EMPRESS MONE'S CLOSET

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Reblogged from shoshmazik

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YOU CAN’T JUST TAKE A CULTURAL SIGN AND ACT AS IF IT HAS NO HISTORY, AS IF A HEADDRESS OR DREADLOCKS JUST EXISTS ‘IN ITSELF.’ BECAUSE IF YOU DO, YOU’RE DOING A VERY REAL KIND OF VIOLENCE, YOU’RE TRYING TO BREAK A SIGN, YOU’RE TRYING TO BREAK MEANING. AND THESE MEANINGS CAN BE ANYTHING FROM RELIGIOUS DEVOTION, TO FAMILY LINKS, TO LINEAGE, TO HONOR, MOURNING, AND SO ON. CULTURE LIVES IN SIGNS, SO WHEN SOMEONE TRIES TO DENY THE MEANING OF SIGNS, THEY’RE TRYING TO KILL THAT SIGN, AND SO TRY TO KILL A LITTLE BIT OF CULTURE…

SO WHAT WE’RE SAYING ISN’T THAT THERE’S ONLY ONE WAY TO WEAR HAIR, OR THAT ONLY SOME ‘RACES’ CAN USE CERTAIN SYMBOLS. WHAT WE’RE ARGUING IS FOR AN UNDERSTANDING OF CULTURAL SIGNS AS REAL HEAVY SHIT, AND FOR A WAY OF BEING THAT TRIES TO READ SIGNS IN THEIR CONTEXT, IN THEIR FULL SIGNIFICATION, EVEN THE SAD, UNCOMFORTABLE PARTS, THE GENOCIDAL PARTS, THE SLAVERY PARTS, THE TRAIL OF TEARS PARTS, AND ALL THE PARTS THAT MAKE YOU RETHINK NOT ONLY YOUR HAIRSTYLE, BUT ALSO YOUR PLACE IN HISTORY AND YOUR ACCOUNTABILITY TO OTHERS.

http://fuckyeahculturalappropriation.tumblr.com/post/2131488887/i-understand-your-issues-with-the-native-american

Fuck Yeah Cultural Appropriation tumblr

(via shoshawesome)

EMPRESS MONE'S CLOSET

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