title taken from “Stranger” by Mighty Shadow

Cultural Appreciation vs. Cultural Appropriation

Where shall I even begin with this topic? Well first, let me tell you that I am a huge advocate for non-West Indians participating in Carnival at least once. The DysChick blog was created to make Carnival accessible to those unfamiliar with soca and mas to encourage appreciation for the culture.

Now, let me catch you up on what has been the talk of the soca world for the past few days. Four 8, a creative film company, held a roundtable to kick off their new season. Four Black people and two white people engaged in a discussion about the Black Lives Matter movement. On the panel was a Caucasian dancer who goes by White Chocolate (neé Josh Butler). To his credit, Butler did sit down to discuss this hot topic and seemed genuinely interested in listening to what was being said. However, it was when he stated that he is paving the way for Black dancers/influencers that everything went left.

Those of us in the soca world know that wining is integral to the Carnival experience and having exceptional skill is laudable. Dancers like Inhalemee, Empress CeCe, and the slow wine specialist Royal G have been firing up our timelines with inexplicable waistline movements. It is no wonder then that a white male dancer would garner interest and eventual fame.

Butler lived in St. Lucia for two years. When he arrived on the island he admits he was not a good dancer. However, after learning from the locals how to isolate his waist and move to the fast rhythm of Lucian Kuduro, he learned how to wine. Butler would parlay this imparted knowledge into a career that led to tours and endorsements.

Here’s the problem with his origin story - US! Butler was taught by us, paid by us, and and applauded by us as he profited off of… well, us. Lucians taught him to wine and encouraged him to show off his new talent online. He adopted the persona so well that he added “Saint Lucia” or 758 (the country’s area code) to his moniker. Had he simply gone to St. Lucia and observed - even participated in - the cultural activities, it would have been cultural appreciation. It’s the fact that he has gained a following, endorsements, and is offered opportunities not given to Black dancers that crosses the line into appropriation.

Although the debate has heated up our mid-September descent into autumn, we were forewarned years ago by former Miss St. Lucia-UK, Kimhia Toussaint. Toussaint urged us to consider what it would mean to have a white face as the spokesperson for a predominantly Black and Brown culture. She was criticized and told to leave him alone. And now, here we are.

“You’re entitled to like anything you like. But all of these are things are small actions that accumulate into systematic issues.” Whew! A word from Busayo Twins, a fellow panelist and diversity and inclusion policy advisor in London. Her impatience with Butler’s appropriation of Caribbean culture is evident as she questions him about his alleged profession and whether or not he is aware that taking up the space that could be occupied by a Black person could lead to silencing Black voices.

Her statement resonates as one aspect of the Black Lives Matter movement is challenging white allies in high-profile positions to step aside to give room to Black people. Reddit’s co-founder Alexis Ohanian resigned from the board and urged them to fill his seat with a Black candidate. In a Tweet, Ohanian stated, “It is long overdue to do the right thing. I’m doing this for me, for my family, and for my country. I’m saying this as a father who needs to be able to answer his black daughter when she asks: ‘What did you do?’”

In June, Anna Wintour, editor-in-cheif of Condé Nast’s Vogue magazine, apologized to her staff for the lack of diversity at the company and for not finding “enough ways to elevate and give space to black editors, writers, photographers, designers and other creators.” Her statement was released after Alex Lau, a former staff photographer, tweeted that one of the reasons he left Condé Nast was the lack of support for people of color and a problem getting leadership to listen about issues of representation.

In fairness, Josh Butler is a social media influencer and therefore not expected to use his platform to do anything other than what most social media influencers do - entertain. However, in this climate and with the following that he has, he certainly could have used his voice could to shine a light on issues concerning the community he profits off of in the form of endorsements, clothing lines, and ambassadorships. Butler has since issued an apology attempting to clarify his position. However, he still views himself as a leader, an agent, or even a pioneer in something that he learned from Black people - and that is a problem.

This is not to say that white people should not participate in Carnival or even learn to wine. Go to Carnival. Buss a wine. Play a mas. However, recognize that the road you’re jumping up on was already paved before you got there.

Check out Four 8’s full BLM discussion!