by Simone E., Editor-in-Chief When you’re walking down the aisle of Party City trying to decide whether you want to be a sexy “Indian” or a “gangster” this All Hallow’s Eve, don’t forget these two words: appropriation and appreciation. To add a little icing on the cake, add the word “cultural” in front of both of the terms, and I’ve officially either made you uncomfortable or defensive.
Definition: Cultural appropriation is when you decide to “adopt” an element of someone else’s culture (Johnson 2015). So when you’re putting on that afro that you found for super cheap, and you know that an afro is not something that you’ve seen at any family reunions, television shows, or just day to day life by people who look like you, don’t do it. When you say, “But I appreciate the culture. I love 2 Chainz.” Please don’t do it. If you can’t realize what that afro means to people of color, and you aren’t trying to appreciate the struggle that came and has come with that afro, then don’t do it. (Note: This isn’t just about white and black people. It’s about different cultures, and there are a lot of different cultures where cultural appropriation can and does happen). There are ways to appreciate culture, but to this day, it can be hard to draw the line. So, until that line is drawn, don’t try to cross it. There’s no reason to. You can still have fun being you and dressing up as an animal. Animals don’t care if you appropriate their culture. Animals are cute. Be a bunny this Halloween. (Or maybe a bear if you’re feeling aggressive). Read the article below for a better understanding on cultural appropriation if you’re interested. Resources: Johnson, A. M. (2016, November 03). What's Wrong with Cultural Appropriation? These 9 Answers Reveal Its Harm. Retrieved October 19, 2017, from https://everydayfeminism.com/2015/06/cultural-appropriation-wrong/
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by Simone E., Editor-in-Chief There have been a few questions about The Torch: Reborn and why the staff decided to place “this” specific article on “this” specific page instead of another one. So, here’s the answer to your questions.
News On the News page, we’ve featured editorials from TTR Staff as well as a piece of news that may be particularly important to those on UTC’s campus. For instance, there was an article titled, “Haters Gonna Hate” that was featured on the news page. This was a piece of news from the TTR staff. There could also be news about the TTR staff. Another article that was placed on this page was the Step Show article. This was featured on News because we figured that people would look there first, but we also recognized that it was news that solely affected the campus. Impact Impact features news that is about something outside of campus that impacts UTC students, faculty and staff. There was an article about the Mayor renouncing the Confederate cemetery across the street from campus. Students on campus may not have known about this piece of news and it affects us, as students on the campus, because sometimes classes are held there and the proximity to the UC is also worrisome. This page may also feature things that happened on campus when we weren’t here. The difference here lies in asking the question: does it impact campus in some way? Or is it “just” important news? Create There are various pages under our Create page. These pages are for you to spotlight your creativity in various ways. Send us an email with your art or poem and we’ll post it on our site. Think Pieces Think Pieces are truly pieces of opinion. While we try to be objective in our news pieces, and we include facts and sources, think pieces are fully opinion based. Sometimes they’re our thoughts on a certain event or activity on campus and sometimes they’re ideas that we have about something. Don’t go to this page looking for facts unless they are explicitly referred to as such.. Student Spotlight This section spotlights students. The page may also spotlight organizations that students are a part of so that you’re not only learning about students, but also you’re learning about what they’re involved in. Promo This is a new section and it will soon be a page where students can put “advertisements.” We won’t put everything that you’re trying to sell on the page, but if you want free advertisements, send it to us via email at [email protected] Now that you’re no longer confused about which page to click on, read them all! Submit your art or ad! We want you to enjoy your experience with The Torch:Reborn. by Adeola I., Staff Writer This past August, the Hope House dedicated a time and space to facilitating community and discussion regarding race and identity in America. These discussions were preceded by the screening of Dear White People. The initial gathering screened the Dear White People film and every week following that, an episode of the Dear White People television series is screened. Every Wednesday at 8:00 p.m., people of various races and backgrounds come together to watch a controversial television show deemed “anti-white” by some critics and “timely” (looking for a better critique) by others. Dear White People forced people to hold conversations about why a show like this needed to come about and what that says about the so called “post-racial America” we live in today. Justin Simien, the film’s creator, says to white viewers of the show: “Glad you’ve woken up. Welcome to the revolution.” The show wakes people up to the reality that America is teeming with systemic and institutional racism and the fact that racism still lives in the hearts and minds of a multitude of people. The show has the potential to reach people who think racism is a thing of the past. Dear White People opens the door for conversations that must be held in order to even begin the process of changing the black experience in America. The show provokes discussion and thought on what it means to be a person of color in predominately white environments. The Hope House invited students to explore whatever topics the show mentioned or even left out. This is the result.
