s words and actions and judge him accordingly?

A celebrity perpetuating racism could be accused of spreading lies — after all, isn't racism one big lie after another – A lie to himself and to humanity? By what standard do we judge celebrities when they spread racism? Celebrities need publicity in order to be, well… celebrities. News media sources know this; they also know that if they can get us to pay attention to a story, they can run with it.

We need to start using the actual malice standards when it comes to celebrities behaving in ways that are detrimental to our society. Let’s look at an example of the actual malice standard at work with two public figures who messed up big time with racist behavior.

The celebrity chef, Paula Deen, was once associated with extreme butter usage – now she’s associated with racism and a career that's going up in flames. On top of that, allegations of Deen running a hostile and racist work environment have surfaced. Okay, she screwed up. We all screw up sometimes, but the question is, how did she fix it? Well, she apologized…and she fired her agent. Great! Real change has been made. Now that Deen begged forgiveness, a serious transgression has been righted and the world has learned a valuable lesson: When you screw up, fire your agent.

Earlier this year, celebrity chef Paula Deen dealt with allegations that she was running a hostile and racist work environment. Photo courtesy Digitas Photos. 

Pause. Remember that actual malice standard? Was there intent? Did Paula Deen know that she was spreading lies and ignoring the truth? I think her behavior indicates that she did know what she was doing; she’s just floundering now that she’s been caught in the act of bigotry.

Let’s take a look at someone else who screwed up. More specifically, a company — Paul Frank Industries. You probably know the company by its trademark monkey face logo. For 2012’s "Fashion's Night Out," Paul Frank LA held a Native American Powwow-themed party. The entire event capitalized on stereotypes about Native Americans through the usage of feathers, tomahawks and war paint. The company was called out by blogger Adrienne K, administrator of Native Appropriations.  Much to her surprise, not only did Paul Frank Industries respond to her letter, but also asked for her help to learn and grow from the situation.

Last year, Paul Frank Industries apologized for capitalizing on Native American stereotypes at one of its fashion parties. Photo taken at Paul Frank store in Berlin, courtesy of Brian Caldwell.

The president of Paul Frank Industries responded to Adrienne K directly and requested the blogger's help to change how the company was using Native American imagery. Since then, the company has collaborated with Native designers like Dustin Martin and Autumn Dawn Gomez, in addition to pulling offensive imagery from its stock photos. The company's response to the incident demonstrated contrition and a true willingness to change.

Actual malice standard? I think we can safely say that Paul Frank Industries realized they had unintentionally offended a lot of people and tried to make sincere amends. Paula Deen? Not so much.  

Every turn of the Paula Deen saga has been picked up by major news sources and spread across headlines. Meanwhile, Paul Frank has received limited media attention. Who are we rewarding? Paula Deen. By paying attention to her story and continuing to read and watch stories about her, we are only encouraging news sources to continue their coverage. In looking for news sources that are covering people who actually strive to rectify their mistakes and move beyond their bad behavior, we let the world know what we do and don’t support.

As long as we keep paying attention to people like Paula Deen and ignoring stories like Paul Frank Industries, we will never see the change that is trying to happen. The media has made a very clear declaration of which story it thinks is important for the public to see. As a result, Paula Deen is the story that will influence the people who hear it. It's the story that people will remember when they think of racism. It's the story that will ultimately influence their behavior.

Is Paula Deen's behavior really the standard we want the media to set for us?  

Posted by Juliana Rose, YWCA Racial Justice Intern

Hey, It's 2013!

When I was younger, my mom and I butted heads a lot over the state of my room. She wanted it clean; I didn't want to clean it. Not exactly a unique situation — what kid actually wants to clean her room? When I did get around to cleaning, I'd tell her when I was done and wait, fingers crossed, for the inspection that would follow. Without fail, Mom would come in and point out what I'd missed (or tried to hide). I'd like to say that I've gotten better at keeping my room clean as I've gotten older, but you'd have to check with my roommates on that one.  

   

So what does my room have to do with racial justice? Think of our society as my bedroom: even though we might think we’re done with the whole “racism thing,” we still have a lot of cleaning to do.

When it comes to racial justice, we still have a lot of cleaning to do.

Every time I see something new going on or talk to someone about the latest occurrence in the world of -isms (racism, sexism, etc.), the phrase, “It’s 2013!” undoubtedly pops up:    

"It's 2013, why are people so up in arms about a mixed-race family on TV?"

   

I recently found myself repeating the phrase often, especially in this internship as I examined the issues I wasn't aware of before. There are a lot of things going on in the world that I thought were problems of the past, and it never fails to shock me that these things happen today. For instance, constantly questioning a woman’s right to choose what she does with her body – why is that still on the agenda?
   

The more I thought about it and talked about it, the more I began to see a problem. Let's think about our society as my bedroom again: We've cleaned it pretty well; we've taken out the garbage; we've picked our clothes up from the floor; made the bed; done the laundry; maybe even sprayed some Febreeze around for good measure. Now take a minute, put on your Mom goggles, and look again.
    

Uh oh, what's that under the bed? Racial bias in the media. Racial profiling (think: Trayvon Martin). And in the closet? Are those some stereotypes we're still holding onto? For example, housing discrimination. It still exists. People of color are shown fewer properties by landlords than their white counterparts. 

Okay, you can take your Mom goggles off now. Yes, we've made a lot of progress, and that's wonderful. But as far as the deep dark corners of our metaphorical room are concerned, we've still got some major issues. Thinking that we've already cleaned them up only allows them to sit in the corner and grow into a bigger problem. 

