The activist, blogger and DJ who goes by the name “Fumes” has built a large following on Twitter and Tumblr by voicing strong objection to white appropriation of African-American culture, calling out white privilege in all its forms and targeting the fashion industry for what she describes as “Columbusing, colonizing and exploiting” black culture for profit without acknowledging the centuries of suffering, discrimination and exploitation that helped inform black Americans’ unique cultural expressions.
In this exclusive TYTInterview, Fumes and The Young Turks’ Ana Kasparian discuss:
– Their Twitter feud over “white feminism” that led to this interview
– What cultural appropriation looks like
– Allure Magazine’s celebration of Kylie Jenner’s cornrows
– The complicated history and expression of black hair
– Why everyone in American culture is encouraged to look “as European as possible.”
– Whether calling out celebrities for appropriating black culture is acceptable
– Why Rachel Doleful has no right to pretend to be black
– The #BlackLivesMatter movement activists who disrupted Bernie Sanders’ rallies
– White feminism as a subset of white privilege
– Why white – and black – feminists need to understand and celebrate “intersectionality.”
Follow Fumes on Twitter: @WlZKHALlFA
Follow Ana on Twitter: @Ana Kasparian
Check out Fumes’ Tumblr at http://brwn-grl.tumblr.com/
Comments
I am confused on a few things.
– She says that Rachel Dolezal is offensive because she identified as Black(and pretended to be black),
That when she puts on that costume i think she said, its disrespectful and so on, then why isnt it disrespectful when black people use whitening cream (i understand that its aweful that they have to do that) to look more european?? I mean the act has to be reflexive right??!
– Then she said that Rachel would pass as “white/black”, then she said that she herself passes as priviliged black, then by applying her logic -> she cant know how it is for none-priviliged black people??
– Then by her reasoning shouldn’t it be disrespectful if a transgender man identifies as a woman(Dresses, clothes,wig, enjoyes casual sex with men etc)? I mean women have had it pretty rough, not men??! And by doing this, he’s disrespecting all that hard work/identity ?? Or ??
My feeling is that the problem isnt Cultural appropriation(why isnt this a positive??, in this case), its rascism, how police gets trained, just saw Cenk interview with the former Baltimore Police Officer, Quotas, how poor people are viewed as lesser people then rich etc..
I mean saying NO this is not for your kind, you dont have the same experiences as me, your not welcome, you can visit but not make a home here. Isnt that what
we are fighting, people being placed in boxes based on their apperance and not on what they can contribute.
Thought Ana was a bit passive/ to nice in this interview.
Love the show by the way, wow, wish we had something like it in Sweden.
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Very good points. I was thinking the same thing.
Assuming that you are correct about the discrimination (I don’t live in the US) I really don’t understand how Vogue is hurting your cause. They are trying to make the hairstyle acceptable, so you don’t get discriminated against.
You complain a lot about the history, but attack the people who are trying to change that. Other people integrating parts of your culture into theirs is not erasing your identity. It’s spreading your culture, the opposite of colonizing and exploiting.
“Have respect for our culture”. That will never happen if you keep in a cage.
That’s was interesting love Ana , and Fumes is right , being white and think you can say your black is really offensive , looking light skin give privilege even if she was really black, people would treat her according to how white/european descent she look! And when dark skin Black woman are pressure to change the color of their skin using whitening cream to look more white so society as a whole will think they are better , more attractive . How can a white woman who say she support us and love the culture try to be us. it’s like playing dress up .
White ,being white since slavery , light skin slave would get better treatment , they would be House slave .. all those think condition us to think like skin is better. Even though having a lot of Melanin is a evolutionary advantage so the sun doesn’t affect your skin more , so when don’t get a lot of sun burn . And ever since the Haitian revolution en 1791-1804, black people been fight to be seen as great .
Ana always try to understand other point of vues and that’s one of the reason i like Tyt