Cultural Appropriation
Part of Mosaic Lifespan Curriculum
Open
May we recognize beauties in each other’s cultural values and practices and deepen our relationships across differences.
-Yuri Yamamoto
Light the chalice and share the reading
Ask children to check in with one thing they appreciate about a friend who is different from them.
Read
With a more mature reading group, consider reading the whole article;
With a group that is less interested in reading, consider printing out the memes in the article and or similar memes.
Watch
Cultural Appropriation vs. Appreciation | CBC Radio | CBC (YouTube)
Do
Create a comic strip that shows what someone might do if they see someone wearing a costume that is an example of cultural appropriation.
You will need pencils, erasers, and colored pencils
Review with the children the part of the article above that talks about hosting a halloween party. Ask the students to imagine they are having a costume party at school or home. What might they say or do to ensure everyone feels safe and welcomed? How might they react if someone comes in a costume that is appropriating another culture?
Next, pass out this comic strip template (or one of your own creation) and let the children create a comic strip that shows how they might respond to someone wearing a costume that is cultural appropriation.
As an alternative, the children could role play scenes of how to “call-in” someone who is culturally appropriating.
Close
We Shall Be Known (YouTube) (Thrive Choir, now Wildchoir, covering MaMuse)
Invite the children to listen to the song We Shall Be Known and sing along as they catch on to the words.
Invite them to share one word they will take with them about your time together. Model by sharing a word of your own.
Take Home
Watch Together - (this one skews a little younger)
In this segment from Trolls World Tour the Hip Hop Trolls explain the cultural appropriation of music
Trolls World Tour (2020) — Hip-Hop History Scene (6/10) | Movieclips (YouTube)
(this one from Teen Vogue skews a little older)
My Culture Is NOT A Costume | Teen Vogue (YouTube)
For white parents who are still having difficulty understanding why cultural appropriation is problematic, this article about Irish-American history and appropriation may be helpful.