All-White Steppers Win First Place: Black Community in Uproar

I am being honest when I say this, I think those girls are great but since I did not see the other performers, I can't say the deserved to win of course. 2nd. These girls are great and their routines are incredibly good BUT I personally think when most black not all but most black people when they step, it's a certain feeling, rhythm, attitude that they display while stepping which is missing from these girls step routine so therefore I'm not enjoying it as much. That's just me.

You have to give it up to them. If they are doing it like that and it was better than the others, APPLAUSE!

I don't know about the unfair treatment, because i didn't follow the before-the-show developments, but purely based on these videos, the Zetas were clearly the better steppers and fully deserved to be one place ahead of the Alphas.

I do understand, however, the uproar: after all, stepping is and stems from African American traditions, and it is kind of offenseive when someone else mimics it. But the white competitors are not to blame for making this commercial, the competition is. The moment something that has been a tradition is made into a competition all bets are off, and everyone has a fair chance to enter and win.

I think making it into a competition in the first place was the mistake, but that's long gone now.

White people are eventually going to find and rip off anything cool African Americans do or have or make. They likely won't won't understand or respect or celebrate it and a little something is lost.

.....is how generous the audience was to the Zeta Tau Alphas.  They could have sat there in shocked silence, but they knew and applauded a good performance when they saw one, the politics of the situation be damned. The audience gave them a chance, and celebrated their efforts.  How affirming is that?

That said, thank you all for the differing viewpoints on this subject.  One often hears the knee-jerk reactions that can be over-the-top and screamy without any real dialogue behind it. I don't always understand the underlying feelings behind the headlines, and this really helped me to see the real issues without the discussion devolving into name-calling.  Thank you!

After reading about the story of the white steppers, I had to chime in.  This is an excellent discussion and one that is very poignant.  I am a 40 year old white male and a retired USAF MSgt.

I really believe that the treatment that the white steppers got in winning the competition was wholefully unacceptable.  ANY negativity towards a group due to its race, creed or color in any competition in this United States is just downright wrong. 

   I do not accept the "white priveledge" argument as justification for hostility the black community has had towards this situation.  People are born in the skin they are born in without choice.  So protectionism in the name of culture is predjudicial and discriminatory no matter how you package it. 

  Let me ask this.  If the competition was won by a black group, would we be talking about this right now?  It seems that the true intent of the argument is being shielded by a Red Herring:  Corperate exploitation.  The idea of selling out of corperate interests is valid. However, this was done the instant that the competition accepted corperate sponsorship, well before a white group was even accepted in the competition.  I don't recall a huge problem with corperate sponsorship before this, unless some ethical issues were raised before this year.  Am I wrong?

   Stepping is not a traditional African dance form.  It is a  modern progressive manifestation of it.  I don't see too many white traditional African dance groups.  Have you?  So nothing is lost there as far as losing African heritage.  That is what I would consider a legitimate cultural form, such as the Pow Wow that was mentioned earlier.   Stepping, in my opinion, is a form of pop culture, packaged in a competitive form.  Pop culture is an ever changing art form and indeed, groups borrow from others.  How many rappers and hip-pop songs use sound samples from white groups?  I know my daughter listens to hip pop, and I'm pretty sure I heard The Police in at least one of those songs.  Is that cultural theft?  I didn't think so.  Flattery is more like it. 

  The idea that a group of white girls chose to compete in an African American event is proof enough that stepping is expanding.  But the black community is putting up a protectionist wall over the event.  Protectionism in our society cannot survive and is counterproductive.  For our society to continue to grow, walls have to be dropped.   You know, Shani Davis did an awesome job as a black speed skater.  If we continually attempt to bar people from crossing racial norms, we "short sheet" ourselves, other Shani Davis' out there will not have the opportunity to excell.  Eventually, the division between the races has to be dissolved, or we gain nothing.  My daughter is mixed, and you know, I wish we all were.  The race issue is getting old. 

  In the military, my supervisor was black and my commanding officer was black as well.  I had a lot of respect for them, as they earned their stripes/leaves by their actions and not by the color of their skin.  Until we find a common ground to work with, we are doomed to repeat our failures in the past.  The only way this will happen is by continually opening channels of communication.  If stepping is one of those channels, so be it.

Sorry for going on........

I shouldn't have written a response on an inflammatory issue so soon after reading all the comments -- I guess I was a little loose with my words! I didn't mean to offend anyone, but I am really invested in the topic, so it kind of is close to home. I'm a multiracial woman with multiracial children, and I don't want them growing up in a world of exclusion, whether it's white people from black culture, brown people from Asian culture, or green people from orange culture. Part of me is Samoan, and although the cultural heritage is very rich and still practiced in the native country, Samoans who come to the US are not always portrayed well. Many of them are seen as thugs, criminals, or "just football players," when the reality is that there's so much more. And although it stings to be pigeonholed by other people who don't understand what I'm all about, I just smile and explain that I'm none of the above.

