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White Negroes: When Cornrows Were in Vogue... and Other Thoughts on Cultural Appropriation
Exposes the new generation of whiteness thriving at the expense and borrowed ingenuity of black people—and explores how this intensifies racial inequality.
American culture loves blackness. From music and fashion to activism and language, black culture constantly achieves worldwide influence. Yet, when it comes to who is allowed to thrive from black hipness, the pioneers are usually left behind as black aesthetics are converted into mainstream success—and white profit.
Weaving together narrative, scholarship, and critique, Lauren Michele Jackson reveals why cultural appropriation—something that’s become embedded in our daily lives—deserves serious attention. It is a blueprint for taking wealth and power, and ultimately exacerbates the economic, political, and social inequity that persists in America. She unravels the racial contradictions lurking behind American culture as we know it—from shapeshifting celebrities and memes gone viral to brazen poets, loveable potheads, and faulty political leaders.
An audacious debut, White Negroes brilliantly summons a re-interrogation of Norman Mailer’s infamous 1957 essay of a similar name. It also introduces a bold new voice in Jackson. Piercing, curious, and bursting with pop cultural touchstones, White Negroes is a dispatch in awe of black creativity everywhere and an urgent call for our thoughtful consumption.
American culture loves blackness. From music and fashion to activism and language, black culture constantly achieves worldwide influence. Yet, when it comes to who is allowed to thrive from black hipness, the pioneers are usually left behind as black aesthetics are converted into mainstream success—and white profit.
Weaving together narrative, scholarship, and critique, Lauren Michele Jackson reveals why cultural appropriation—something that’s become embedded in our daily lives—deserves serious attention. It is a blueprint for taking wealth and power, and ultimately exacerbates the economic, political, and social inequity that persists in America. She unravels the racial contradictions lurking behind American culture as we know it—from shapeshifting celebrities and memes gone viral to brazen poets, loveable potheads, and faulty political leaders.
An audacious debut, White Negroes brilliantly summons a re-interrogation of Norman Mailer’s infamous 1957 essay of a similar name. It also introduces a bold new voice in Jackson. Piercing, curious, and bursting with pop cultural touchstones, White Negroes is a dispatch in awe of black creativity everywhere and an urgent call for our thoughtful consumption.
184 pages, Hardcover
First published November 12, 2019
179 people are currently reading
10351 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 265 reviews
June 15, 2024
I'm honestly not in a place to talk about the themes of this book in any kind of intelligent manner. A lot of the things discussed here have been discussed in various think pieces on various sites and by a plethora of people; plenty of whom are referenced in this collection of essays. I'm calling them a collection of essays though I'm not really sure that's an appropriate term. All of that said, despite a lot of this already being things that I've read or been exposed to, there was plenty that I wasn't and Jackson does a remarkable job of expressing themselves over the course of this book. There were so many moments I found myself wanting to engage with the text [ and being mad that I couldn't because I'd checked it out from the library ], mostly because Jackson was able to take a thought I'd had or an idea I'd seen expressed elsewhere and crystalize it in a way that I just found enchanting.
I really cannot recommend this book more, to everyone really. It's a book I know in the future I'll return to time and again.
I really cannot recommend this book more, to everyone really. It's a book I know in the future I'll return to time and again.
June 5, 2022
This book is pretty incredible. Its comprehensive when it comes to the appropriation of Black culture. Jackson has an in-depth understand of culture and whiteness and her thoughts are so flushed out. I only wish there was more of a conclusion or overreaching point made.
Reread notes: better the second time. Jackson is brilliant and does so much with such a short book. I still wish there was more of an ending.
Reread notes: better the second time. Jackson is brilliant and does so much with such a short book. I still wish there was more of an ending.
April 26, 2020
White Negroes is a powerful tome to help the uneducated white reader (or I suppose any reader) learn specifically what cultural appreciation is and gives a wide range of examples. In that sense, this is the perfect book for people who scream “cultural appropriation isn’t real, it’s cultural appreciation!” On the flip side, the fact of the matter is, even if you’re vocally against cultural appropriation, odds are there’s more to it than you realize. Appropriation isn’t as simple as whether or not you can or cannot wear a Moana costume for Halloween. As Jackson mentions in her conclusion, culture itself is incoherent, confusing, and borderless, and I think that’s the reason people struggle with the concept. Like imagining outer space is borderless and infinite, it can be hard to wrap your head around. Thankfully for the reader, Jackson takes us through the vast sea of appropriation by breaking it down into categories such as music, art, fashion, language, and even the Internet.
I think it’s relatively easy to see the appropriation in popular music (there’s a great podcast called 1619 hosted by Nikole Hannah Jones, and in episode three the history of American music discussed; this complements Jackson’s work very well), but I learned so much about appropriation in other areas. Some of the words and phrases used on a daily basis by literally everyone are culturally appropriated from the black and queer community. Do you know the origins of NYC being called “the Big Apple”? Read the book and you will. I don’t want to give an example from every section as the book is short and succinct enough that I think anyone with even the smallest bit of curiosity (you’re reading this review aren’t you?) should find the time to read it and learn for themselves. I knew what cultural appropriation was in a broad sense before reading the book, along with a litany of examples from keyboard warriors on Facebook, but every single chapter expanded and gave examples I never would have thought of before. This book is so much bigger than what you can learn from Internet strangers.
I found chapter three, entitled “The Artist” to be the most fascinating. My original thought was that art is subjective so how can it be appropriated? But oh my goodness, the examples of artists given were shocking. Jackson makes several good points about using the violence black people experience as art and that is clearly wrong. The discussion of a painting by a white woman of Emmett Till’s open casket was especially disturbing to me.
But in my opinion, the most powerful essay in the book is called “The Meme: Kermit the Frog Meets Nina Simone.” If you only have time for one essay, make it this one. I have read debates in forums on whether or not Internet Blackface is truly a “thing,” mostly in regards to the reaction memes white people choose to use with black people - they are literally using black faces to express an emotion. But, the chapter goes much, much further than that. Black artists on Tik Tok, for example, create new dance moves or combinations, which a white person can then use to make themselves famous; they end up getting famous and hit a round of talk shows and maybe an endorsement deal, but the bottom line is they can make money on that dance whereas the original artist gets nothing, not even their name cited as a source.
