Abstract:

For the entire Spring semester of English 210, the class would be assigned Discussion Board posts for homework where Professor McIntosh would provide a prompt asking for specific questions based on an article or article of one’s choosing, videos, and more. These Discussion Board posts were usually assigned providing the class with a better understanding of new topics discussed as well as use what was learned and incorporate it onto our future essays. Down below will be attached a prompt and my response to the prompt based on a new topic the class learned, the Visual Essay, assigned by Professor McIntosh. This Discussion Board assignment was the first step to understanding what a Visual Essay was and how to write one ultimately preparing the class for when they’re assigned to create their own Visual Essay.

The Discussion Board Prompt:

“What is the rhetorical situation of Amanda Stenberg’s video piece? Discuss how she uses visuals to support her central argument. Do you find her message persuasive? Why or why not? Can you think of other examples of appropriation in our culture? Don’t forget to respond to a classmate (100-150 words) as well.”

The Discussion Board Response:

According to Amanda Stenberg’s video, Don’t Cash Crop On My Cornrows, she addresses the issue of dominant and privileged cultures taking the practices, traditions, and knowledge of minority cultures [Black Cultures] without understanding or respecting their culture. Throughout the video, she focuses on Black Culture and the common practices and traditions they share such as the type of hairstyles they choose to wear and the love they have for rap and hip-hop especially because it was created to “…affirm our identities and our voices”. However, throughout the early 2000s and 2010s, with hip-hop and rap being so fame-heavy, many white people began following black culture and incorporating it into their lives. For example, there were clips from music videos of both Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry where one was caught twerking with black women as props and the other was eating watermelon while having cornrows hair on.

I do find her message persuasive mainly because when she spoke on the issue of cultural appropriation and black culture, she had credible evidence to back up her claim. For example, she incorporated pictures of white artists who have worn a variety of African American hairstyles and she provided videos of white artists using the practices of black culture without having a clear understanding of the culture itself. Throughout her video, she kept a firm tone with no intent to upset her audience. She focused on getting her points across which led to her final point which was “What would America look like if we loved Black people as much as Black culture? After justifying her claims and ending her video with a question, not only did she leave people with important details but it seems as though she ended it with a bit of sarcasm because it makes no sense. How can one love black culture yet not love the black people who created black culture?

Furthermore, other examples of appropriation in our culture would be certain Halloween costumes that ultimately stir up controversy because of the deeper meaning that that costume holds. For example, the Pocahontas costume is an item that a lot of kids, teens, and/or adults wear. Whether the costumes are revealing or not, they are seen as disrespectful because people have the option to take out the costume and yet not actually have to worry about the atrocities that the Native Americans have faced.