Comments About Cultural Appropriation From A Booker White YouTube Video Discussion Thread

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post presents a compilation of comments about cultural appropriation that were posted to a YouTube discussion thread of Delta Bluesmen Booker White's* performance of his song "Poor Boy Long Way From Home". That video, a link to a transcription of that song's lyrics, and a link to information about Booker White are all included in this post.

*Booker White is widely but mistaken known as "Bukka White", a name which he hated.

The content of this post is provided for folkloric, historical, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.

While I usually don't read YouTube comments about race, racism, and cultural appropriation, I started reading the comments on this discussion thread, and found many of them to be interesting and worthy of archiving.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Booker White for his musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Booker White - Poor Boy Long Way from Home



NaOH123Uploaded on Mar 20, 2006

Booker getting down lapstyle on the ol' National
-snip-
Note that Booker White sung different versions of this song. John Lomax recorded Booker White performing this song in 1939. (Source: comments from http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=2438.0 comment "Re: Booker White")

The lyrics to this song (a merger of several commenters' transcriptions) can be found at http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=2438.90 Re: Booker White Lyrics (Johnm, Reply #97 on: February 27, 2011, 07:59:27 AM).

Click http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bukka-white-mn0000527379/biography for information about Booker White.

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SELECTED COMMENTS ABOUT CULTURAL APPROPRIATION
Note: These comments are presented in relative chronological order with response/s to comments given after that comment. These comments aren’t always in consecutive as there are some comments that are found in between those given. Some of those comments that I didn't include in this transcription are on [this] topic and some are off-topic. The comments in this transcription are numbered for referencing purposes.

Read my note in the comment section about the difficulties of archiving comments from YouTube comment threads.

From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0jRX69mxcE

2008? [given as 5 years ago]
1. vansheen
in reply to BERLIN ROCKABILLY
"dude do your homework... There was no fame to be had. This music wasn't popular in America untill those whiteboys sold it back to us. THEN guys like clapton brought these old guys out of retirement and got them more dough then they had seen."

2. fuxgood
in reply to vansheen
"Clapton, The Who, the Stones, all did old blues tunes they "stole" from the original artists but what really brought these original blues guys to the spotlight was the folk revival in the early 60's and then Newport in '65 was the icing on the cake."

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3. JosephNScott
in reply to vansheen
"This music wasn't popular in America untill" "Black" country blues records were very popular with "black" Americans from about 1926 on.

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4. John Clark
"the stones got howlin wolf on TV and paid royalties while Dylan claimed to have written Jack of Diamonds, recorded by Blind Lemon Jefferson. We white middle class kids just loved the music in the 60's, far from identifying with the black musicians we were in awe of them, we had Matt Monroe and America had Son House ! its like the difference between Cheddar gorge and the Grand Canyon"

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5. John Clark
"thank the young white kid who in the early 60's tracked him down in Aberdeen. Then he was filmed and honoured and not just on a few 30's and 40's 78s. Bukka White and Son House set the standard."

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2009? [given as 4 years ago]

6. taurtue
in reply to tallmunchkin
"Why are poeple outraged when white copy black songs, and not when black copy black songs? Cause you know, most of the blues standard that poeple attach to robert johnson or son house were written by older blues man who have not experienced the era of the recording. and none's ashamed about it. but when some white man copy those old blues song, poeple blame them. Every bluesman has started out his carreer by copying blues standard, that's the spirit of blues."
-snip-
Editor: I can't find the comment posted by tallmunchkin.

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7. samansun
in reply to tallmunchkin
"Quote B.B. King : "Black teenagers were ashamed of hearing us play peasant music in the 50's and 60's". If the blues is still around with many followers, 60's British bands deserve the biggest credit, no matter if they copied or reworked their idols' style, which is the case for most folk songs anywhere in the world."

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8. 747t
in reply to taurtue
"The problem is this: A black musician who learns black music is learning and preserving his own culture. A white musician who learns black music is distorting and diverting black culture, attempting to assimilate it."

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9. blishypoos
in reply to 747t
"I don't want to get into an argument or anything, but I'm just curious-- are you saying that that is the problem, or that that point of view is the problem?"

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10. 747t4 years ago
in reply to blishypoos
"White people want to ignore race now and embrace all cultures to prove that they are not racist. The truth is, that that is a passive and ignorant way of trying to become a "world citizen". To be a true promoter of equality one must first recognize the inequities that exist, and work to reverse them, not capitalize on them. White artists taking from other cultures is just another way for them to capitalize on their social advantages for economic gain, whether that is the intention or not"

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11. taurtue
in reply to 747t
"White musicians have just respect for black's culture and music, so they cover. I don't see anything wrong with that. Maybe everyone should just stay at home and not meet our neighbours, but I don't agree with that. I believe fusion and cultures mixes can be very very interesting, especially in music. Just watch what jazz/rock fusion allowed poeple to do in the 70's. It was an incredible step in the music history."

