By Shane Longoria
After an Instagram post by user “sydnieshowmaker” circulated Twitter and Facebook, many Texas Tech students used it as an opportunity to have a discussion about racism and cultural appropriation.
The image showed a woman wearing a basketball jersey and afro wig, and in the caption she called herself Laquifa. The image has since been removed. The Instagram account and Facebook of the same name have since been removed as well.
Korrin Welch, a media strategies major who tweeted a screenshot of the image, said this kind of behavior happens too frequently and she can no longer be silent.
“I’m tired of different cultures being mocked,” Welch said.
Welch said an image like this demeans black culture, using it as a costume and reinforcing many negative stereotypes about black people.
“She was kind of exploiting and making fun of black women by calling herself Laquifa, putting on an afro, having her hoop earrings,” Welch said. “If that seems like something that’s appropriate to you, we need to go back to the drawing board.”
The image was taken before the annual Low Hoop multi-fraternity party, which includes performances by rap artists and a basketball tournament. A comment that came from Showmaker’s Facebook said that the photo “was not aimed to be racist in anyway,” but she was “trying to dress up as the girl version of LeBron James.”
The comment went on to say “it is not necessary to make this a race issue.”
Many college parties have seen students don blackface that satirize black culture, a practice that goes back to minstrel shows developed in the 19th century.
The Gloss published a list of 13 racist parties at different colleges. Texas Tech is number seven on the list with a “sexy border patrol” party from 2013.
This is not a new issue at college parties. Photo from The Gloss.
Because of the deeply rooted attitudes cultivated by minstrel shows, wearing black face is an unacceptable act that is still seen today.
Jayda Ward, a public relations major, said there is nothing wrong with nonblack people participating in and enjoying black culture, but they need to do it with respect.
“You have to have knowledge of it,” Ward said. “If you’re going to participate in black culture and appreciate it, appreciate it from your own point of view.”
Naairah Lott, a marketing major from Dallas, said many people have not been properly educated on why appropriation is problematic.
“I believe that appropriating and appreciating are two completely different tangents that a lot of people don’t know,” Lott said. “In school, they don’t teach you what appropriation is; they don’t teach you how to appreciate various cultures.”
Ward said Tech should include courses to combat issues of appropriation and to promote diversity on campus.
“I honestly feel like racial sensitivity classes should be implemented,” Ward said. “Especially if you’re a minority at a PWI (predominantly white institution), you may not feel like you fit in.”
Texas Tech responded to the event on Twitter, stating that “We do not condone this behavior.”
#TexasTech is contacting the party responsible for an inappropriate photo. We do not condone this behavior and are reviewing the situation.
— Texas Tech (@TexasTech) April 10, 2017
The following is Hub@TTU Campus Reporter Kayla Black’s personal perspective on cultural appropriation and the racist Instagram picture as a black Tech student.
Those who may be living in a state of blissful ignorance may not see what is wrong with what Sydnie “Laquifa” did, but it very well may be one step away from white students believing it is okay to dress up in black face, which we have seen happen at universities similar to Tech.
Her Facebook comment said “it is not necessary to make this a race issue,” but that is not appropriate for someone who has never been marginalized due to her race to decide. 
While the spread of African American culture through music, dance, art and any other form of expression, is greatly appreciated, it does not make it appropriate for outsiders to participate in it.
Cultural appropriation leads to features or accessories that are mocked when seen on black people being praised when seen on other races.
A wonderful example of a stolen accessory I speak of are cornrows, culturally appropriated as “boxer braids.” You know, the ones Kim Kardashian supposedly brought into style.
For years upon years before Kim K, we have seen black actresses and artists such as Jada Pinkett Smith and Alicia Keys wear cornrows on red carpets and premieres.
These are braids young black girls wear throughout childhood and get teased about. Children who are not black and have not been exposed to these hair styles ask questions like “Why isn’t your hair long?” “Why is your hair so stiff?” or “Why don’t you ever wear your hair down?”
So these young black girls saw the style become glamorous when someone non-black took the style, and changed the name to be more befitting.
There is always the question of, “Why do black people get so mad when other races do what they do?”
And the simple answer to that is because of stereotyping, and the traumatic history of Blacks putting things into the spotlight, having it stolen, and not receiving the credit where due.
In J. Cole’s “Fire Squad” he targets cultural appropriators, saying:
“History repeats itself and that’s just how it goes,
Same way that these rappers always bite each other’s flows,
Same thing that my n**** Elvis did with Rock ‘n’ Roll,
Justin Timberlake, Eminem, and then Macklemore,
While silly n***** argue over who gone snatch the crown,
Look around my n**** white people have snatched the sound.”
Truly learning about and appreciating a culture means knowing when it is appropriate to participate in the styles and traditions of that culture. Respecting a culture as an outsider generally means not participating in it, regardless of intent.
Let’s take a moment to analyze the Laquifa picture.
From her neck up, she’s dressed like a black woman from the 70’s: large hoop earrings, a nice sized afro wig with yellowish-reddish shades. She is also wearing a basketball jersey, showing a strap of her sports bra.
Typically, it is assumed if you are a black male (or female depending on height and size), you play some kind of sport, such as basketball, football, or track.
So if Sydnie wanted to be a “girl Lebron James,” why did she chose to name this character she was dressed as “Laquifa?” She probably thinks that you can’t get any blacker than that.
This was not a post to raise awareness. This was not a post to show appreciation for the unique qualities within black culture.
This was a post to generate laughs and use black culture inappropriately as a costume.
So, “Why do black people get so mad when other races do what they do?”
If you’ve never been laughed in this manner, you may not understand how it is hurtful. But quite frankly, no one likes to get laughed at.
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