Women of Color: Thoughts on Hoop Earrings?

I have kinda mixed feelings about this. Right up front - I'm as white as can be. 

The concept of cultural appropriation is relatively new to me, and if I'm honest - except where it concerns the sacred - I've always been fairly dismissive of it. This about sums up why: 


I don't see that there is any compelling reason why now should be the time when we stop the 'musical chairs' and say "this is what you have and it will always be yours and no-one else's". Culture will and should continue to change and evolve and that will include exchange with and inspiration from different cultures. 

Somewhat counter to that, I do feel as though the rate of exposure and assimilation has increased exponentially during the age of the internet, and that's not necessarily a good thing - feels a bit like we are heading towards too much homogeneity perhaps.

As far as the specific issue in the OP, as many of you have amply demonstrated, hoop earrings as a hill to stand and shout from (but not die on!) are all too easy to pull down, and as a result that makes anything else these women had to say just as easy to dismiss or ignore. I think that is unfortunate, as there is a more serious message in there, one that I perhaps needed to hear: 


I only need to imagine how for example someone with dreadlocks would be perceived where I work to realise how true this is. I am pretty sure it would be seen as unprofessional, when in practice it has zero impact on how well an individual could do their job. Even if they got a foot in the door they would probably be passed over for promotion unless they were not just the best candidate but glaringly so. 

Ultimately I agree with this: 


but it is also a reminder of one of the many forms that discrimination can take, and for me to check my bias. 

What does the accent sound like? Never mind...Well in any event "Fuck you too". As if any of the issues you listed garner support from you anyway. I kept quiet when you voted for Trump but then wanted to wear safety pins and knit pussy hats so I'm not sure why your lips are even moving . Whenever I majorly fuck up and ruin the country...wait I've never done that but if I did you'd find me in a corner somewhere quietly reflecting. I'll send you there. Ignore. 


I found it for you. You will also find unchallenged rude behaviors that no one assigned "anger" to. 

Oh for goodness sake.

How does one know exactly who is a woman of color?
www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-stories/black-white-twins-meet-sisters-5256945

It's interesting to hear you say that.
I am wary of using the word black though because it seems to generally be considered incorrect.

Good point jennyap

Well now I have to go get me some Fabuloso cause it sounds fabulous. 

When I was little and wanted hoop earrings, my old-school, Italian mom told me no because "the gypsies wear hoops." That's the only culture I ever associated with hoops, though I do blame my mom. Heck, I blame her for all my issues...

Didn't that already happen and the term African-American was deemed more PC than black?

I agree with you, I've always thought that. I'm just saying that everyone used to say black and somewhere along the line that was deemed politically incorrect/offensive and replaced with the "more politically correct/less offensive" term African-American. 

the problem with that is that not all black people are African Americans. Just ask my friend from Haiti. He is NOT African American, just ask him. I'd assume those who are black and British citizens aren't African Americans either

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The umbrella term for white women is not "women not of color" correct?

So you do realize how insulting it is because I'm not white, in order to describe me and other non white women, you've created a special term and then try to justify it as okay because it's an "umbrella term?"

A more correct term is a racial minority. Because that is a statistical truth; our races make us a minority.

But please don't use women of color and then abbreviate it, which is even more insulting. Just call us what we are; racial minorities.

I it wasn't my intention to be insulting, I apologise. Thank you for clarifying a better option.

I confess it is a minefield to me - I really don't make a habit of describing people by their race or colour, this thread aside, and this all only illustrates why.

On the other forum I most regularly visit, WOC is in extremely common use by non white women to describe themselves and each other; several of them are not racial minorities in their own countries.

Yeah, I'll stick with "women".

Before reading ahead...

The only people I know that DON'T prefer using the term "black" are white, uber-liberals. Most of my black students will say they prefer black, but don't really care if they're called African American. Some of them get upset when they're called African American. They say they're American, not African. 

I have had some African American students. Some are black, some are white. I had an Australian American student once. I also had a black British kid that really got upset when he saw his race listed as African American in the computer. He is neither African nor American.