For instance, dance is very important to the Samoan way of life, and it's a huge part of the culture. However, it's been misused by many who don't understand that Samoan siva (dancing) and Hawaiian hula are two completely different things, just to give one example of how the culture is distorted by people who aren't on the inside. But no one is ever excluded; in fact, when white people (or any non-Samoans, for that matter) do well in Samoan dancing competitions, as long as they respect the traditions involved, they are very much admired for trying to learn about a culture that's not theirs. If anything, I see it as a sign of high regard when someone is interested enough in my ethnicity to want to participate in it.

So I apologize for being inflammatory; I just get heated when something is important to me. I value the opinions of others, but I dislike even the thought of anyone being excluded based on race or ethnicity or disparaged because they are trying to assimilate into a culture that is so available to them, like the Zeta girls did with the step competition.

-Alexis contemplates life's greatest mysteries at www.depressionsandconfessions.com ( http://www.depressionsandconfessions.com )

To me, equality has always meant that we don't judge based on race or ethnicity. That people are allowed to be who they are. I don't really see the harm in this when culture and rules are respected. I'm glad to see it. And while I agree that MTV skews the picture, they do that with EVERYTHING. I just hate to see these young girls who worked hard chastised due to their race.

Kristin (KLZ)

This is not about being a victim and I think Black people have to take on some of the responsibility for what's happened to our culture. But stealing from someone is not the same as finding $1000 left unattended, and you can't blame people for not wanting to quantify everything that they do and create. This is also not about rolling over and dying when it comes to owning what is yours, as indicated by Alexis, this is about being steamrolled by an industry.

I think we also need to step lightly when we start calling someone else's opinion "ridiculous", I stand by what I said and I think this is a prime example of the fallout of racism in the United States. Any time a people with a history of oppression can't talk about the effects of racism because now everybody is equal and one the same page is a disservice to everyone. This isn't about a white sorority winning a step competition (for some of us), it's about a group of people creating something that is now made legitimate since it's been "discovered" by the majority.

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it sounds to me more like the frustration with the commercialization of this than white versus black. In reality, would it really have changed things had a black team won that was inferior to whatever the second place team was? I can't possibly judge a step competition, and both teams looked really good to me.

But really it seems here that the issue is that the competition was commercialized and the whole history of the tradition was stripped for money and fame. Yes, well, that is what happens when MTV and the like gets thrown into the mix - but since when did MTV and corporate america instantly get equated to white people? I mean, this is not white people doing this, its corporations doing this, and white or black - the "little people" hate it when the main stream takes on their traditions.

This really is not a black white thing to me.. not in the least bit. Its all about the commodity. The "white folks" aren't trying to steal a black tradition and call it their own - corporate america is trying to take something and capitalize on it. They do this everywhere.. Ask any small designer that had their idea taken by H&M and sold .. Whether it be a small individual working hard to create a physical item or an entire culture working hard to keep a tradition alive, corporate america WILL take it and capitalize on it if they can/

I think folks made great effort to state that they did not hate the winners of the event. A lot of what you said is opinion and I am not going to sway you one way or the other.

I am very big on getting the facts straight. There is no question that historically certain businesses and organizations took advantage of ethnic performers in the past who did not know or understand about contracts and rights. 

Actually race doesn't even have to come into the discussion. Many creative people have been shanked.

I don't want to do an essay on this. I've written more than I should have.

Let's distinguish the difference between a societal preference structure that in the past, in parts of the present and hopefully not in the future that insured that creativity or cultural practices in one community was transferred and re-cast into a commodity for the benefit of another community.

The music industry is the easiest example to demonstrate the practice.

What has happened at this event is a change. A change that people in time will accept and wonder what the fuss is about. Those of us that know what the fuss is about are stating it for the record.

This is what we know, this is how we feel. How else will you know if I do not tell you? It is a story. A part of my story.

If the story is only valid for you if certain condition are met so be it. 

Gena Haskett is a BlogHer CE. Blogs:Out On The Stoop ( http://outonthestoop.blogspot.com ) and Create Video Notebook ( http://createvideonotebook.blogspot.com )

I appreciated the post, although I didn't necessarily agree with everything you said. As has been stated previously, it's always good to open a discussion that has a lot of different sides. For the most part, I respect and appreciate the opinions of everyone who has posted comments. However, I really take issue with what Trenia said. For example:

"The other issue is Black folks will create something but are rarely at the helm of it. When white people create something not only do they run it but they own and control it, the same isn't true for us."