Even more disturbing in this chapter are the groups of white men who haunt the dark, nazi side of social media sites. They create fake profiles using a black person’s photograph, appropriate what they consider black language, and use that profile to infiltrate online discussions about justice. It’s like literally donning a black mask for nefarious reasons. In the back of my head I knew this was likely happening but the extent to which it is happening is greater than I imagined. The whole chapter is a reminder to trust nothing on social media.
I’ll stop there, but I would like to say that this book is a must read for anyone invested in social issues and for anyone questioning the concept of cultural appropriation. I think there’s something for everyone to learn from this book and I thank Ms. Jackson for taking the time to write it. One would be hard pressed to find someone who has actually read and thought about the book to still deny appropriation exists.
PS: I will not be responding comments, my blood pressure can’t handle it.
———————————————————
Did the people who gave this book one star (and are, unsurprisingly, white) even read it? They leave no reviews, which leads me to believe they didn’t, or they know their opinions of the book are wrong.
So I’m rating this book five stars to even things out until I actually get a chance to read it next month. At that point I will update my rating and provide an appropriate review.
I think it’s relatively easy to see the appropriation in popular music (there’s a great podcast called 1619 hosted by Nikole Hannah Jones, and in episode three the history of American music discussed; this complements Jackson’s work very well), but I learned so much about appropriation in other areas. Some of the words and phrases used on a daily basis by literally everyone are culturally appropriated from the black and queer community. Do you know the origins of NYC being called “the Big Apple”? Read the book and you will. I don’t want to give an example from every section as the book is short and succinct enough that I think anyone with even the smallest bit of curiosity (you’re reading this review aren’t you?) should find the time to read it and learn for themselves. I knew what cultural appropriation was in a broad sense before reading the book, along with a litany of examples from keyboard warriors on Facebook, but every single chapter expanded and gave examples I never would have thought of before. This book is so much bigger than what you can learn from Internet strangers.
I found chapter three, entitled “The Artist” to be the most fascinating. My original thought was that art is subjective so how can it be appropriated? But oh my goodness, the examples of artists given were shocking. Jackson makes several good points about using the violence black people experience as art and that is clearly wrong. The discussion of a painting by a white woman of Emmett Till’s open casket was especially disturbing to me.
But in my opinion, the most powerful essay in the book is called “The Meme: Kermit the Frog Meets Nina Simone.” If you only have time for one essay, make it this one. I have read debates in forums on whether or not Internet Blackface is truly a “thing,” mostly in regards to the reaction memes white people choose to use with black people - they are literally using black faces to express an emotion. But, the chapter goes much, much further than that. Black artists on Tik Tok, for example, create new dance moves or combinations, which a white person can then use to make themselves famous; they end up getting famous and hit a round of talk shows and maybe an endorsement deal, but the bottom line is they can make money on that dance whereas the original artist gets nothing, not even their name cited as a source.
Even more disturbing in this chapter are the groups of white men who haunt the dark, nazi side of social media sites. They create fake profiles using a black person’s photograph, appropriate what they consider black language, and use that profile to infiltrate online discussions about justice. It’s like literally donning a black mask for nefarious reasons. In the back of my head I knew this was likely happening but the extent to which it is happening is greater than I imagined. The whole chapter is a reminder to trust nothing on social media.
I’ll stop there, but I would like to say that this book is a must read for anyone invested in social issues and for anyone questioning the concept of cultural appropriation. I think there’s something for everyone to learn from this book and I thank Ms. Jackson for taking the time to write it. One would be hard pressed to find someone who has actually read and thought about the book to still deny appropriation exists.
PS: I will not be responding comments, my blood pressure can’t handle it.
———————————————————
Did the people who gave this book one star (and are, unsurprisingly, white) even read it? They leave no reviews, which leads me to believe they didn’t, or they know their opinions of the book are wrong.
So I’m rating this book five stars to even things out until I actually get a chance to read it next month. At that point I will update my rating and provide an appropriate review.
November 19, 2019
A quick, interesting and affirming read.
I loved this look into the various entities that seek to extrapolate the blackness from black culture and "liberate" *cough, whatever, cough** the culture from blackness after stealing our shit.
I love that Dr. Lauren Michele Jackson went into current reference points like the Kardashians and their culture-vulture nature, as well as Rachel Dolezal and her self-hatred/reinvention and the historical ways that black culture has been stolen and reappropriated for the white masses via food, art, style and even activism. I loved it because, as much as it was frustrating to read the ways that cultural appropriation has harmed the black community (many have tried to erase us from our art and legacy, which will never happen), it was affirming to read what educated and knowledgeable people done been knowing: we set the wave.
EVERYTHING THAT POPS in this society, in the popular world as we know it, was built off black culture. We set the trends. We are the wave. They say imitation is the highest form of flattery and we are icons.
Nice to see it here, crystallized.
I loved this look into the various entities that seek to extrapolate the blackness from black culture and "liberate" *cough, whatever, cough** the culture from blackness after stealing our shit.
I love that Dr. Lauren Michele Jackson went into current reference points like the Kardashians and their culture-vulture nature, as well as Rachel Dolezal and her self-hatred/reinvention and the historical ways that black culture has been stolen and reappropriated for the white masses via food, art, style and even activism. I loved it because, as much as it was frustrating to read the ways that cultural appropriation has harmed the black community (many have tried to erase us from our art and legacy, which will never happen), it was affirming to read what educated and knowledgeable people done been knowing: we set the wave.
EVERYTHING THAT POPS in this society, in the popular world as we know it, was built off black culture. We set the trends. We are the wave. They say imitation is the highest form of flattery and we are icons.
Nice to see it here, crystallized.
December 11, 2019
It’s a hairstyle. Get over yourself.
November 28, 2019
If Petty Betty had a doctorate degree in throwing shade, it would be this book. Summary: "everybody wanna be a nigga but nobody wanna be a nigga." She even uses this legendary Paul Mooney quote.
I wholeheartedly agree with White Negroes but as a black woman, okay so what's next. In other words, water is wet. It's a short book but a long read.
I wholeheartedly agree with White Negroes but as a black woman, okay so what's next. In other words, water is wet. It's a short book but a long read.