   

We need to stop saying, "It's 2013! We should be done with racism!" That phrase is easy; it's a trap waiting to stop progress. It's dangerous, and it lends us a false sense of security about the work we still need to do. Just because we cleaned our room once, doesn't mean we get to stop. We need to start looking at our society with our Mom goggles and look at the things we missed before. 

   

We can't let the progress our parents and grandparents made in working toward equality go to waste. We have to carry that momentum forward and keep working toward change. I'm making a personal pledge not to use that phrase anymore whenever I hear about modern racism. 

It's 2013, and we're not done. It's 2013, and racism still exists. It might not look the same way as it did to our parents, but it's there all the same.
   

So put your Mom goggles on and keep an eye out for that mess under the bed. Cleaning is never easy, but it must be done. 

Posted by Juliana Rose, YWCA Missoula Racial Justice Intern

P.S. Thanks for the inspiration, Mom!

P.P.S. Check out these motivational pictures. Warning: may contain humor.

Respectful discourse.

Down with this sort of thing.

Do something.

The Zimmerman Verdict: Is Race An Issue?

Trayvon Martin. George Zimmerman. Still with me? I know we've heard those two names a lot lately, but there’s still a lot to be said about the verdict in the Zimmerman trial.

In a recent Pew poll, respondents were asked whether they were satisfied with the results of the case and whether the issue of race is receiving more attention than it deserves. Conversely, they were asked if the case raises important issues about race that need to be discussed. Of the respondents who were white, most responded they were satisfied with the results, while the majority of black respondents reported dissatisfaction with the results. Black respondents were more likely to respond that they believed the case raised important issues that need to be discussed while the majority white respondents said the issue of race was getting more attention than it deserved.

So what does this tell us? It tells us that when we’re getting tired of the discussion and thinking it’s been talked and written about to death, we need to take a step back and think about where we’re coming from. Who are we in the conversation? Are we someone who has felt the effects of racism in its many forms? Or are we someone who has grown up with the privilege of not having to think about our racial identity?

Race is an issue in this case because people who experience racism are telling us there’s an issue. Shouldn't we take a step back and think about that for a minute?

The thing is, any one of us could have just as easily been George Zimmerman or Trayvon Martin. In fact, most of us will assume roles similar to those seen in this case. We will experience judgment based on our appearance, and we will judge others based on their appearance. For that very reason, we can’t dismiss the conversation about the Trayvon Martin shooting and the subsequent trial. It isn't just a conversation about people of color or white people. It’s a conversation about the choices we make as individuals and as a society. It’s about the moments when we look at another person and decide who they are and what they can do to us based on snap judgments and stereotypes.

If we aren't talking about this, we aren't acknowledging that a serious tragedy happened. A young man is dead. The value of human life is too great not to examine why he’s dead, what led to his death and how to stop it from happening again. The same snap judgments that George Zimmerman made about Trayvon Martin could be the same you or I have made when we were walking down the street and we started walking just a little bit faster because someone fit a certain stereotype. The same judgments people have made about Trayvon Martin being a troublemaker and a delinquent could be the same judgments thrown on you as a young person who chooses to dress in a certain way, or even as a parent who would allow it.

We need to talk about these perceptions and judgments because, while they don’t seem that big of a deal in our everyday lives, it only takes that perfect storm of a moment when, you’re holding a gun and that profile goes up in your brain and your fear or anger turns into a finger on the trigger.

So have the conversation. Stick it out. Think about how you might have acted if you had been in George Zimmerman’s shoes. Then think about how you can act differently in your own shoes every day.

Posted by Juliana Rose, YWCA Missoula Racial Justice Intern

Wild Horse Island Adventures, Girls and Their Leaders Using Their Strengths!

I’m Miranda, a former intern for the GUTS! program here at YWCA Missoula. I had the pleasure of volunteering on the GUTS! Summer Adventure to Wild Horse Island a few weeks ago. I had never been to Wild Horse Island before, so I was just as thrilled as the girls were to get off that boat and discover this historical island! 

GUTS! trips are set up to give girls in our community the opportunity to learn new skills, utilize their strengths and explore Montana. However, this trip was also a life-changing one for me! It was so rewarding getting to develop relationships with each one of the girls as well as the leaders. Whether it was sleeping out on the dock, watching our Program Manager try to do a headstand on a paddleboard, or walking down the “catwalk” (also known as the dock) in our Inner Beauty Fashion Show  - which consisted of writing our personal strengths on body parts that we may not be so confident about, and then strutting our stuff while being cheered on by the others - my motivation and inspiration for life was rejuvenated thanks to a group of 16 strong and unique girls and women.

Wild Horse Island is just one of the Summer Adventures where GUTS! girls discover their inner strengths.

One of the activities that we organized for the girls was a Team Challenge Course, where these 11- to 13-year-old girls got to put their strengths to use while working as a team. The last challenge they faced was to build a raft out of the driftwood from the beach and rope we provided and  navigate to the end of the bay to retrieve their prize (a box of cookies that one of the leaders had planted there.) My GUTS! girls had more survival skills than those people on the TV show "Survivor"! I am confident that we have a group of strong, independent, charismatic, and inspiring young girls on our hands, hopefully serving as role models for their peers around the community. 

Throughout the trip, I kept wishing that the community I grew up in had a program like GUTS!. It would have made adolescence a lot easier and exciting to go through, that’s for sure! At the end of our trip, we encouraged the girls to write affirmations about one another, including the leaders - an activity we refer to as “Fill your cup." Sitting around the campfire expressing what we appreciated about one another was a really moving experience for me. I now have a piece of paper filled with comments from our lovely bunch to remind myself of my positive intrinsic qualities that will ALWAYS pick me up when I start to question myself!

Posted by Miranda, YWCA Missoula Ada's Place AmeriCorps VISTA