BFFR
A Harvard student laments the borrowing of a Black-originating phrase by white people and goes on to cite other instances of theft and borrowing by whites, including the over-purchasing of a hair product for Black women, use of African-American Vernacular English, “wearing a slick bun with chunky gold hoops*” and wearing lip gloss with brown lip liner.
“The phrase [BFFR], originating from a Black woman, has now been adopted and popularized by white creators in America. There is nothing new about this phenomenon — dominant populations have co-opted minority culture, ideas, and innovation for their own use throughout recorded history — and this theft will, in all likelihood, continue to occur unless something changes. This seeming inevitability should not discourage marginalized communities from fighting back, and being vigilant in protecting their intellectual property.”
“African-American Vernacular English — the unique grammar, vocabulary, and accents used in Black communities — is not the only aspect of our culture that has been borrowed by white American society,” the author goes on… “Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Oil, a version of a product used in Black and brown cultures for generations, has found its way into white women’s hearts recently… The problem with this…is not the product itself, but that the over-purchase of this oil, designed mainly for curlier hair, in stores across America has caused the product to go scarce.”
The author does not expound upon how the “intellectual property” of phrases and products can be protected from white use or overuse, but concludes that “it is crucial that society as a whole amplifies the voices of marginalized communities within the fashion and beauty industries, for the purpose of providing fair representation, resources, and opportunities.”
*Hoop earrings date back to 1200-1600 BCE with early Greek colonists living in Egypt and within major cultures of the ancient world, including Greece, Africa, India, Persia. Pitts-Taylor, Victoria (2008). Cultural Encyclopedia of the Body [2 volumes]. ISBN 9781567206913.
Related:
"Cultural appropriation" isn't real. It's just culture (FAIR Substack, 10/3/22)
