Kevin Bourne talks about the immeasurable impact of Black culture and why society loves Black culture more than Black people.
Since the murder of George Floyd three years ago, some things have changed for the better for Black people. For example, we’re seeing a lot more Black people in TV commercials, for things like banking and laundry detergent. You’d swear the world just found out that Black people need regular stuff just like everyone else.
Still, I have the nagging feeling as of late that that isn’t enough, especially when it comes to acknowledging and celebrating the contributions of Black people. For decades, our contributions have gone unnoticed, hence why every Black History Month we’re flooded with random facts about some Black person that invented something world changing, like the traffic light or morse code. We’ve done such a poor job of integrated Black contributions into school curriculums and documenting them in the media that we need this one month to learn about all things Black.
Black contributions in music
Black people are doing their thing in every industry, from banking to tech, but our greatest contribution to society since being shipped across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa over 400 years ago is arts and culture. Let’s chalk it up to storytelling and rhythm being in our DNA.
Since the days of jazz and blues, Black culture has inevitably become popular culture. We didn’t ask for our culture to be popular; it just is. The stuff we create is dope.
Going back to the early days of rock ‘n roll, there have been countless examples of white artists and label executives stealing songs from Black artists with little to no compensation, so much so that we no longer associate Black people with Rock. The same thing happened with house music and country music which has some roots in Black music. Most people don’t know the banjo is a Black instrument.
Of course, there are examples of Black artists who rerecorded songs from white artists and added some sauce to the point you can’t barely remember the original song. Think Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary” and more recently, Lauryn Hill’s “Can’t Take my Eyes Off Of You”, but it’s more common the other way.
It’s giving appropriation
The influence of Black people in culture goes beyond music to vocabulary and slang. Last decade, “swagger”, and eventually “swag” for short, entered the hip-hop lexicon. Soon enough, the word was on the lips of politicians, executives, and everyday folk everywhere. The same with “bling”. In fact, there’s a graveyard full of formerly cool words and sayings that have gone out to pasture after becoming a part of popular culture and the broader society.
The other day I heard a very white sports platform use the word “OG” in referring to more seasoned, veteran basketball players. Once upon a time, white society hated west coast hip-hop. Now they’re using their slang.
Today, “the math ain’t mathing” and “it’s giving” have become the go-to for young and middle aged white women alike. Shoot, I’ve even heard 30-something white dudes in real estate use them. When “the math ain’t mathing” and “it’s giving” first came on the scene, my wife and I used to laugh and celebrate the humour and creativity of Black people. Now, those phrases have become white washed; adopted and gentrified, and to be honest, it’s actually getting on my nerves.
What it’s really giving is appropriation and it’s even seen in modern beauty standards. Women everywhere are now getting their lips and butts done so they can look like a Black woman.
The commercialization of Black culture
But the issue goes beyond the appropriation of Black culture to the commercialization of Black culture―from Black hair stores and nail shops to media and record labels. It begs the questions, “Who actually owns Black culture?” and “Who is deriving the biggest economic benefit from and opportunity within Black culture?” It sure doesn’t feel like we do.
A lot of the media that covers Black culture isn’t owned by Black people. A lot of the people hired to market Black music or developing Black talent aren’t Black. A lot of the people greenlighting and marketing Black TV shows and films aren’t Black.
Now, a part of that can be our fault. As Black people, we haven’t always done the best job of recognizing the commercial value of our culture and resources. Many of us lean more towards being consumers of our culture instead of leaning towards enterprise and commerce.
Does this mean non-Black people should not be able to work or do business within Black culture? Not exactly. There are non-Black people who have done their homework and pay homage. But those operating in Black culture can do a better to create space and opportunity for Black people. It’s not enough just to hire Black people and or to put up a black square on Instagram. Give them management positions; empower them to make decisions. I mean, who knows more about our culture than us?
It’s not enough for Black people to make millions running around on a basketball court or football field if most of the owners and executives are white.
The real problem
They say imitation is flattery so I guess it’s a compliment. The problem is that the cultural impact of Black people is hard to quantify. How do you measure the economic and social benefits of Black culture, of cool? You can’t. As a result, it’s easy for society to understate the value our community provides. That’s until we remove ourselves, like Black dancers and choreographers did when they went on strike from TikTok due to not being given credit for the dances they created. The hashtag #BlackTikTokStrike revealed helpless TikTokers performing whack and uninspired dances in the absence of Black choreography.
Is this what we have to do? I think so. They aren’t trying to give us a significant seat at the table. Until we get the bravery to remove ourselves from the system and create, own and commercialize our own culture, it’ll be business as usual.
Kevin Bourne is SHIFTER’s Toronto-based editor-in-chief and Senior Entertainment Reporter focusing on Black music and film & TV. He was named an international voters for the 81st Golden Globe Awards by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and a Tomatometer-Approved Critic by Rotten Tomatoes.
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