By Juhi Dasrath, Graduate Intern
There would be no Eminem if there were no Dr. Dre. No Justin Bieber without Usher. No King of Rock-and-Roll without jazz, blues, and gospel. The common denominator? Black culture.
Remember the feeling of doing all the work for a group project, and your group takes equal or all credit? Music, art, fashion and sports are all influenced by Black Culture.
In a 2015 news article, Eugene Shelton, associate professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication from Kent University, stated, “It’s just a matter of economics… There are more white people than black people. There are young consumers who no longer associate this music with African-Americans because it’s coming to them from a white artist.” The same is true for fashion; do-rags have been renamed “Urban Tie Caps” as a way to make them seem more high society.
Like supporting Black culture, supporting Black lives should not be a trend. According to the Pew Research Center, 55% of U.S. adults now express at least some support for the Black Lives Matter movement, down from 67% in June amid nationwide demonstrations sparked by the death of George Floyd. Those who say they strongly support the movement stands at 29%, down from 38% three months ago.
The idea of moving from ally to accomplice means holding ourselves accountable as people who don’t identify as Black to continue doing the work to acknowledge and give voices to Black lives beyond Black History Month and beyond the months where the injustices are seen on every screen.
Colleen Clemens from the Learning for Justice Organization explains, “An ally will mostly engage in activism by standing with an individual or group in a marginalized community. An accomplice will focus more on dismantling the structures that oppress that individual or group—and such work will be directed by the stakeholders in the marginalized group… Simply, ally work focuses on individuals, and accomplice work focuses on the structures of decision-making agency.”
According to the US Census Population Projection Report published on Brookings.edu, the US population will be minority White by the year 2045. Beyond the month of February, continue to recognize your own racial bias, microaggressions, and racial inequities. This knowledge should not shame one race or another. Let it not load an arsenal full of historical hate. Instead, use it to educate yourself and find ways to stand with and not for the community. Why buy Birkin when you can buy Black Owned? KFC over Khi’s & Eli’s Soul Food? Most importantly, why volunteer when you can get involved?
It’s time to move from sidekick to the main character in social justice work.