The time of playing the victim has come and gone. Although the playing fields in regards to schooling and business have not yet been leveled, there's no reason to roll over and die when it comes to owning what is yours. If you choose not to take credit for something you have created, it's a decision you've made and have to live with. It's not right to blame someone else (not to mention an entire race) for appropriating what you've made no claim upon. Be honest: if you came across $1000 lying on the ground and no one came forward to claim it, no matter how hard you tried to find the owner, you'd deposit it in your account in a heartbeat.

"One of my professors used to say that some people start out in life on 3rd base and they think they've hit a home run, that's what this feels like for me. So while I can appreciate the work the white sorority put into winning it's not like they were exactly starting from home plate."

No. This is totally ridiculous. These girls didn't start from third base, it's more like they started from the parking lot outside the baseball field. They probably had very little in the way of support from peers, even considering the impetus they had from the cash prize and encouragement from MTV. I don't see how their practices would have been any easier than anyone else's or their choreography was any less difficult to come by than the other teams. They put in the time, they put in the effort, and they were rewarded. That's as fair as it gets. Arguing that they had an advantage because they were white just doesn't make sense.

Here's my take on this story: It's not a story. Yes, it's a little weird that this all white team came in first when statistically, the odds were against them. But I don't think it's accurate or helpful to attribute the win to racism, historically biased judgment of blacks vs. whites, or anything of the sort. If step is a cultural legacy, do your best to preserve it: teach it to your children, make it an important part of life for the next generation. Don't blame other people for stealing it from you. Culture doesn't "belong" to anyone. It's in the heart, it's in the soul, it's in the mind, and it's not quantifiable.

All I can say is, if you hate that a white team won the step competition, make sure that next time, all the black teams are better, so much better that there's no arguing who should have been the winner. Then, if the white team wins anyway, you'll really have a story.

 alexis

 www.depressionsandconfessions.com ( http://www.depressionsandconfessions.com )

This is a fantastic post and discussion, especially for someone who is non-American.  I think growing up white/or whatever the majority is, it is hard to fully comprehend what a certain object, event, art form etc means to the originating culture.  In this case the stepping (amazing by the way, never seen it before) is not just an art form, it holds a wide range of meanings, emotions etc which differ among individuals.  It is multi-layered and in some respects I think hard to fully articulate what it means.  You cannot remove it from the historical or cultural arenas where it developed. 

Recently there was also the controvery regarding the Russian skaters and their characteture of the Australian Aborigine's culture.  I don't believe in this case this was a deliberate insensitive act, but the case of one group taking on an aspect of another group without understanding the significance of what they were doing.  Here in Australia there is a long history of struggle, racial deivide and the Aboriginal people working towards regaining their own culture, much too complex to go through in this forum.  What the Russians saw as a costume, represents aspects of spirituality and culture and a struggle to reclaim what was lost, that they could not fully comprehend (lets not get into the fact they added in rubbing noses, which is from a different cultrue, The Maoris of New Zealand).   I think this is very similar to the stepping issue. 

We all interpret the world through our own experience.  As a member of a dominant culture it is easy to forget the privilage that is inherant to simply being born into that group.  As much as I study and immerse myself into other cultures I cannot fully comprehend the social and emotional apects of being part of that group, no more than they can mine.  But being open to creating dialogue and attempting understanding is a great start.  Learning to appreciate differences in all their glory goes a long way to creating more harmony in the world.   This recent event with the stepping has opened an important dialogue.

I love that it can be discussed in this forum so intelligently and calmly without the hysteria often created by the media.  I love that this dialogue exists and that in itself shows a desire to understand which is half the battle.

There was a bagel shop (sold nothing but, with all the trimmings of lox, etc) in Bethlehem, PA that served up a daily quote from the New Testament, complete with love of Jesus.  That pissed me off.

Jane Gassner

By Jane

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I am reading with interest, as many of the blogs I follow on race have been discussing this all week.  I can certainly understand the feelings of cultural re-appropriation (and I feel like it's important again to point out that culture and skin color are not the same thing).  There is a long history of white culture ripping off black culture and then profitting from it (i.e. Motown), so it's touchy.  But at the same time, I was deeply saddened to see the booing after the girls won.  Especially because, from my understanding, they initially learned about stepping from another D9 fraternity in an event that was supposed to increase interracial relationships amongst Greek members.  So to see them embrace what they learned, excel at it, and then get their wrist slapped . . . was a bummer.

I thought Tami ( http://whattamisaid.blogspot.com/2010/03/zeta-tau-... )said it well here:

"I should point out, though appropriation of minority culture has different implications than assimilation into majority culture, black folks aren't the only ones who want to hold on to what we think of as ours. Consider the sturm und drang over people of color in sports--the begrudging way athletes like Venus, Serena and Tiger were greeted in their respective and historically white sports, the lamentations over perceived over-representation of Latinos in baseball. This wariness is the price we pay for living together. Nobody said this would be easy."

www.RAGEagainsttheMINIVAN.com ( http://www.RAGEagainsttheMINIVAN.com )

It was so interesting to read this post. Just the other day I saw a step show competition on MTV and an all female Latina sorority won. Now as a black woman who grew up with this stepping tradition I found it to be odd but something worth thinking about.