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12. 747t
"I do not say this to degrade interracial communication, but to enhance it. As long as white people continue to ignore their advantages there will be tension, and outright hostility in some cases. The playing field is not even. Telling a white person they have privilege is like telling a fish it's in water - they can't wrap their heads around it, because they've never known life without it. Meritocracy is great in theory, but it is far from the reality around us."

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13. 747t
in reply to blishypoos
"If a white artist can produce something half the quality of a black artist, he will have ten times the success, because he has the social privleges, and the marketable image that the majority population identifies with. Oliver Stone is a film director whose work it is expected anyone can identify with. Spike Lee is a black film director whose work it is expected black people can identify with. I agree with you on one thing. Let's not argue. I have a great article you can read though."

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14. slideharp1
"Love just about everything I've ever heard by B.W. Unfortunately, if you go down the list of comments you find it quickly deteriorates into another forum for black college kids, who've just discovered this music, and decided to take collective credit for the work of a Great Artist. None of these kids are even Southerners and know nothing of it's culture. Bukka ain't a great artist 'cos he's black, he's a great artist 'cos he's a Great Artist. Are you a great artist, 747t? or just black?"

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15. 747t
in reply to slideharp1
"I'm going to respond to your (Love just about everything) comment slideharp1. I did not "just discover" this music, nor can I take credit for what someone in the past has done. This is, however my culture, not yours, Mr. U.K. I learned the guitar from my uncle, and do not read music to this day. I have known this music since birth, and it is not foreign to me, as it is TO YOU."

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16. slideharp1
in reply to 747t
"@747t.YOU are angry and illogical. YOU are reacting in a knee-jerk fashion to a truth you don't want to hear. Are you suggesting that all black people make music?. No, of course you're not. Only an Idiot would say anything that dumb. 'Black' music is made by black Artists. Individuals. Not collectively created by a 'Black Beehive'. You Shit on these Artists by talkin that Trash. The Blues is American music and didn't come "Straight from Africa". Take pride but don't have the gall to take Credit"

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17. 747t
in reply to slideharp1
"No, of course all black people don't make music in America. In Africa though (traditionally), you either make music, or dance. In many African languages there is no word for "music" as an abstract form. Rhythm makes life and work easier. The community - the culture - is what produces a musician, who speaks for that community. To separate the artist from his culture is to misrepresent him. To appropriate someone elses culture without due respect and citation is the same as robbery."

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18. 747t
in reply to slideharp1
"I am not taking credit for a damn thing. I'm claiming what is my legacy, which you want to co-opt and appropriate for your own use. Virtually no music in the western hemisphere except that of the natives was made was made without African influence. There is European influence in blues, but can you point it out? Lets make it a musicological argument since you claim its so "American". I'll tell you the African influences and you tell me the European ones....you game?"

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19. screwgoogleformakingmechangemahname
in reply to 747t
"our (western) numeric system is of arabic origin. are we distortian arabian culture by assimilating it? did jimi hendrix distort rock n roll by playing it? did stevie ray vaughan distort the blues by plaing it? get real, mate."

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20. 747t
in reply to screwgoogleformakingmechangemahname
"Actually, our numeric system is Indian in origin. The arabs adopted and spread it. Rock n Roll is based on Rhythm and Blues, so no. Stevie Ray Vaughan is as popular as he is because he's white. There are many black blues artists better than him, but white people want black music - without black people in it if they can help it"

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21. jkuebler89
in reply to 747t
"white people want black music without black people in it? thats the most ignorant shit ive heard. the ol black blues was raw and full of emotion. stevie ray was technical and also full of emotion. he derived the spirit of the ol black blues and interpretted it as his own. people dont like him just because hes white. a comment like that makes you just as ignorant as the dumb racist bigots. shut up and enjoy the music for what it is."

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22. 747t
in reply to jkuebler89
"You are angry and illogical...and are reacting in a knee-jerk fashion to an idea you don't quite understand. There is not one colorblind person in this world. You need to drop that idea, because its false. My statement is based on what history has shown: that white "artists" make more money off of black music than black people do. Black music does not just "happen" to be made by black people. It comes straight from Africa, and it is our pride.. Therefore, we take notice."

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23. screwgoogleformakingmechangemahname
in reply to 747t
"arabic or indian, my argument is still the same: its now used by diferent people (or are you indian? or dont you use numbers?)"

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24. screwgoogleformakingmechangemahname
in reply to 747t
"however, i think influences in art (or music if you prefer) cannot be limited or explained by these facts. true, a white musician will be more sucessful and make more money- but what about his music? is it dimished because of the money that comes attached to it? perhaps so, perhaps not. i dont know. i just dont think we can use monetary success to judge the artistic proficiency of a musician."

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25. 747t
in reply to screwgoogleformakingmechangemahname
"All im saying is that when you can't go anywhere without seeing white people's influence, it's nice to have something to call your own and express your collective viewpoint. A white man can play the blues, but his reasons are different from a black man's."

