I guess my only concern is when White folx take elements that have long been part of Black culture (even when it was considered 2nd class because is was a 'black' thing) and turn them around (read 'whiten' or 'eurocentricize', make more 'acceptabe' to mainstream society) them and make a larger profit off of it than we ever could. Where I grew up, (Germany) jazz was made, produced, and bought by primarily European people. Of course Black folx will always suppport jazz, but when you look the world over, jazz has evolved into something enjoyed, and financially supported, and owned by White people.

The difference with Blacks sampling Latin culture is that Latinos have traditionally been in control of their music, culture, language, style of dress, etc. It is a rare thing to see elements of Black culture go mainstream unless they have been remade by White celebrity. I think sampling elements of culture in general is indeed a form of flattery. The insult comes in when the originator of the element receives no recognition for it, or when it is only 'acceptable' when the dominant society re-makes it and says "ok, now it's alright".

Me and you might have to have a TALK Soror, lol. That is my store!

Ain't nothin wrong with being preppy!

There were so many good things said on this topic, I think that the range of my felings was covered. THe ONLY thing I don't understand is how any of you proud black folks can call anyone else a nikka! I do NOT like it when anyone white or black uses the word. How can you call yourself a word that has been used to downgrade and demean our people for centuries??? Forget cultural reclamation, that is just point blank not right.

OneSavyDiva and Nupe4life,

I see yall's point. I get bothered when they pick up on something WE create, rename it, and then claim it as if it's their own invention. They do this in every form of art, and in the garment industry as well. From Michelangelo to N Sync, they just steal, steal, steal. And they call US thieves!

Various cultures do adapt to each other in this society. If you have putative integration, it is bound to happen. Note I said culture, not social relations.
Take jazz, for example. I believe that jazz originated with African Americans in New Orleans, but it's changed and mutated over the years, depending on the practitioners.
For instance, on the West Coast, you saw something called West Coast Jazz played by white musicians such as Gerry Mulligan and Dave Brubeck. That had black ancestry, however -- Miles Davis originated the "Birth of the Cool" band in 1949-50. By the way, sublime music. I urge y'all to buy it.
You also had Hard Bop, popularized by African American musicians like Davis, Art Blakey, Horace Silver. Some forms of jazz were developed by blacks, others from white. I listen to various styles, but loathe fusion and Dixieland.
To Soror lovelyivy84 -- I agree with your point about n**** or various derivatives. We don't need to attack ourselves. Also, I cracked up about the clothing comments. Being close to 40, these days I'm wearing classic Talbots, Ellen Tracy and Dana Buchman, when I can get them on sale. Misses for the top, plus for the bottom, lol.

What is it that "they" steal? Is it fashion, music, culture, style? Or is it like most American culture, where people assimilate something from a sub-culture and overlap it with their native cultural styles. For instance, the Seattle grunge look pre-dated the wearing of baggy clothes and Timberlands by AA youth. The baggy look is actually an out-growth of clothes worn in the prison system. Is this prison culture to be claimed?. Is Lenny Kravitz stealing his style?. The acoustic folk music of India Arie, Macy Gray, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu etc, are they stealing from Liz Phair, Sarah McLaughlin, Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt etc by emphasizng intelligent lyrics and musical dexterity over the trite canned beats and stunted intellect of most of today's so-called R&B?. Most of these artists were influenced by white artists as much as Black. In American Culture, we all borrow from one another and adapt it to our subset. No one culture has a patent on its culture in a Multi-cultural society.