This is not going to be an article about the do's and don't's of Halloween couture. I'm not going to sit here and list off inappropriate Halloween costumes. And let me tell you why. I am a caucasian female, and it is simply not my place.

Halloween is a time where a lot of fun costumes come out to play. Your squad gets to dress up as the Scooby gang or Super Mario characters. But Halloween also inspires a lot of costumes that most would consider offensive. White people dressing up as terrorists or Native Americans. Non-black people doing blackface. The list goes on.

But here's the thing. As an ally, it is not my job to determine what is and is not appropriate this Halloween season. As an ally, it is my job to amplify the voices of those who do not share my privilege, not talk over them with my own politically correct opinion.

I'm not going around to Halloween parties hanging out tickets for cultural appropriation. But if the conversation comes up, I will share my views. And like I said, my views are that as white people, we don't get to decide what is and is not offensive to other cultures. If someone says a costume is offensive or racist, we have to take their word for it and respond accordingly. Because we have never been in such a position before, and if we disregard the voices of people of color, then we are part of the problem.

And my advice? Don't just read this article. Read the articles written by people of color, and see what they have to say. This article is only a jumping off point.

So I apologize if this rains on your culturally appropriated parade. But America is a mixing pot of cultures and races, and the only way that's going to work is if we all respect each other. It's not that difficult, I promise.