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26. 747t
in reply to screwgoogleformakingmechangemahname
"Colorblindness is NOT a way of combating racism, as you seem to think - discrimination is natural, and has been proven to exist among children in environments where discussion of race is taboo. If we want to overcome it we must talk about our differences and our feelings, openly, and honestly. Why do you think there are so many hostile black people? You ignore our point of view. You try to assimilate us, when we want to be recognized as unique and beautiful in our own right."

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27. 747t
The tendency toward individualism is the same as colorblindness, and leads people to miss that art is a collective construct which expresses a people as much as a person."

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28. screwgoogleformakingmechangemahname
in reply to 747t
"either ways, rethorical questions. what i was trying to say is that its pointless to try and degrade interacial minglings. i know this because i am brazilian (whence i write) and proud of my threefold racial heritage (portuguese, african and amerindian). theres shitty music everywhere, as there is good music everywhere. independent of color. i understand the USA has a much more segregated relationship between ethnic groups, but you gotta keep the hate out of it, man. peace."

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29. 747t
in reply to screwgoogleformakingmechangemahname
"Theres no hate envolved, and the perception that to talk about the imbalances makes us racist is why there is no discussion. The difference in Latin America is that theres a gradual mingling of peoples, so that there are all shades in-between. The peoples are more proud of their national heritage in general and claim not to pay attention to race. This is how they have escaped addressing the inequalities in Latin American societies. The fact is though, whiter skin means success even in those."

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30. screwgoogleformakingmechangemahname
in reply to 747t
"undoubtfully true, about whites having an advantage. even here in brazil, where there are people "all shades in between" (not so much because of gradual mingling, but of different colonization procesess- but thats another matter alltogether) whites tend to have better jobs, better salary and better education. the poorest are, indeed, the direct descendand of african slaves or amerindian tribes. so yah, you're right."

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31. slideharp1
"I love BW along with most all the other Southern bluesmen. It's Southern music that was ignored by black people outside of the South. It was only after white people had it pushed at them by Chess etc. and realised they Loved It To Bits, that black people who didn't care about it decided that it was 'their' music. It's well known that Northern blacks didn't wanna know. The blues evolved in fits and starts into what whites know as rock n roll. Hip-hop didn't come from the blues! It came from J.B."

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32. 747t
in reply to slideharp1
"What the hell is J.B.? And you really DONT know what youre talking about. Have you ever been to a Black church in the north? We play the same music as down south, except we sing less spirituals now and do more R&B. Back in the 50's when my dad came to Seattle from Louisiana, we sang more spirituals, the root of blues. Black people have been in migration ever since "leaving" the South, and there is no way to escape the influence of the south on our language, food, religion, and music."

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33. slideharp1
in reply to 747t
"@747t. I have the deepest respect for the cultural bonds that keep you connected to your ancestry - there's no substitute for Knowing who we are - and your knowledge of traditional african music(s) is clearly apperent. Regarding African rhythms being difficult, I've never found any rhythms difficult. Prob'ly why I took up Bass. Difficult to write on a graffitti wall but I've heard many more African styles than American/African. Finish this sect. in answere to a query from you; J.B.= James Brown!"

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34. 747t
in reply to slideharp1
"Our rhythms are not European rhythms, though we play in meter now, which is European. I am baffled at how people call African rhythms "difficult". They're not the same as mine, but they seem so familiar, and natural."

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35. redlizzardpoker
in reply to 747t
"no one suffers like the poor no matter what your ethnicity"

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36. 747t
in reply to redlizzardpoker
"@redlizzardpoker ...I agree with that statement alone, but some suffer less and have better chances than others, specifically due to ethnicity and privelege. Theres a fantastic article entitled "My Race Din't Trump My Class" by Robin DiAngelo. It's hard to get a hold of without paying or using a college database, but it's well worth the effort to find."

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37. 747t
in reply to 747t
"@747t Correction... "My Class Didn't Trump My Race" is the title of the article. Sorry about that. :)"

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38. 747t
in reply to slideharp1
"I just looked at what I've been typing and realized that I have been completely wrong in my tone, and I am sorry. However, if you would like to have an honest conversation about African American music I would be more than willing to provide you with the the resources and insight that have led me to my conclusions."

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39. slideharp1
in reply to 747t
"@747t. I appreciate your graciousness in mellowing out a little. Regardless of what may appear to you from what I wrote, I'm just a musician which means I've spent my life playing with other musicians. A couple of points; I played in NYC from 1980 to 1993. I played with Top, Influential Bluesmen. If you want a VERY SHORT list of them there are some listed on my site (fly jugband - bio). That was electric mainly, tho' not exclusively. I then spent 5 years in New Orleans......."

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40. 747t
"Well I respect your opinion much more. However, still in my eyes, my music connects my people to our homeland. It is what has kept our souls free and culture intact since our bodies were taken into bondage. The pentatonic scale we sing in and the licks we play on the guitar are the same that we sang back in Africa and played on the Banjo, and before that on the Akonting, the Xalam, Banjar, Kora, Bolon, Ngoni..."

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