November 4, 2019
Disappointing. Boring. Gossipy. Unsubstantiated generalizations. Lacking in insight. No differentiation between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation. No basis for steps to change. I truly anticipated a book that would be substantive, that would define and differentiate truly painful experiences that we have endured. I found the ever ongoing examples of life with Miley Cyrus (sp.:??) and Christina and Paula Dean to be unendearing and gossipy. One would be led to the impression that ALL of their fame, their money came through cultural appropriation and not any underlying talent or other promotional possibilities. YUCK... I don't even watch any of their shows.
The lack of true scientific basis was dismaying. The reference section was dismaying, if I were to look deeper into it I might find a comic book used as reference (sarcasm here!) The generalizations were astounding.. to present this as representational of all black culture, of all black peoples, let alone ONLY a problem with black culture ... wow. In all books, I look at WHO is the intended audience. It was difficult to determine here. It certainly wasn't for us. It looks like it was intended for whites that wanted to get on the band wagon of saying how much more enlightened they were by reading this book. I guess they may have been.
The lack of true scientific basis was dismaying. The reference section was dismaying, if I were to look deeper into it I might find a comic book used as reference (sarcasm here!) The generalizations were astounding.. to present this as representational of all black culture, of all black peoples, let alone ONLY a problem with black culture ... wow. In all books, I look at WHO is the intended audience. It was difficult to determine here. It certainly wasn't for us. It looks like it was intended for whites that wanted to get on the band wagon of saying how much more enlightened they were by reading this book. I guess they may have been.
November 15, 2019
I don’t know what I expected going into this book but it was outstanding and so thought provoking. She totally told me about myself as a white woman. Jackson is an incredible writer and I will read whatever she writes in the future.
February 13, 2021
I don't consider myself a great ally. I'm too new to looking at race though anything but a privileged white lens. A constant fear I have is accidental appropriation, there is no way for any human to know the etymology of every single word or phrase although it is important to try to be a conscious of appropriation as possible. The prologue promises "To those of you who count themselves allies, may these essays make you a little less sure of yourselves". I expected this book to enlighten me on cultural appropriations that I may not be aware of, which it didn't do, which is fine. The essays are also weirdly disjointed going off on seeming unrelated tangents and often claiming some kind of appropriation without any explanation of what might have been appropriated which doesn't help me learn anything. I'm going to break down my thoughts by each essay.
Chapter 1: The Pop Star - This chapter is about Christina Aguilera's appropriation of black culture for her dirrty album in order to over sexualize herself to get past her Disney persona. This seemed oddly outdated to begin a discussion of appropriation in 2019 since dirrty was released in 2002.
Chapter 2: The Cover Girl - This chapter was mostly about the Kardashians, not exactly a group of people I'd look to for any sort of appropriate behavior. This essay also contained a section about beauty influences that I can only label as an unfortunate choice of an example on behalf of the author. The section is about white cis women on youtube and instagram appropriating queer culture through the use of dramatic makeup styles invented in the drag scene. The white cis poster child that the author decides to call out to represent this type of influencer was Nikki tutorials. Except, Nikki is a trans women and isn't appropriating anything from queer culture.
Chapter 3: The Artist - Again this chapter is not teaching me anything the two examples of appropriation are so obviously wrong that I didn't feel like I learned anything. The first was that Rachel Dolezal lady who was obviously white but acted like she was black that was big in the news a few years ago. The point was that a lot of white people the behave the same way that Rachel did but don't get called out for their appropriation but that point was mostly lost. The other notable artist in this chapter was a white man who pretended to be a black woman and took up the space meant for BIPOC artists. Which no one who would possibly read this book is defending so I guess I'm not sure about what the point was.
Chapter 4: The Hipster - I would have never considered being a hipster cultural appropriation so I was really interested in this chapter. Well, the "hipster" was based on some 1950s definition and had nothing to do with what we'd consider a hipster. Most of this chapter is about the appropriation of black language and words while also discussing that blackness isn't a monolith and not all back people will use the same language. That part was interesting although I struggled to associate the idea of appropriated language with the concept of a hipster. The last part of this essay was about white people shouldn't use the n-word and the only response I possibly have to that is "no shit".
Chapter 5: The Meme - This chapter really shows how out of touch with internet culture the author is. She comes off as someone in her 60s and not someone in her 30s. I may have only caught this because my career makes me familiar with internet meme culture. I'm also still not sure how the Kermit the frog sipping tea meme is cultural appropriation. She made the claim without any real explanation. I'm not claiming that its not appropriation just stating I don't understand what has been appropriated through my own ignorance.
Chapter 6: The Viral Star - Again, outdated with the mention of vine instead of ticktok. A lot of the information about white people taking things said/created by POC and monetizing without credit or financial benefits to POC. A good portion of this chapter is about Logan Paul, again not someone I'd consider any kind of role model so I'm uninterested at best.
Chapter 7: The Chef - I'm well aware that Paula Dean is a racist horrible piece of shit and I didn't need an entire essay to reconfirm my existing awareness of her shittyness.
Chapter 8: The Entrepreneur - This essay alternates between talks about Karens (though she never uses the word Karen) caught on video being racist and calling the police on black people and how the system is designed to make things harder for black entrepreneurs. There is a portion of this essay dedicated weed culture that is supposed to be about the disproportionate amount that POC are arrested on drug charges vs white people. This is overshadowed by some weird rant about a reporter that spouts crazy shit about weed being a deadly drug.
Chapter 9: The Activist - This essay is about the rise of hashtag culture and the exclusion of black voices in women's rights and queer movements. This is probably the best essay in the whole book. I don't have any complaints but it also wasn't memorable.
In conclusion, I'm not sure who this book is for. No one who could learn anything from this is going to willingly read it and anyone who does read it is just going to reconfirm things they already know. In addition, the writing is all over the place and seemingly without purpose. The points are lost in unnecessary tangents. Not recommended.
Chapter 1: The Pop Star - This chapter is about Christina Aguilera's appropriation of black culture for her dirrty album in order to over sexualize herself to get past her Disney persona. This seemed oddly outdated to begin a discussion of appropriation in 2019 since dirrty was released in 2002.