This is a very touchy issue for me because it forces me to confront my own issues about race/ethnicity and what it means in my own life. On the one hand I think everything should be open and nobody should be barred from participating in such events, but it also feels like a slap in the face at the same time. But I'm not sure who's to blame? I think historically Black Americans have used creativity as a means to survive and as a result we've just given away our creations for almost nothing. And when people take it, capitalize on it and make it mainstream we just come up with something else.  But what saddens me is that there is very little that is sacred in our community, it feels as though everything has a price tag and is up for sale to the highest bidder. And please don't compare the Black experience to the White experience in this country because there is no comparison. I've traveled across the globe and have lived abroad on a few continents and most cultures seem to have preserved some part of their culture or heritage, but we somehow have not.

One of my professors used to say that some people start out in life on 3rd base and they think they've hit a home run, that's what this feels like for me. So while I can appreciate the work the white sorority put into winning it's not like they were exactly starting from home plate. The other issue is Black folks will create something but are rarely at the helm of it. When white people create something not only do they run it but they own and control it, the same isn't true for us. I hardly ever listen to hip hop and I hate the way women are portrayed, but I have a certain level of respect for people like Russell Simmons, Jay-Z and Diddy who have managed to stay in control of their creation for the most part.

It's the 21st century and Black folks are still having "firsts", so with all due respect I'm really not interested in how bold and brave these white women had to be to enter a predominantely black stepping competition. Black folks aren't preventing white people from employment opportunities or having right livelihood, please let's put this conversation in perspective. 

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...in college when I attended WKU in the 90's (thank you for that link to the Sig Ep performance).  Stepping is amazing to watch, and I remember just being in awe of the AKAs, Kappas, and Omegas, and all the others who performed.  I had never seen anything like it, and tried to get to every show I could, when I heard about them.  I couldn't believe I'd never heard of or seen a step show before.  It wasn't until I'd been to a couple of shows that I realized the tradition and history behind stepping, and I began to appreciate it as more than a dance genre performed by the black Greek organizations on campus.  I really had no idea what I was about to see when I attended that first show.

I don't know that I have anything substantial to add to the conversation, but I've learned a lot about the different aspects of what happened in this competition, and the impact it has on stepping.

Not quite with you on this one and wrote my own rebuttal White Girls Win Step Show, Oh No They Didn't ( http://www.blogher.com/white-girls-win-step-show-n... ). The fact is the team was booed after the competition. Video pics up voices of people in the crowd making comments about a bunch of white people stepping. The Zetas have been competing for 15 years ( http://www.blogher.com/white-girls-win-step-show-n... ) at the University of Arkansas where they were invited by Alpha Kappa Alpha to participate in their step show.

I think it's a little offensive to say it's the "beginning of the end to a black tradition" and that white faces in step is just another way, "Black folks have a long witnessed their cultural traditions and innovations discredited and invalidated only until taken and repackaged by white America." Really, Gina? That sounds an awful lot like what white folks say when black folks move into "their" neighborhoods, "Here they come, this is the end, let's get out of here."

Let's face it. Stepping is mainstream. College students do it for competition, to get money, to raise money, high school students form teams as well and many teams are multicultural. I know it’s strange to see white faces at a dance competition traditionally dominated by black sororities and fraternities. But barring the girls from competing and booing them afterwards? Really. Is this the ‘Change’ we all voted for? The Zetas had the cojones to show up at a competition that they were not welcomed at and won. Scoring discrepancy aside, the judges thought they had the stuff. And, yes, some white people can dance. Why don’t others show a little fraternal spirit and give the Zetas their due?

We must all continue to have faith that the best is yet to come!

Ms. Carroll,

I read through most of the posted blogs and I also viewed a small portion of both videos.   I was pleased to find a blog site where the discussions are interesting and relevant.  However, since I am a new subscriber to this website and my profile is not complete, before I begin, please permit me to introduce myself.  I am a professional black woman, the wife of 23+ years to a handsome professional black man, and a proud mom of two teens that I am very proud of - a sophomore in college (my alma mater), and one headed to college this fall.

When I was in college - (early to mid-eighties), I went to one Greek step show.  At that show, I saw young black people in one fraternity or sorority criticizing and disrespecting other young black people in another fraternity or sorority, all while "stepping".  When they were not dancing, frat brothers and soror sisters were not allowed to mingle with others outside of their organizations. Since I felt that we should all get along, and that we as young black people should be "lifting each other up, not tearing each other down", I never attended another step show.  Perhaps I should have; it may have been different at another school or at another event.  I truly hope that it was, and is, different.

