Between Kim Kardashian’s Fulani braids at the 2018 MTV Awards and Selena Gomez casually sporting a bindi, cultural appropriation remains a controversial issue in society today. What the breaking point is between embracing another culture and appropriating it is still unclear to many. The Cambridge Dictionary states that cultural appropriation refers to “the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture”. It also heavily has to do with the fact that the media becomes complicit when they begin to praise white celebrities “new” and “edgy” hairstyles whilst simultaneously continuing to demonize black women for sporting the same hairdos.
It’s a heavy topic. But one family in New Jersey is showing exactly what it means to embrace a culture without having to appropriate it. Aminat Mclure told MSN that she was originally born in Nigeria but raised in the U.S. Her husband, Justin Mclure, is of European descent and was born in the states. Together, they have two four year old twins and a 7 month old.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bds7wspjilQ/?taken-by=mccluretwins
But it’s their family portrait that has social media captivated this week. As portrayed below, the Mclure family is showcased wearing matching traditional Nigerian attire, complete with the striking bold colors that the nation’s fashion industry is known for.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkIZfxEjkXn/?taken-by=mccluretwins
“As a Caucasian man, I embrace my family, I embrace my wife’s Nigerian culture”. He told MSN.
And the picture has since gone viral on social media, getting over 300,000 likes on the family’s official Instagram page. Many feel that the portrait is a celebration of interracial love and multi-cultural heritage- and we’re all here for it. What do you guys think? Comment below!