Chapter 2: The Cover Girl - This chapter was mostly about the Kardashians, not exactly a group of people I'd look to for any sort of appropriate behavior. This essay also contained a section about beauty influences that I can only label as an unfortunate choice of an example on behalf of the author. The section is about white cis women on youtube and instagram appropriating queer culture through the use of dramatic makeup styles invented in the drag scene. The white cis poster child that the author decides to call out to represent this type of influencer was Nikki tutorials. Except, Nikki is a trans women and isn't appropriating anything from queer culture.
Chapter 3: The Artist - Again this chapter is not teaching me anything the two examples of appropriation are so obviously wrong that I didn't feel like I learned anything. The first was that Rachel Dolezal lady who was obviously white but acted like she was black that was big in the news a few years ago. The point was that a lot of white people the behave the same way that Rachel did but don't get called out for their appropriation but that point was mostly lost. The other notable artist in this chapter was a white man who pretended to be a black woman and took up the space meant for BIPOC artists. Which no one who would possibly read this book is defending so I guess I'm not sure about what the point was.
Chapter 4: The Hipster - I would have never considered being a hipster cultural appropriation so I was really interested in this chapter. Well, the "hipster" was based on some 1950s definition and had nothing to do with what we'd consider a hipster. Most of this chapter is about the appropriation of black language and words while also discussing that blackness isn't a monolith and not all back people will use the same language. That part was interesting although I struggled to associate the idea of appropriated language with the concept of a hipster. The last part of this essay was about white people shouldn't use the n-word and the only response I possibly have to that is "no shit".
Chapter 5: The Meme - This chapter really shows how out of touch with internet culture the author is. She comes off as someone in her 60s and not someone in her 30s. I may have only caught this because my career makes me familiar with internet meme culture. I'm also still not sure how the Kermit the frog sipping tea meme is cultural appropriation. She made the claim without any real explanation. I'm not claiming that its not appropriation just stating I don't understand what has been appropriated through my own ignorance.
Chapter 6: The Viral Star - Again, outdated with the mention of vine instead of ticktok. A lot of the information about white people taking things said/created by POC and monetizing without credit or financial benefits to POC. A good portion of this chapter is about Logan Paul, again not someone I'd consider any kind of role model so I'm uninterested at best.
Chapter 7: The Chef - I'm well aware that Paula Dean is a racist horrible piece of shit and I didn't need an entire essay to reconfirm my existing awareness of her shittyness.
Chapter 8: The Entrepreneur - This essay alternates between talks about Karens (though she never uses the word Karen) caught on video being racist and calling the police on black people and how the system is designed to make things harder for black entrepreneurs. There is a portion of this essay dedicated weed culture that is supposed to be about the disproportionate amount that POC are arrested on drug charges vs white people. This is overshadowed by some weird rant about a reporter that spouts crazy shit about weed being a deadly drug.
Chapter 9: The Activist - This essay is about the rise of hashtag culture and the exclusion of black voices in women's rights and queer movements. This is probably the best essay in the whole book. I don't have any complaints but it also wasn't memorable.
In conclusion, I'm not sure who this book is for. No one who could learn anything from this is going to willingly read it and anyone who does read it is just going to reconfirm things they already know. In addition, the writing is all over the place and seemingly without purpose. The points are lost in unnecessary tangents. Not recommended.
October 29, 2019
Quick read and fascinating book. Very insightful. I recall this subject being discuss back in the '90's. And have always recognized white cultures stealing of music from the black community-that's gone on for decades. When I first learned of this back in the 70's I was pretty appalled that none of the rock stars of the day, who admitted stealing, weren't giving reparations to those black artists.... Every culture borrows from other cultures, that's a given. It's how cultures blend and grow. But I have never thought it right that anyone should make millions off of thievery. It's just wrong. Lately, I'm also beginning to hear talk of cultural appropriation of tacos...they've gone global and some folks aren't happy about it. Five stars for being well-written and well researched. Direct, straight to the point and no nonsense, I loved it! Thank you Ms. Jackson.
I received an advance copy from the publisher in exchange for a fair review.
I received an advance copy from the publisher in exchange for a fair review.
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August 26, 2020
This book is really difficult to rate, because while it made me aware of a lot of instances of cultural appropriation I previously didn't know of or were before my time and contextualized them for me, it also veered between an academic and casual tone that was really jarring. It's also quite heavy on the footnotes and citations. I think the book deserved a better editor, as I caught several typos that could've been easily fixed. But those are nitpicks and this author is definitely one to watch. 3.5 stars, rounded up (because Black women always face an unfair level of scrutiny and criticism).
September 18, 2021
So I wanted to read something that explored cultural appropriation, particularly black cultural, but not in this manner. To be fair, I've only read up to chapter 2 & I now know more about the lives & careers of Christiana Aguilera, Britney Spears & Miley Cyrus (none of who I'm a fan of) than I ever wished to! The next chapter, The Cover Girl, will likely discuss the Kardashians IN DEPTH & so I have to put this book down. Who knows!... maybe I'll pick it up again one day.
September 17, 2020
I wish I could give this book 2 ratings. A single star for the first half of the book, which seemed to just spit out the same things we have all already heard without much new contribution and heavily saturated in her own bias. But then a 3 or 4-star for the last part of the book, where she passionately is able to provide researched information on criminal injustices and how black women are simply left out of the activism conversation.
The author brings up valid criticism of (white) society including the overuse of ethnically ambiguous people to seem diverse, digital blackface, and black death spectacle, as well as thoughts of how to allow creators to profit. However, so much of the book is distorted by her own dislike of white people and white culture, and her willingness to group all white people as one, that it became more dividing than uniting.
Additionally, there were parts of the book that seemed almost fraudulent, including stating people's races as a single race when they are mixed (although I recognize this as likely intentional to imply their ability to get to choose their whiteness or non-whiteness for when it best suits them) as well as using examples such as Kimberly Wilkins and implying she hasn't profited from her (in)famous news clip while many reports show her net worth to be around $2 million.