Much of "our" music (jazz, blues, R&B, rap, etc.) has become mainstream; but I do not think that some of the rap music recorded should make it out of the recording studio.  It is offensive and derogatory to women. Some of "our" clothes have become more mainstream; but I do not think that society should have let the prisons (baggy clothes) or the streets (underwear showing that should not be) so heavily influence any of us.  It is inappropriate to show your underwear, whether it is a bra strap or boxer shorts. 

A question to the black community is this: "If it is really a good thing, then is it not okay to share"? 

"Our" heritage is rooted in so many diverse cultures -  black, white, Asian, Native American, Hispanic, et cetera.   This country, the United States of America, is made up of many whose parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents were either Native Americans, immigrants, or former slaves (or some combination thereof), and all of us have something positive and beneficial to contribute. "We" can be proud when we are imitated, knowing fully that it is a "form of flattery", just as long as it is something that beneficial. We have not "lost" anything and nothing has been "stolen"; we have made a contribution.

If the young white steppers won "fair and square", then there is no need for anyone to be upset.  If there was cheating or favoritism involved, then there is a need for everyone to be upset.  

(By the way, I don't drink soft drinks with high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners, or watch unreal "reality shows". Neither are good for any of us.)

Will you please provide updates to this story, when available? Thank you!

Just as Gina and other commenters have educated us on the history and cultural importance of step, you've just taught me the name of what Native Americans wear during a POW WOW.  And I'm guessing that should be written in all caps, as you just did -- something else I did not know.

Until these things are taught in school, we have to learn from each other. Thank you for educating us about the Cherokees. More needs to be shared in this way.

Rita Arens writes at Surrender Dorothy ( http://surrenderdorothy.typepad.com ) and BlogHer and is the editor of Sleep is for the Weak ( http://tinyurl.com/9pg62e ). She is BlogHer's assignment and syndication editor.

I think this is what I was, clumsily, trying to say.  It's CONTRIBUTING to the benefit of all.  That's what I meant.

However, if the results of a competition are unfair due to preferential treatment of one group, or the connectivity the judges have with one group, then I can see where that could easily cause some very legitimate hurt feelings and anger.

A group - any group, in my estimation - would not want to contribute to the greater whole only to have institutional predjudice and misunderstanding of their contribution then work against them.

But again... once the cat is out of the bag (for lack of a better phrase), it will tend to take on a life of its own.

JustLinda

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We are in a changing world. One of these changes is seen in a white group being the minority in a competition, and more importantly in a competition that is historically black. This is a testament to the value that black culture adds to our society, and I believe should be taken as a compliment. It remains my hope that we will one day live in a world where race and culture is the beautiful garden in our yard, and not the fence that keeps us out. For me, this dream starts with my children, and teaching them that we must respect and value all beliefs and traditions, races and cultures, as well as religions. 

As someone who has always admired the art form of step, I am happy to see that is being recognized, and I admire all the groups that put the effort in, to master and showcase this art.

Welcome DiamondLady and thank you for your comment!

You share very valid points all the way down to HFCS and reality shows (these two issues I blog about incessantly on my teen and black parenting sites!) The discussion about what we Black folks should be doing among and for ourselves is a whole other conversation I'd love to have some time... only NOT with Bill Cosby ( http://jerrybrice.wordpress.com/2010/02/26/p-r-fai... )! LOL! 
( http://www.proactiveblackparenting.blogspot.com/ )

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Gina,

Most interesting blog and relies. While this is a blog for women, a major nerve was hit about POW WOW's.
I currently work for a regional state university based in Tahlequah Oklahoma. Tahlequah is the capital of the Cherokee nation. Being a Yankee I have been invited to several POW WOWs and if you ever called what they wear a costume you just greatly insulted everyone. It is called regalia.

Second, these events that the "public" can see are anything but religious. POW WOWs are considered a social event. The spiritual components are held prior to the public events.

It seems to me that almost all that was said was negated on the grounds that the readership and comments did the same thing toward the native American community as you were complaining about stepping and cooking.

Dr_Jeff

PS -- OOPs, guess all my comments are also negated since this was a guy posting this comment!!! :-)

Wow!

I'm learning a lot.  I'm so glad I clicked over to this post.   Thanks everyone.

Adela

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I'm not advocating a complete flip. I'm advocating for whites to really understand that -- despite how you or I might have lived our lives -- it hasn't been fair. It gets more fair with every passing year, but we *can't* pretend whites winning a step contest is the same as the first black president. Accepting that the world is tipped in whites' favor is not the same as saying you personally did something wrong. It's like realizing America invaded Iraq with no evidence of weapons of mass destruction. We were taught the wrong lessons. There's still time to pull back. But it doesn't mean it didn't happen.

