The Notion of Cultural Appropriation: From Minstrelsy to Hip Hop

Abstract

This research investigates the notion of cultural appropriation with specific reference to Black culture. It connects the key concepts of minstrelsy to more recent cultural and aesthetic expressions like Hip Hop. The initial analysis of Love and Theft, Eric Lott’s pivotal work on early 19th century blackface, provides useful tools for the analysis of more recent phenomena, like Hip Hop and so-called blackfishing on social media. The objective is is to establish a connection between the significance of blackface in 19th century’s white America and the appropriation of African American artistic expressions in the 20th and 21st century by arguing that these are strictly entangled in meaning and audience perception. The link between past and present is conveyed through an exploration of black masculinity, from enslavement to artistic rebellion. Discussion includes an analysis of selected minstrel’s songs, and of white appropriation of rap. The final part calls attention to a relatively recent phenomenon among celebrities and more specifically on social media, which consists in acquiring African American aesthetic features, both in skin color and in body shape.