But ultimately, the book left me wanting more. I wish this book was written 1 year later, as I think the author stances on activism with the 2020 BLM movement would be extremely interesting. I wish she went deeper into shared community culture and the impact that may have on how people view appropriation, rather than just brushing over it in the Conclusion. I wish the author dug in deeper to the power issues, impact of representation, and money involved with appropriation and that she had provided harsher criticism of taste-makers, executives, and industries rather than the focus on fleeting celebrities. And finally, I wish she had explored other cultures rather than just the black vs white. While understandably not the focus of her book, I think providing more context and research into the complexity of culture and shared culture would have given us a more interesting and thoughtful view on appropriation.
The author brings up valid criticism of (white) society including the overuse of ethnically ambiguous people to seem diverse, digital blackface, and black death spectacle, as well as thoughts of how to allow creators to profit. However, so much of the book is distorted by her own dislike of white people and white culture, and her willingness to group all white people as one, that it became more dividing than uniting.
Additionally, there were parts of the book that seemed almost fraudulent, including stating people's races as a single race when they are mixed (although I recognize this as likely intentional to imply their ability to get to choose their whiteness or non-whiteness for when it best suits them) as well as using examples such as Kimberly Wilkins and implying she hasn't profited from her (in)famous news clip while many reports show her net worth to be around $2 million.
But ultimately, the book left me wanting more. I wish this book was written 1 year later, as I think the author stances on activism with the 2020 BLM movement would be extremely interesting. I wish she went deeper into shared community culture and the impact that may have on how people view appropriation, rather than just brushing over it in the Conclusion. I wish the author dug in deeper to the power issues, impact of representation, and money involved with appropriation and that she had provided harsher criticism of taste-makers, executives, and industries rather than the focus on fleeting celebrities. And finally, I wish she had explored other cultures rather than just the black vs white. While understandably not the focus of her book, I think providing more context and research into the complexity of culture and shared culture would have given us a more interesting and thoughtful view on appropriation.
March 12, 2022
While I think all of Jackson's points are valid and insightful, this book often reads like one—all—of my essays. I would pass on the same feedback that all my professors do: you're lacking flow and structure, and I'm not sure you know what the argument is here.
In all fairness, I do think Jackson knows what she's doing and her themes are genuinely interesting, but her writing is incredibly circuitous. I've actually read most of her articles on The Atlantic, Buzzfeed, and Teen Vogue (a very impressive resume!) and they're really engaging, so I think the short-form just suits her style of writing best.
In all fairness, I do think Jackson knows what she's doing and her themes are genuinely interesting, but her writing is incredibly circuitous. I've actually read most of her articles on The Atlantic, Buzzfeed, and Teen Vogue (a very impressive resume!) and they're really engaging, so I think the short-form just suits her style of writing best.
January 4, 2020
I couldn’t get through this book. I’ve been trying to read a lot of books to challenge my perspective. I would be reading this one and not be able to follow the point the author was making because of all the examples given. It could’ve been my headspace.
January 12, 2020
"to those who count themselves allies, may these essays make you a little less sure of yourselves"
I started following LMJ for her really, really great, like I think I may have learned more from them than this book, and I learned a bunch from this book, articles on cultural appropriation in the cases of Awkwafina in Crazy Rich Asians + Ariana Grande. Read them!!! https://www.vulture.com/2018/08/awkwa... https://www.vulture.com/2019/01/a-dee... In them she doesn't really address the question of -- are they Problematic -- so much as suggest that is the wrong question. Once we acknowledge how culture, language, memes transmit -- unintentionally, zigzaggedly -- we realize that it's not a matter of "the thief who cherry-picked from outside for material gain," but that our exploitative systems function as systems, accumulations of subconsciousnesses that metastasize
After reading those pieces I was wondering, and then what, what can/do we do? Does acknowledging the systemic nature of things mean we let individuals of the hook? (no, given the biting dissections she gives individuals here) Something she kinda addresses in the book. But more on that later
I have my instincts about appropriation but often when I try to rationalize them my mind gets jumbled by philosophical nonstarters like what is it, what is culture, etc. How LMJ (doesn't, but maybe doesn't have to) address these is interesting, only at the end does she offer an explicit sense of how she views culture as "incoherent and confusing and borderless just as much as it is shared and trenchant and guarded and intuited." LMJ thinks about memes/webs rather than fixed concepts, murkinesses from which, by virtue of their murkiness, we can intuit insights/parallels across time and space. I think through this I've learned that philosophy, with its rigidity, isn't the right lens to approach this topic; rather, history, linguistics, poetry -- the beautiful writing of this book, a lens in of itself
Thinking about her approach to the "essentialism" that is "black language": she makes what feel like intentionally broad assertions, "black language as much ascribes a community as a grammar; is a diction, a style, a politics all at once"; memes are inflected by a "black spirit," constantly innovating "traditions that know themselves to be up for grabs," "moving as if constantly surveilled." Poetic parallels more than philosophical definitions, which again isn't a criticism. Assertions from the gut, within a community that knows itself, that creates things for itself and not for outsiders despite what those outsiders think
That said I (as a outsider) don't know if that essay really gelled for me the ways other did, those that more clearly addressed -- something, where it came from, how it was taken, why -- the desire, as she stresses, to take, and what that says about how society views/treats black people -- and how those who took profit while black creators don't
The desire: for white women pop stars, taking from black women as a shortcut to sexuality reveals both how society exalts white female innocence and hypersexualizes black women; Joe Scanlan, taking only the identity (rather than history, community, culture) of a black woman reveals how he believes that to be "the only worthwhile feature" (how she fries him without ignoring his black collaborators is honest and genius)
Aside to talk about the art essay, my 2nd favorite! Really sharp her analysis that what's painful isn't just the taking, but the lack of humility it reveals on Kenneth Goldsmith's behalf, the belatedness and hence cheapness of Dana Schutz's empathy
(cont lol) for hipsters/poverty tourists, taking comes from the "yearn[ing]… to reconcile his place in the violently modern society that could at any moment see him dead with the inheritance that would see him at the helm of the same violent society if it all goes to plan. The hipster seeks out "the Negro" because from who better to learn the transitive properties of living than the community who could never take life for granted?"