Rita Arens writes at Surrender Dorothy ( http://surrenderdorothy.typepad.com ) and BlogHer and is the editor of Sleep is for the Weak ( http://tinyurl.com/9pg62e ). She is BlogHer's assignment and syndication editor.

I saw this post this morning and waited all day so I could sit and really read it without my kids interrupting. It was well worth the wait. Thank you for the post and all the comments. It was all wonderfully enlightening and thought provoking. And I so appreciate that it could be talked about like grown-ups. :)

Okay, I know that I have said enough already. But Torturedmom, I sincerely wish the world was truly parallel like you have described, where we can compare breaking the barrier to a traditionally Black tradition the same as to a White one. This is an area where privelege really blinds us. 

It's absolutely true that you cannot keep a group from participating because of their race, even when the existence of the activity is in response to historical segregation and exclusion. You can't because the world cannot improve that way, because two wrongs don't make a right. We can't cry about exclusion and then exclude. BUT we all have to acknowledge that many of us celebrate when the breaking of a barrier into White society happens because that exclusion is a result of centuries of deliberate and institutional oppression. When you cry foul for reverse racism don't forget practically everything connected to the American Dream is considered a "traditionally Causasian competition" and  that for centuries the laws and norms of this country kept minority people out of participating in many of the things the majority takes for granted. We've come a long way, big time. But we've still got a long way to go before we can declare all things equal.

As Megan said, we all have to have faith that if we do the right thing and expect the right outcome, these realities will continue to get better. They have and they will. But we have to look at them squarely and honestly; call ourselves to task and adjust accordingly.

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That's the problem.  You're not advocating for change and acceptance, you're advocating for a different hierarchy, one that's not white.  I would like to see a balance, and you can't have balance if you are always saying, "Let me in, let me be in charge, go sit in the corner and don't even think of participating."  Sadly, that is what's happened in the past, but as a wise man once said, "If you don't learn from history, you are doomed to repeat it."  Segregation regardless of the label applied is never going to garner acceptance.

I used to be confused about that, too, but look around. America celebrates whiteness, from its corporate senior leadership to its Hollywood starlets. You can't pretend most television shows and magazine covers don't feature primarily white faces. You can't pretend the nightly news isn't -- for the most part -- delivered by white talking heads. You can't not see that Congress is mostly white. Saying what you said (and I mean you no offense) is like ignoring the first female president of the United States -- when we have one, it will be something to be celebrated, because it's never happened before.

When it comes to positions of power, the people in power can't really complain about being knocked off for a change. It's not right for ANY group -- black, white, brown, yellow, men, women -- to always be in charge. White people have been in charge for a really, really long time. Think hard about how you would feel if Obama had brought in an all-black cabinet because he felt more "comfortable" with them, and then you will be closer to understanding how completely skewed our current America really is, whether we realize it on a conscious level or not.

It doesn't mean white people are bad, but it does mean we white people need to acknowledge that the current world is tipped in our favor. We need to be open to giving someone else a chance to set the cultural temperature after the last few hundred years without claiming it for ourselves. I recently read The Kite Runner and was shocked that the Ford Mustang was popular in India back in the day because of spaghetti Westerns. I didn't realize how deep the white American river ran throughout the globe.

Easing off on defensiveness runs contrary to evolution -- people want to dominate, to be alpha, and it's not morally wrong, it's the way we are wired instinctually, just as we are instinctively wired to shiver when it's cold -- but our thinking brains need to override the stem and realize there is room here for everyone based on merit, not on skin color. The way our culture is set up is not conducive to understanding what is really going on.

I suspect as we whites continue to become less of a majority in this country we'll understand better. It may not happen in our lifetimes, but it will in our childrens'.

Rita Arens writes at Surrender Dorothy ( http://surrenderdorothy.typepad.com ) and BlogHer and is the editor of Sleep is for the Weak ( http://tinyurl.com/9pg62e ). She is BlogHer's assignment and syndication editor.

Taking a deep breath as I removed some of the logs in my eyes. There is a cultural aspect of being African American. It has nothing to do with skin color. It does have to with respecting a rich, proud history. There are markers and traditions that we have from our experiences that evolved.

The Greek stepping tradition is an acknowledgment of the past, of the connection with  Africa and the ancestors. It is an acknowledgment of where a person stands today on campus. Standing where our ancestors were legally prohibited from obtaining an education and stepping into a larger world. 

Not victimization. Celebration.

It is not just a series of dance steps.  It isn't just a performance to out-dance the other team and win $$$$. Well, it wasn't until recently.

I know that it is impossible to suppress creativity and inspiration. The spark travels from person to person and heart to heart. Not skin tone to skin tone.

