Jordyn Woods and issues with cultural appropriation
I’m sure many of you St. Joe’s students are sick of all the articles about racism and injustice, but that’s just too bad because here is another one. This one may even hit home in a way you couldn’t have imagined.
It’s good to have friends from many different backgrounds, and it’s alright to seek to understand and to participate in cultures other than your own. But this is a slippery slope.
We can look to current pop culture and see this very clearly, especially in the case of Jordyn Woods and the Kardashian family.
Everyone has been talking about Woods and the mess that is Khloe Kardashian’s relationship with Tristan Thompson, and I would like to stir the pot a little more. Woods was supposedly like a sister to Khloe, a part of the family, but the entire Kardashian “klan,” disposed of her because of rumors and speculation.
I remember a time when Kylie Kardashian and some of her sisters stole designs from creators of color, and Woods didn’t say or do anything. When the Kardashian sisters were called out for their appropriation, Woods supported them. Woods has been through every scandal, sucking up to the Kardashians for fame and social acceptance.
But when the fire came raining down on her, the black community openly embraced Woods and defended her against the Kardashians’ psychotic fans. I was right along with them at first. Then I thought on it.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with Woods, as a black woman, for having a white best friend. What is wrong is allowing your friend to literally profit off of your culture. What is wrong is allowing your friend to participate in your culture when they do not fully understand it or care about the community that created it.
Too often, white people are involved in black culture for profit, mockery or simply fun, but when it comes to supporting black businesses, black institutions, black activism or even just black people, the support is heavily lacking.
But you’re not racist, you have black friends.
Woods was great in her role, but that is all it was, a role. Many white people have black friends and they couldn’t care less about them. Black friends seem to be expendable and profitable because of pop culture.
Any kind of pop culture you can think of has been influenced by black people. Style, music, slang and so many other aspects of American mainstream culture derive from black culture.
ILLUSTRATION: OLIVIA HEISTERKAMP ’19/THE HAWK
Simultaneously though, black Americans are some of the most disenfranchised and disregarded individuals in this country. Our communities are under-resourced, our schools are broken down, our quality of life is drastically different compared to our white counterparts, but they don’t know about this. What they do know is every lyric to every popular rap song.
Moreover, you cannot claim ignorance in 2019.
How could Woods not understand that her white best friend was gaining public attention because of her lack of judgment and appropriation?
These are people who interact with social media constantly for a living. Woods and Kylie Jenner saw the outrage. They both saw the articles and the YouTube videos and the Twitter threads. They both knew what Kylie’s actions meant and did nothing.
Similarly, when you are with your white friends and they are appropriating, mocking and disrespecting your people, what is your excuse?
Now, I have to acknowledge that these conversations are hard. Black people should not have to feel like we need to educate white people all of the time. White people do need to educate themselves, but these are your friends (supposedly).
If I see my friend doing something that is wrong or something that could potentially hurt someone, I am morally obligated to say something to them. If these are people you care about, if these are people you have created a bond with, you should feel comfortable enough to have a serious talk with them. If you don’t, then maybe you need to ask yourself why.
Or maybe you don’t feel comfortable talking with them because you also don’t care. Maybe Woods didn’t feel entitled or willing to speak up because she wanted to assimilate. She wanted to be accepted. She didn’t want to be “that” black person.
There are some black people who also participate in dehumanizing other black people solely to be accepted into white spaces. They will let their white friends use the N-word, they will give them box braids, they will invite them to the “cookout,” because they want to be received by white people. It sucks feeling like “the other” all of the time, I get that.
However, I don’t understand being someone I’m not just to have a white friend because, as stated before, Woods was kicked to the curb as soon as the Kardashians were done with her.
Why would I change myself or allow my people to be degraded just to have friends? Granted, the Kardashians exposed Woods to many privileges. Maybe your white friends have done the same for you, but where is your integrity?