Often she is empathetic to the takers. Besides the quote above, she notes she loves Xtina. Her portraits of Rachel Dolezal, Paula Deen mention their abusive pasts. Which is surprising but also honest/necessary/powerful? Here we see the system is rotten, if it makes ordinary humans into exploiters, and also made of ordinary humans
My favorite essay, and the one I wanted the most to give me more, was the fashion essay, for its assertion that for things to really change, for black people to really get the credit/resources they deserve, we have to essentially end intellectual property! Maybe not the right word for it. But we have to end (paraphrasing) houses, high vs. low, crediting designers rather than makers, ignoring where things really come from across time (old trends) and space. "It might mean the end of fashion." I wanted this point to be broadened, to be made in every essay, though specifically, not just general "revolution," because I'm not quite sure how to do it myself. How can we reorganize our resource distribution to fit how ideas really travel -- unintentionally, zigzaggedly, bottom up?
Tempted to take one star off because sometimes I felt the book could've been streamlined against asides and things that have felt already written about (particularly the final essay about the Women's March/whiteness, belatedness, complacency of its feminism), at other times slowed down (sometimes she'd land on a beautifully written kicker and I'd be like wow! But then think, wait what does that mean?). But then I put that star back on because it was clearly good enough to drive me to write a million word review, that still couldn't find room for these bits:
-she analogizes how memes seem to take a life of their own, and hence their success doesn't entail success for their black creators, with how tech companies make their services appear humanless, disregarding workers' rights. Also juxtaposes the marginalization and criminalization of scrappy black small businesses with how tech companies like Uber, Airbnb are celebrated for their "innovative" rulebreaking
-on watching viral police brutality, being "witnesses … to an event that forms the horizon of our existence"; even with videos that are known to end (relatively) safely, "the fear that "some glitch will peel back the statistical plausibility behind the counterfactual playing out before my eyes"
-"in the context of wealth and power - who has it and who doesn't - America's allegedly unique ability to take in hybridity and generate more of it looks more like the survivalist motivations of capitalism than amity or cosmopolitanism" (wow wow wow)
-white progressive "anger picked up and dropped off like dry cleaning"
I started following LMJ for her really, really great, like I think I may have learned more from them than this book, and I learned a bunch from this book, articles on cultural appropriation in the cases of Awkwafina in Crazy Rich Asians + Ariana Grande. Read them!!! https://www.vulture.com/2018/08/awkwa... https://www.vulture.com/2019/01/a-dee... In them she doesn't really address the question of -- are they Problematic -- so much as suggest that is the wrong question. Once we acknowledge how culture, language, memes transmit -- unintentionally, zigzaggedly -- we realize that it's not a matter of "the thief who cherry-picked from outside for material gain," but that our exploitative systems function as systems, accumulations of subconsciousnesses that metastasize
After reading those pieces I was wondering, and then what, what can/do we do? Does acknowledging the systemic nature of things mean we let individuals of the hook? (no, given the biting dissections she gives individuals here) Something she kinda addresses in the book. But more on that later
I have my instincts about appropriation but often when I try to rationalize them my mind gets jumbled by philosophical nonstarters like what is it, what is culture, etc. How LMJ (doesn't, but maybe doesn't have to) address these is interesting, only at the end does she offer an explicit sense of how she views culture as "incoherent and confusing and borderless just as much as it is shared and trenchant and guarded and intuited." LMJ thinks about memes/webs rather than fixed concepts, murkinesses from which, by virtue of their murkiness, we can intuit insights/parallels across time and space. I think through this I've learned that philosophy, with its rigidity, isn't the right lens to approach this topic; rather, history, linguistics, poetry -- the beautiful writing of this book, a lens in of itself
Thinking about her approach to the "essentialism" that is "black language": she makes what feel like intentionally broad assertions, "black language as much ascribes a community as a grammar; is a diction, a style, a politics all at once"; memes are inflected by a "black spirit," constantly innovating "traditions that know themselves to be up for grabs," "moving as if constantly surveilled." Poetic parallels more than philosophical definitions, which again isn't a criticism. Assertions from the gut, within a community that knows itself, that creates things for itself and not for outsiders despite what those outsiders think
That said I (as a outsider) don't know if that essay really gelled for me the ways other did, those that more clearly addressed -- something, where it came from, how it was taken, why -- the desire, as she stresses, to take, and what that says about how society views/treats black people -- and how those who took profit while black creators don't
The desire: for white women pop stars, taking from black women as a shortcut to sexuality reveals both how society exalts white female innocence and hypersexualizes black women; Joe Scanlan, taking only the identity (rather than history, community, culture) of a black woman reveals how he believes that to be "the only worthwhile feature" (how she fries him without ignoring his black collaborators is honest and genius)
Aside to talk about the art essay, my 2nd favorite! Really sharp her analysis that what's painful isn't just the taking, but the lack of humility it reveals on Kenneth Goldsmith's behalf, the belatedness and hence cheapness of Dana Schutz's empathy
(cont lol) for hipsters/poverty tourists, taking comes from the "yearn[ing]… to reconcile his place in the violently modern society that could at any moment see him dead with the inheritance that would see him at the helm of the same violent society if it all goes to plan. The hipster seeks out "the Negro" because from who better to learn the transitive properties of living than the community who could never take life for granted?"
Often she is empathetic to the takers. Besides the quote above, she notes she loves Xtina. Her portraits of Rachel Dolezal, Paula Deen mention their abusive pasts. Which is surprising but also honest/necessary/powerful? Here we see the system is rotten, if it makes ordinary humans into exploiters, and also made of ordinary humans
My favorite essay, and the one I wanted the most to give me more, was the fashion essay, for its assertion that for things to really change, for black people to really get the credit/resources they deserve, we have to essentially end intellectual property! Maybe not the right word for it. But we have to end (paraphrasing) houses, high vs. low, crediting designers rather than makers, ignoring where things really come from across time (old trends) and space. "It might mean the end of fashion." I wanted this point to be broadened, to be made in every essay, though specifically, not just general "revolution," because I'm not quite sure how to do it myself. How can we reorganize our resource distribution to fit how ideas really travel -- unintentionally, zigzaggedly, bottom up?
