We Have to Take Responsibility for What is Taken From Our Culture

For anyone in the black community to deny that what is commonly known today as "twerking" has no ties to African culture is ludicrous. The fact that this form of "dance" has evolved into something undignified does not take away from where elements of it originated.

If you believe that this is untrue I urge you to do some research and view a variety of traditional African dances. Hell ... I remember the little girls I grew up with "twerking" (before there was a name for it) while doing their little drill team dances in between playing double dutch and being chased around by me and my boys. So ... Let's not act "new."

Speaking of "tradition" it is an unwritten rule that once the so-called mainstream (white) community takes something of ours it becomes uncool for us to continue to do. For example, the term "bling" which was coined by New Orleans rappers from the Cash Money Records label, became trite once white people began describing jewelry as "bling-bling."

The reality is that many white artists - past, present & future - have, do & will continue to build their careers on the blood, sweat, tears and "souls" of black folk. From the Beetles, to the Rolling Stones, to Rod Stewart, Elton John, Phil Collins, Darryl Hall, Madonna, Annie Lenox, Boy George, George Michael, Jon B., Color Me Bad, N'Sync (& Justin Timberlake as a solo artist), the Backstreet Boys, 98 Degrees, Brittany Spears, Christina Aguillera (who only began claiming her Latino roots when Ricky Martin, J-Lo & Marc Anthony began blowing up), to Robin Thicke and now Miley Cyrus ... These "artists" all know from where their "expression" originated.

In the end, we can't deny what's "ours" because it was taken, misused and or abused. What we as a people must do is set a better example by how we carry ourselves because what is obvious is that what WE do, white folk will do and do it so as to say, "we just want to share in what you do and bridge the gaps between us."