Daniel Ellis, a white sophomore at UTC, regularly attends Dear White People Wednesdays at the Hope House. He feels as though his most valuable takeaway from this experience is the importance of having extended discussions on these complex issues of race and identity. He expressed that talking about specific issues in depth helped him learn and understand how to have productive conversations about these issues. He admitted, “I learned how much I still do not understand!” One topic brought up in a discussion was colorism. He had never heard of the term or concept beforehand, but now he has a grasp on what it means and how it affects black people. Ellis also commented on the experience of just listening during these discussions, “I felt really lucky to be able to hear people open up about their own experiences.” There are cases in which people are ready to have these conversations, but do not understand the best way in going about it. The Hope House can serve as one example of how these difficult conversations can be held. Ellis explained that the small group setting of these discussions and the honest vulnerability expressed is extremely important. Ellis stated, “As for me, it helped me to think more in depth and to hold more complexity regarding these issues” Ellis’s experience is one example of what can happen when people come together to talk about issues that are so prevalent in the daily lives of roughly thirteen percent of the American population. Dear White People Wednesdays is at 8:00 p.m. at the Hope House. Episode nine will be screened on October 25th and the season finale on November 1st. The Hope House is located at 808 Vine Street, right beside campus. by Simone E., Editor-in-Chief It was the Fall of 1991. If you weren’t alive then, or you can’t remember the year, something important was brought to UTC: the infamous Step Show (originally known as the Step Down).
Now, you may have seen a few articles about the Step Show, but rest assured, this article will set the record straight. The Theta Rho chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated brought the Step Down to campus in 1991. According to Cleshette Hudson, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. who was initiated in 1992, the original purpose of the event was to plan effective programming for the beginning of Homecoming Weekend. After the announcement of the event, according to Lacretia Harris, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. who was initiated in 1990, several members of Alpha Delta Pi and Kappa Sigma expressed interest in stepping. A few members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. went to members of Alpha Delta Pi while members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. went to members of Kappa Sigma, and taught them the history of stepping and the reason why black sorority or fraternity members come together to step. The members of Alpha Delta Pi and Kappa Sigma then performed the steps that were taught to them and were able to participate in the show. Members of Chi Omega were taught the same thing the next year: by 1992, most, if not all, of the white sororities and fraternities wanted to participate. Members of Theta Rho decided then that they were, according to Hudson, “Doing this to bring unity amongst black and white sororities and fraternities. Our worlds are so different, and this was an opportunity for them to participate in our world.” Some of the black fraternities and sororities on UTC campus were not consistently active, over the years, to participate in the show, so white sororities and fraternities were often invited to participate in the Step Down to ensure that the event would continue. The Step Down soon became enormous: it was eventually moved to McClellan Gym. In the fall of 2008, the Step Down was no longer an event run by Theta Rho. After the chapter was suspended, in 2009, the white sororities and fraternities, as well as the University, decided to take over and continue the Step Down; however, the event no longer retained the original intent of multiculturalism that simultaneously celebrated the history of stepping. Two years ago, the Step Show and Lip Sync were almost identical events. The history of stepping was lost. The history of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) was lost. So what is the history? According to Crystal A. DeGregory, a professional historian with master’s and doctorate degrees in history: most, if not all, black Greek letter organization traditions originated in Africa. One of the most beloved traditions of the Divine Nine is “the call.” It’s commonly used in a “call-and response” style where “a call is begun by one member or members who are joined by other members with the same or a responding call” (DeGregory, 2015). Another shared ritual is that of stepping. The practice of stepping has African origins and can “boast roots in the call-and-response tradition as well as in games played by Congo children and in the gum-boot dancers of South African mines” (DeGregory, 2015). Stepping is an art form that is ever-growing in popularity, and, as shown at UTC, there are often questions arising about cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation, which is what was occurring on UTC’s campus, is the adoption of elements of one culture by members of another culture. Now, if the step show that we had two years ago had featured a portion that talked about the