Tempted to take one star off because sometimes I felt the book could've been streamlined against asides and things that have felt already written about (particularly the final essay about the Women's March/whiteness, belatedness, complacency of its feminism), at other times slowed down (sometimes she'd land on a beautifully written kicker and I'd be like wow! But then think, wait what does that mean?). But then I put that star back on because it was clearly good enough to drive me to write a million word review, that still couldn't find room for these bits:
-she analogizes how memes seem to take a life of their own, and hence their success doesn't entail success for their black creators, with how tech companies make their services appear humanless, disregarding workers' rights. Also juxtaposes the marginalization and criminalization of scrappy black small businesses with how tech companies like Uber, Airbnb are celebrated for their "innovative" rulebreaking
-on watching viral police brutality, being "witnesses … to an event that forms the horizon of our existence"; even with videos that are known to end (relatively) safely, "the fear that "some glitch will peel back the statistical plausibility behind the counterfactual playing out before my eyes"
-"in the context of wealth and power - who has it and who doesn't - America's allegedly unique ability to take in hybridity and generate more of it looks more like the survivalist motivations of capitalism than amity or cosmopolitanism" (wow wow wow)
-white progressive "anger picked up and dropped off like dry cleaning"
February 7, 2021
From music to food to fashion to activism, Jackson expositions just how deeply anti-Blackness and the appropriation of Black culture are entrenched in the zeitgeist. She sticks to examining the American context, but given how widespread the consumption of anything American is, we can't exempt ourselves from this culpability on a global level. I've pretty much highlighted most of the book so I can't pull quotes. Please read it.
February 11, 2020
This book seems to come from a point of view of envy. A great deal about leftist discourse can be understood from its desire to simply turn the existing (and reputedly unjust standard) on its head without concern that it is any more just than it was before. Whereas in the past it was viewed as a good thing for someone to pass as white because it provided for the chance to live one's life without being troubled or bothered because of one's ethnic identity--for most people have always judged by appearances and not demanded to know the detailed genealogy of those people they happened to be sharing public space with, for the author those who are able to pass are counted as white and their own particular ethnic origin is disregarded as far as regards questions of appropriation. So it is that the author views the half-Ecuadorian Christina Aguilera as being white and appropriating urban tropes during her career simply because she is light enough to pass as white. Examples like that abound in this book of the way that the author views those who are able to move between mainstream white culture and an appreciation of less mainstream cultures with a great deal of envy and dissatisfaction.
This book is a bit less than 200 pages and contains four parts and nine chapters. The author introduces the book with a discussion about appropriation as being fundamental to American mythmaking before looking at appropriation specifically of black culture, in various areas. First, she looks at sound and body (I) by discussing how this occurs in music (1) as well as fashion (2), in looking at how blackness looks different when attached to perceived whiteness. After that the author discusses how appropriation occurs in art and language (II) with a look at how high art often reconceptualizes previous experiences of others (3) and how hipsters can be considered as white Negroes in their attempts to be cool (4). The author discusses technology (III) with a look at the meme, something I can relate to as an edgy meme lord (5), along with the question of the viral star and how such people gain viral fame (6). Finally, the author discusses appropriation in the economy and politics (IV), discussing how white chefs copy comfort cooking from blacks (7), and how the author feels about entrepreneurial culture (8) and the search for freedom as well as her role as an angry activist (9), before discussing such matters as appropriation as business as usual, as if it that was always a bad thing, before the usual acknowledgements and notes.
That said, this book is not nearly as unjust as most books in this sort of vein. The author seriously explores what it leads people to move back and forth between different identities or leads the to engage in cultural appreciation of the sort that the author disapproves of. The author even manages to present reasons why people like Rachel Dolezal should not be simply insulted for their complex assumption of a complex racial identity. At its core, the author appears to be arguing for respect for those who create the culture that gets appropriated. I do not personally view appropriation as anything unusual or anything necessarily negative, but all the same I also agree that we should respect those whose culture we adapt, and not make them invisible or pretend that we came up with the ideas ourselves when we clearly did not. Whether or not that would resolve the larger cultural battle over such matters as now exists, it would at least allow those of us who view cultural appropriation positively to know that we were doing justice by those whose culture we so openly and honestly appreciate.
This book is a bit less than 200 pages and contains four parts and nine chapters. The author introduces the book with a discussion about appropriation as being fundamental to American mythmaking before looking at appropriation specifically of black culture, in various areas. First, she looks at sound and body (I) by discussing how this occurs in music (1) as well as fashion (2), in looking at how blackness looks different when attached to perceived whiteness. After that the author discusses how appropriation occurs in art and language (II) with a look at how high art often reconceptualizes previous experiences of others (3) and how hipsters can be considered as white Negroes in their attempts to be cool (4). The author discusses technology (III) with a look at the meme, something I can relate to as an edgy meme lord (5), along with the question of the viral star and how such people gain viral fame (6). Finally, the author discusses appropriation in the economy and politics (IV), discussing how white chefs copy comfort cooking from blacks (7), and how the author feels about entrepreneurial culture (8) and the search for freedom as well as her role as an angry activist (9), before discussing such matters as appropriation as business as usual, as if it that was always a bad thing, before the usual acknowledgements and notes.
That said, this book is not nearly as unjust as most books in this sort of vein. The author seriously explores what it leads people to move back and forth between different identities or leads the to engage in cultural appreciation of the sort that the author disapproves of. The author even manages to present reasons why people like Rachel Dolezal should not be simply insulted for their complex assumption of a complex racial identity. At its core, the author appears to be arguing for respect for those who create the culture that gets appropriated. I do not personally view appropriation as anything unusual or anything necessarily negative, but all the same I also agree that we should respect those whose culture we adapt, and not make them invisible or pretend that we came up with the ideas ourselves when we clearly did not. Whether or not that would resolve the larger cultural battle over such matters as now exists, it would at least allow those of us who view cultural appropriation positively to know that we were doing justice by those whose culture we so openly and honestly appreciate.
November 20, 2020
this is exactly what you want cultural criticism to be. it’s zesty and funny, while going deeper into culture than i knew existed. well structured, meticulously researched, and compulsively readable, white negroes brings much needed clarity to the often-talked about but still poorly-understood subject of cultural appropriation. it doesn’t tell what to do or what not to do, but instead makes you consider the history and creators of amorphous elements of culture.
also, did you know that bde was created by Black women to describe anthony bourdain? or that vine dissolved because its top creators organized and tried to do collective bargaining? because i sure didn’t.
also, did you know that bde was created by Black women to describe anthony bourdain? or that vine dissolved because its top creators organized and tried to do collective bargaining? because i sure didn’t.
