I remember the first time I really heard a song instead of just listening to it. The song was Lost Ones by J. Cole. It essentially tells the story of a man impregnating a woman and feeling uncertain as to what actions he wants to take. A part of him wants to keep the child since it's his seed, but the other part wants the woman to have an abortion because he feels as if they aren't ready for a child.

While this song had no relevance to my life, it intrigued me and showed me that music wasn't just a beat with words; it is a means of telling stories. After hearing this song, I listened to all of J. Cole's music and quickly became a fan. His music spoke about different issues in the black community, making it both educational and relatable for me. Constantly listening to his music led me to discovering other amazing, similar artists, such as Chance the Rapper whose positive, upbeat music empowered me during my entire junior year of college, Lauryn Hill who taught me about authenticity and love, India Arie who taught me about self love and forgiveness and Kendrick Lamar who empowered me through adversity.

Another sort of unrelated childhood memory is braids. As a youngin', I hated my real hair. This was when I still believed in eurocentric beauty standards and consequently felt that my hair was never long or straight enough. Braids would give me confidence and make me feel beautiful. I didn't know this at the time, but they would also help my hair to grow, as they are a protective style.

So what do music and hair have in common? They are both aspects of black culture that had an important impact in my life. Contrary to what seems to be popular belief in the media, black culture is NOT a costume to be used out of boredom. It is also not a way to gain fans by appearing "edgy" or "unique" and it is DEFINITELY not a way to explore sexual freedom. Black culture is a way of life. It is beautiful, empowering, unique, strong and it helps people to connect to one another. For many people, black culture is a part of the journey to black pride and self love. To see artists such as Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry appropriate black culture out of boredom and discard of it after a while is a slap in the face. It devalues a culture that is SO important.

Cultural appropriation is NEVER simply about some music or a hairstyle. It is about making a mockery out of our culture and devaluing a culture of people who are devalued and oppressed enough as it is.