I agree wholeheartedly with you, my brother. I do however feel that this is a double-edged sword of sorts in that, on one hand we are healing per se, and decolonizing our own bodies while living in Western civilization, while on the other hand, many people ARE in fact appropriating these customs and cultures out of ignorance. When I say that, I do not mean it in a negative fashion, but merely (to use your words) because it is “cute,” or because people want to look fashionable for the day.

When other cultures appropriate what we as Black Americans have done in the “free world” due to our gumbo of cultures we brought with us during the TransAtlantic Slave Trade, many will not think to jump on them and say, “THIS IS OURS,” even when the donner is attempting to be respectful and show their own admiration for the day. This can also be attributed to ignorance. However, even if it is warranted, Many Black Americans often lay claim to a continent we do not even attempt to learn anything about. As a staunch majority, we forget to celebrate Kwanzaa, practice Afrocentricity, or even support Black Owned Businesses (or African ones) like we NEED to, but we will dress up for Easter, buy gifts for Christmas, stand in lines for Black Friday sales where White-owned corporations profit immensely. In addition, these cultural origins and tribal histories we practice are often lost when we wear Maasai prints, Zulu warrior garbs, wrap our hair in Bantu Knots, wear tribal paint to Afropunk, etc. I don’t even know too many people who speak KiiSwahili in the United States, and African men look at me crazy when I introduce myself as a Muslim.

I am just saying, there is nothing wrong with rocking other people’s cultures period, but if you do not educate yourself in what you are doing- and in this case, what you are wearing- you could be committing a very disrespectful act against one’s tribe. Some Americans even do this to the Natives by wearing their headdresses and tribal prints to this day. I think what the initial commentator on this issue was just saying what any of us would feel if someone wore or did something without actually understanding what it was for. I understand the want to heal, but people who do this are essentially dressing themselves in the dark. It’s akin to pointing to the answer with your eyes closed.