October 15, 2020
I have always been interested in understanding cultural appropriation, so I was very excited when I saw this book. Sadly I didn't feel very much more enlightened after reading it. I would describe this book as reading like a graduate student's thesis on the intersection between pop culture and meme culture with cultural appropriation. This is incredibly relevant and important to discuss, but I felt that often times her essays felt meandering and took too long to the point. I also felt at times that her book was a crash course in memes for those who "aren't with the times."
Additionally she includes many sources and examples, but I think fewer strong examples would have strengthened her argument. While she cites many sources many of her arguments are her interpretations and feelings, which she is completely valid in feeling but somehow didn't sell me. Don't get me wrong, I believe and am aware that the true harm in cultural appropriation lies in the power imbalance between the disenfranchised creator and the white appropriator. Also the fact that when spoken by or worn by Black bodies styles and phrases are derided, but when appropriated they become edgy and cool. But, I think what I wanted to understand is how can you draw the line between appreciation and appropriation? If a white creator cited his/her sources would the appropriation sting any less?
My favorite line, "In America, white people hoard power like Hungry Hungry Hippos."
Additionally she includes many sources and examples, but I think fewer strong examples would have strengthened her argument. While she cites many sources many of her arguments are her interpretations and feelings, which she is completely valid in feeling but somehow didn't sell me. Don't get me wrong, I believe and am aware that the true harm in cultural appropriation lies in the power imbalance between the disenfranchised creator and the white appropriator. Also the fact that when spoken by or worn by Black bodies styles and phrases are derided, but when appropriated they become edgy and cool. But, I think what I wanted to understand is how can you draw the line between appreciation and appropriation? If a white creator cited his/her sources would the appropriation sting any less?
My favorite line, "In America, white people hoard power like Hungry Hungry Hippos."
April 26, 2021
White Negroes is a series of essays that do more than explore cultural appropriation. They take on the job of metabolizing a meal of power structures that, at first, appears insurmountable. Cultural appropriation can look as obvious as Xtina’s music videos or as self-obscuring and referential as meme culture.
Lauren Michele Jackson has written a book that lives beyond soundbite and relishes in delicious, eviscerating prose. The essay on memes is truly one of the most galaxy-brained-things I’ve read.
And at the end of it all, this book was funny. Written with a poisoned tongue in a sardonic cheek, White Negroes is a living room conversation with your smartest friend on their sharpest day. You would do well to listen.
Lauren Michele Jackson has written a book that lives beyond soundbite and relishes in delicious, eviscerating prose. The essay on memes is truly one of the most galaxy-brained-things I’ve read.
And at the end of it all, this book was funny. Written with a poisoned tongue in a sardonic cheek, White Negroes is a living room conversation with your smartest friend on their sharpest day. You would do well to listen.
June 16, 2020
Excellent cultural criticism that looks at appropriation, black lives and how America continues to benefit from black lives without deciding they matter.
February 8, 2021
i found this a little uneven - there’s so many examples discussed here that some kind of whooshed by me. but the analysis is supersharp, for sure
December 14, 2020
Wow! This was such an exciting title to come across. Incredibly referential (aptly so, not simply to be), but laden with emotion and introspection, I feel like I came away with a much better understanding of the myriad formations of cultural appropriation within our sociological, personal and structural context. Every essay was either really good or great and I was just left in admiration of Jackson's writing time and time again. Would highly recommend.
June 9, 2020
This whole book is "what do we owe to black culture" and the answer is a whole fucking lot of modern pop culture. I think this was also the rare US-centric book that makes it easy to see how the cultural exchange has also globalised.
May 2, 2025
I love when my fav writers are so cool and smart
December 3, 2019
I’ve been using cultural appropriation as a controversy to teach my Intro Comp class for the last three semesters, mostly because it doesn’t have any easy answers or easy lines to draw. Jackson knows that, and through some very detailed research she considers the roots of cultural appropriation and the ramifications of those realities. She doesn’t attempt to draw the broad lines that my college freshmen so desperately want drawn, because she considers revolution to be the only way to remake a racist system. So, pragmatically, she wants people to *think* about why we appropriate and what it means, whether considering Paula Deen, Christina Aguilera, or the legalization of weed. She makes a very good argument that the constant appropriation of, particularly, African-American culture is based on desire, power, and the way that white America cannot reconcile the wish for power over black culture, even as white America desires the creativity of black culture. A very academic, detailed read. I, at the tail end of Gen X, felt lost with some of the tech and pop cultural references that Jackson makes. I could be aging out of relevance, but I do wish that Jackson hadn’t assumed her audience to be quite as familiar with the minutiae of those areas, especially since I do think people like me, academic but wishing to be better informed allies, should be an audience for a fascinating and informative book like this. I just wanted a few more explanations and a little more context at times; I had to google multiple references to memes and Kardashian-related details, for instance (yes, I had no clue about Crying Jordan — I admit it. Sigh). She is fully a millennial author when it comes to immersion in pop culture and social media, with the good and the challenging entailed by that.
September 14, 2020
Wow I just got absolutely schooled in culture. This was an amazing and fantastic read, I learned so much. The chapter on politics is painfully relevant too
February 5, 2020
Kenneth Goldsmith’s Seven American Deaths and Disasters transcribes live audio broadcasts of major news events, such as the death of Michael Jackson. Lauren Michele Jackson’s White Negroes delves into the history and ramifications of this and other examples of white sampling, plagiarism and appropriation, especially of Black culture. Read both books, examine your own behavior and fathom a future in which black people have “options instead of destinies, options instead of statistics.”
"A reiteration of the obvious is never wasted on the oblivious." —PE
"Stop trying to fact check fascism and fight it." —AS
Culture is contradictory, not mythical.
"There is time enough, but none to spare." —CC
"A reiteration of the obvious is never wasted on the oblivious." —PE
"Stop trying to fact check fascism and fight it." —AS
Culture is contradictory, not mythical.
"There is time enough, but none to spare." —CC
June 9, 2022
A thought-provoking book on cultural appropriation and the myriad ways it's enacted in America.
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