COVE

Introduction:

This gallery examines the history of cultural appropriation and how modern-day influencers are still exploiting Black culture. Blake’s poem “The Little Black Boy” is an example of cultural appropriation. According to Research in African Literatures by Paul Edwards, Blake’s poem has similarities to Ukawsaw Gronniosaw’s autobiography. Gronniosaw (also known as James Albert) was an African man who immigrated to Britain after being freed from enslavement. His autobiography states, “My dear indulgent mother would bear more with me than any of my friends beside.--I often raised my hand to heaven, and asked her who lived there? was much dissatisfied when she told me the sun, moon and stars, being persuaded, in my own mind, that there must be some SUPERIOR POWER.----I was frequently lost in wonder at the works of the Creation: was afraid and uneasy and restless, but could not tell for what.” (U. Gronniosaw, 1725). The references to his mother and religion are similar to the experiences that Blake wrote about in his poem. Blake’s poem states, "My mother taught me underneath a tree // And sitting down before the heat of day. // She took me on her lap and kissed me, // And pointing to the east began to say. // Look on the rising sun! there God does live // And gives his light. and gives his heat away.” (W. Blake, 1789).

While some could argue that Blake’s poem makes readers aware of racism, the ending of the poem depicts the Black child coddling the European child in the afterlife. It also depicts the Black child’s desire to be white. This ending relates to the feelings that Gronniosaw shared in his autobiography. He indicates a sense of rejection by all creation because of his blackness. (P. Edwards, 1990). This is further evidence that Blake’s poem was influenced by Gronniosaw, but Blake never gave credit to him. In addition to this, Blake could have encouraged others to read Gronniosaw’s work instead of writing about the Black experience as a white man. 

While Blake’s work exemplifies cultural appropriation in writing, Louise Gluck commends the poem in her Nobel Prize speech. Gluck even praises the song “Old Folks at Home” by Stephen Foster despite the minstrel portraying blackface in the music video. Although many people consider cultural appropriation a thing of the past, many modern-day white celebrities exploit Black culture. This gallery shows the development of cultural appropriation.

Works Cited:

Edwards, Paul. “An African Literary Source for Blake’s ‘Little Black Boy’?” Research in African Literatures, vol. 21, no. 4, 1990, pp. 179–81, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3819341. Accessed 10 Apr. 2022.

“James Albert Ukawsaw Gronniosaw. A Narrative of the Most Remarkable Particulars in the Life of James Albert Ukawsaw Gronniosaw, an African Prince, as Related by Himself.” Documenting the American South, University of North Carolina, 1725, docsouth.unc.edu/neh/gronniosaw/gronnios.html.Poetry Foundation.

“The Little Black Boy by William Blake.” Poetry Foundation, 1789, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43671/the-little-black-boy.

Images in the series:

Fig. 1. “A Narrative of the Most Remarkable Particulars in the Life of James Albert Ukawsaw Gronniosaw, an African Prince.” Wikimedia, Dec. 2020, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_narrative_of_the_most_remarkable_particulars_in_the_life_of_James_Albert_Ukawsaw_Gronniosaw,_an_African_prince_(IA_59821725.4769.emory.edu).pdf

Ukawsaw Gronniosaw was an enslaved African man who wrote an autobiography that was published in Britain. His autobiography describes what it was like to migrate to Britain as a Black man. This illustration represents a scene from the 1811 edition of the book. The image depicts Gronniosaw (Albert) navigating his way through a grassy area with an instrument that his friend, Mr. Gurdney, bought for him. Some suggest that Gronniosaw’s autobiography inspired Blakes's poem, “The Little Black Boy.” In the image, the boy is under a tree. This connects to Blake’s second stanza, “My mother taught me underneath a tree. // And sitting down before the heat of day.” Beyond this, both pieces are centered around religion and depict the speaker’s desire to be white. Although there are strong correlations between the two writings, Blake never acknowledges the inspiration he most likely drew from Gronniosaw’s work. Furthermore, Blake is writing about the Black experience as a white man. Even if he did cite his inspiration, it was not his place to write about the Black experience when Black authors were already writing about their own experiences. 

Fig. 2. “William Cowper’s Poem ‘The Negro’s Complaint.’” The British Library Board, www.bl.uk/learning/images/makeanimpact/large9019.html. 

This version of William Cowper’s poem “The Negro’s Complaint” was intended for children to read. The illustrations are brightly colored and were created when members of the Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade encouraged artists to support their cause. The first and second illustrations represent the destruction that the Europeans did in Africa. This stanza is represented in the first illustration, “Hark! He answers!—Wild tornadoes, // Strewing yonder sea with wrecks, // Wasting towns, plantations, meadows, // Are the voice with which He speaks.” In the illustration, the African man is visibly distressed by the European ship. There are also lighting bolts hovering over the ship in the background, which further indicates the destruction that the Europeans are causing. Although Cowper’s poem is based on a historical aspect and doesn’t take credit for someone else’s life story, he is still a white man. It should also be noted that while Cowper should have encouraged others to read works already created by Black authors, his work is based on history, unlike Blake’s.

Fig. 3. “Al Jolson.” IMDb, https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0427231/mediaviewer/rm4185617920/ 

In 2020, Louise Glück gave her Nobel Prize speech where she praised the song “Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)” by Stephen Foster. She also mentioned her admiration for Blake’s poem, “The Little Black Boy.” While both of these works demonstrate cultural appropriation, the music video for “Old Folks at Home” includes a group of white people dressed in blackface. This image is a scene from the movie “Swanee River”. The movie was produced in 1939 by Sidney Lanfield, 88 years after the song was published. It depicts the life of Stephen Foster in a positive light. In the picture, Don Ameche is playing Stephen Foster as he gets ready for his musical backstage. In Gluck’s speech, she states, “I paced up and down the second bedroom in my grandmother’s house in Cedarhurst, a village on the south shore of Long Island, reciting, in my head as I preferred, not from my mouth, Blake’s unforgettable poem, and singing, also in my head, the haunting, desolate Swanee River.” Despite the harmful impact of these writings, Gluck, along with many others, still honors them. 

Fig. 4. Wood, Lucy. “Kim Kardashian Tries to Explain Why She Wore Cornrow Braids Again.” Marie Claire Magazine, 22 June 2018, www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/a21759329/kim-kardashian-fulani-braids-north-west.

In 2018, Kim Kardashian wore cornrows to the MTV Movie and TV Awards. While the media called her out for cultural appropriation, she continued to deny that her actions caused harm. During an interview, Kim used the incorrect term to describe the braids by calling them “Bo Derek braids.” She also never acknowledged the criticism she received from people in the Black community. This is an example of modern-day cultural appropriation. Aside from Kim, many other influencers are continuing to appropriate Black culture. Another example is the new wave of white TikTokers referring to their “laid edges” as “sticky bangs.” Just like Kim Kardashian, these influencers refuse to recognize the criticism they are receiving. While their means of appropriation isn’t as overt as Stephen Foster’s “Old Folks at Home,” these influencers are still exploiting Black culture.