What makes me sad is that elements, positive elements of our culture often gets commoditize and sold for mass consumption.  The connection is lost between the originators and the imitators.

That is why a few of us are grieving and feeling strongly about this situation. It is not about white people winning a dance contest. It is about losing a piece of ourselves.

Gena Haskett is a BlogHer CE. Blogs:Out On The Stoop ( http://outonthestoop.blogspot.com ) and Create Video Notebook ( http://createvideonotebook.blogspot.com )

I understand what you're saying to a certain degree, but everything in America that has been deemed valuable by cultural critics over the course of history is a "Caucasian" competition and therein lies the problem.

Others have written excellent pieces on the topic of White Privilege, such as this one by Peggy McIntosh. I kindly recommend it to you. It is a PDF ( http://www.case.edu/president/aaction/UnpackingThe... ).

Nordette Adams ( http://www.bookotopia.com ) is a BlogHer CE ( http://www.blogher.com/haystackprofile/viewprofile... ) & you can find her other stuff through Her 411 ( http://her411.com ).

I find it a little ironic that when caucasions step into a world that is culturally not their own, it is that culture that rebuffs them, and declares that they don't belong, they are ruining it, etc.  However, that same culture will also scream about segregation and not being included.  It's difficult to have it both ways.  You can't really selectively share, because then it's not sharing at all.

On the flip side, had this been a traditionally caucasion competition, and an African American, Chinese, Native American, etc. group entered and won, there would have been huge celebrations about breaking that barrier, and how awesome it was to have come so far to win.  Why should the reverse be any different.  If I were that second place team I would be thoroughly embarrassed to accept the "tie" for first place as an afterthought due to community uproar. They (meaning all the competitors) opened themselves up to the world, agreed to compete, and agreed to the rules of the competion, until a caucasian team won.  Then and only then, was there an uproar about the "white" team, and whether or not they should have won.  The whole thing smacks of poor sportsmanship. What happened to the days when you graciously accepted your loss, shook the hands of your opponent, congratulated them on their win, and moved on?  What are we teaching our young people?  Are we the perpetuators keeping racism alive in the name of tradition, culture, and history? 

Aaaand the people said, Amen! 
( http://www.proactiveblackparenting.blogspot.com/ )

Gina, thank you for expressing this so eloquently!

I'm of the opinion that you can't say to a group, you can't compete in this competition because you're white.  That would be ridiculous.  That's what was and sometimes is, done to us.

And of course some black people, understanding the history of the music industry as an example, would be resentful and suspicious of what might come of a white group winning a step competition.

Having said that, black people are going to have to accept that the world is different than when black music was universally being stolen by white artists.  That doesn't mean the world is perfect, that doesn't mean that theft like that still doesn't happen, but you know what, sooner or later you have to trust that the world will become a better place and be a part of making that happen.

While still maintaining your pride and proudly proclaiming your culture.

Megan

TV/Online Video Contributing Editor ( http://www.blogher.com/blog/megan-smith )

Megan's Minute ( http://www.megansminute.com/ )

Meg's Rad Reviews ( http://www.megsradreviews.com )

I saw stepping for the first time when I was an 18 year old college freshman in New Mexico.  Having grown up in a primarily white community I had never in my life seen anything like it and I was absolutely amazed.  I could also see this was a cultural thing as much as a dance thing.  There was one white girl in the sorority show I saw and it confused me that she was even there but here friends were primarily black so whatever.

I think you explained the dilemma very well and it is more than culture and race.  It is about how anytime anything special becomes mainstream, it tends to be watered down, homogenized, and made pretty.  When I watched the white girls, that is what I thought.  It was too pretty, too smooth.  There was none of the rawness that I remember from those many years ago. Impressive, but not authentic.

I agree that the cat is out of the bag and there is no going back.  But I hope (although I'm afraid it won't happen) that the rawness and authenticity of these perfomances is seen and appreciated for what it is by the mainstream because it really is something quite special.

OOOhhh! The Pow Wow, the Pow Wow! Great example!

I'm gonna be honest here. No step show can't touch a Pow Wow! This tradition goes far back and encompasses the entire Native American community. A step show is not sacred by any stretch. But in a way, a step show is very similar. Different groups come together for fellowship and cultural exchange, just as tribes do at Pow Wows. 

My college's mascot used to be The Indians. And as offensive as that was, something beautiful came out of it---the Pow Wow! By the time I landed on campus, the mascot had been changed. But still every year, several tribes came together to put on the most amazing Pow Wow. It was huge, the costumes were breath taking and the dances were awe-inspiring. It was one of the most incredible cultural immersion experiences I have ever had! Yeah! We gotta leave the Pow Wow just the way it is!
( http://www.proactiveblackparenting.blogspot.com/ )

I was raised next to (or on) a Native American reservation. In my elementary and middle schools we had a Pow Wow each year and I got to see my friends dance. I loved watching these dances and know that they have a lot of special meaning to those who perform them. While sometimes I wanted to learn how to do those amazing dances (probably more so I could wear those awesome dresses!) I knew it was a special/sacred custom to the Native Americans.