origin of stepping, why it’s important to the black community, or even the origin of the Theta Rho Step Down: that may have been considered appreciation of the culture in that there would have been recognition and appreciation of the origin. You may ask: what do you mean? My friend definitely appreciates stepping for it’s original meaning in African American culture. That’s great; however, it wasn’t perceived that way. Trevor Winfrey was one of the pioneers of Chattanooga Black Greek Weekend (CBGW). He, along with a group of students and alumni that included Solomon Puryear and Kinnawa Kaitibi, noticed a “need” in the community and decided to something about it. “There was divisiveness,” stated Winfrey, “and we wanted to give the community the opportunity to come together in each other’s company and enjoy something that black Greek organizations have been doing for years.” The idea of CBGW was one that had been thought about by a few different people, but no one knew how to go about it. Greek letter organizations that are a part of NPHC often participated in the University’s step show. Winfrey recalled one year where his fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated won first place and a fraternity in IFC (Interfraternity Conference) won second place. He stated that the IFC fraternity claimed that they won “first place in IFC” and that was all that mattered. “It was as if we were completely disregarded for something that has been historically a part of NPHC,” said Winfrey. Winfrey then stated that CBGW had nothing to do with winning or losing the University’s step show. It was about the need that was present in the black community to come together and have fun, but also to give back to the community. Kinnawa Kaitibi stated that NPHC wasn’t being represented, understood, or respected at the University’s step show; however, at the same time, the black Greek letter organizations weren’t giving back to the community that they were meant to serve. “When we do steps for people and it’s only being looked at for entertainment, we started to realize that it’s bigger than that,” Kaitibi stated. “We know why we step. We know why our organizations were created: they were created to uplift the minority community. This was the best way to do it. We give to organizations that give back to our community, and that support our community.” Last year, CBGW donated $1000 to the Bethlehem Center, a center whose mission focuses on empowering inner-city youth and families. This year, Kaitibi announced on stage of this year’s CBGW Step Show, they hope to up the ante and help the Bethlehem Center even more with the proceeds raised from the step show. The CBGW Step Show prompted community support and fundraising efforts in the black community; furthermore, it prompted discussion about the community on UTC’s campus and how the step show affected the campus climate. According to Winfrey, a lot of UTC faculty and staff were supportive and wanted to see it happen. While there was confusion about two step shows happening at the same time, and, later, backlash in terms of student involvement when the University step show was disbanded, there were plenty of discussions where cultural appropriation was discussed. The reality here is that Homecoming Week is officially over. Step Show is over. Why does this still matter? As a student at UTC, it’s important for you to know the facts: not misconstrued opinions or hearsay from people who weren’t directly involved. Please share this with other students and feel free to comment and make corrections to anything you find untrue. DeGregory, P. C. (2015, June 14). This is Why We “Step” | A History of Stepping in Black Greek-Lettered Life Culture. Retrieved October 06, 2017, from https://hbcustory.wordpress.com/2015/05/22/this-is-why-we-step-a-history-of-stepping-in-black-greek-lettered-life-culture/ by Simone E., Editor-in-Chief There will always be someone who will try to knock you down a peg.
You may have decided to put yourself out there by applying for a national scholarship. Maybe your version of “putting yourself out there” is simply downloading the Tinder app and swiping right. Maybe you’ve decided that you will pursue your life’s dream of being an astronaut. Whatever you decide, in the words of Taylor Swift, “Haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate.” (Now, Taylor Swift may not be the best example of an intellectual, but the song was very popular at one time, and it’s assumed that many, if not all, readers, at least know of the song “Shake It Off”.) While Swift may have decided to sing the word “hate” six times because of a lack of imagination, or creativity, perhaps she was trying to make a point. Haters will hate and hate and hate and continue to hate until they, if you let them, bring you down. We, as students, are constantly dealing with an often overwhelming barrage of issues that include, but are not limited to, attempting to graduate and maybe (hopefully) have a successful life. The Torch: Reborn staff would like all readers to know that in spite of issues going on nationally or on campus, stay strong. Do what you want to do because you want to do it. Don’t let others’ complaints or criticisms get you down. We encourage you to be the best you can be. We also encourage you to continue to express yourselves and, most importantly, in the era of “fake news”: stay educated. |
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