I could see the same uproar if in my high school a caucasion (which I am) would have won the title of "Miss ___ Tribe" (Of course that would not have happened since they would have had to be a member of the tribe.

CrystalsCozyKitchen

http://crystalscozykitchen.blogspot.com

That makes a lot of sense.  I knew I was missing pieces and your post helped me to fill those in.  The bits of your last comment that really resonated to help me understand better were:

"having more resources and societal influence"

and

"Now, Ellen is scared. Why are those Black men so angry? Then the ZTA's come out and they are precise and their chants are understandable to her."

I can see it from a different perspective when I consider those things. 

JustLinda

 fabulously imperfect Nothing to See Here... Just Linda ( http://justlinda.net )

Twitter @JustLindaSTL ( http://twitter.com/JustLindaSTL )

Good Heavens! I step away from my computer for a few brief moments and look what happens! :-)

Okay, Dawn, let's take your cooks in the kitchen analogy. (I think it's funny that we can all see this in kitchen logic terms!) I think you are largely right, Rita! In my perfect world, we would have multiple cooks in the kitchen, learning from each other and creating both old and new delectable things. They would share duties and the resulting cookbook would have all of their names on the cover, with all royalties going to everyone involved. Beautiful.

What has historically happened with regard to cultural theft is this-- one cook is in the kitchen. Another cook discovers delicious things going on in there and sees the value in it. But instead of collaborating and creating side-by-side, said second cook, having more resources and societal influence than said first cook, takes first cook's recipes verbatim, kicks first cook out of the kitchen, and makes a successful meal and cookbook with his own picture and name on the cover. He makes a fortune on this book as his own.  Pat Boone did not just share in the creations brought forth by Little Richard, he stole them. He marketed them as his own and he made money on them without funneling anything back to the original creator.  What's worse-- he was able to do this because the radio stations that played his music refused to play Little Richard's songs in an effort to protect it's listeners from that savage music.

So let's project the step thing forward five years from now, hypothetically. MTV decides to produce a weekly step competition a la America's Best Dance Crew. They choose judges, based on their celebrity and their ability to deliver clever one-liners (let's say, Ellen Degenere. I love her). Black groups show up thinking that this is a traditional step show, meaning that they will showcase their group's traditional moves and messages in a unique fashion. The AKA's prance out in their traditional business suits and start their routine out with their classic "this is a serious matter." Ellen has no earthly idea what the hell they are talking about. The Omega's come out with their trademark exaggerated grimaces on their faces. Now, Ellen is scared. Why are those Black men so angry? Then the ZTA's come out and they are precise and their chants are understandable to her. And they win a million dollars and a chance to star in their very own show, How to Be a Step Star. How the hell did this happen, the black sororities are wondering. Why do we now have to change our own creation in order to get validation and in order to win the big money? The fact is, we often do. I don't think it's unreasonable to express frustration, anger and exasperation about it. By the way, this is hypothetical scenario and not intended to imply that anything like it has occurred, and not intended to reflect negatively at all on Ellen, who, as I say, I love. 

I am not an angry Black woman! Really, I am not.  I, too, endeavor to look past race to get to know someone. I, too, seek other explanations for situations before I "pull the race card." But when I see history repeating itself, even at the risk of being perceived as Peter calling out "WOLF" yet again, I'm going to call it as I see it.  The racial component that is unavoidable here is how the media has consistently decided what is acceptable and desirable in racial terms and we ALL accept their assessments and perpetuate them.

Jeez, I've just written a whole other post! Sorry!

( http://www.proactiveblackparenting.blogspot.com/ )

Think Act: Proactive Black Parenting ( http://www.proactiveblackparenting.blogspot.com )   and   Tortured By Teenagers ( http://momhouston.com/torturedbyteenagers )

I think that's my point.  Anytime we put anything out in the world, then it becomes almost the property of the world - we can no longer CONTROL it.  People copy it, change it.

Your recipe example is good - I happen to use the recipe site AllRecipes.  It happens all the time where someone puts a beloved recipe out there and 100 people comment to say "It was ALMOST perfect, but I added cinnamon and doubled the pork butt and put half as many beans and NOW it's perfect!  Go, me!" 

I can see where the original person would be all "But it WAS perfect and I shared a specific thing that was important to ME and you people all went and changed it!"  I have a recipe I got from there that is my "specialty" - everyone says Linda's Baked Ziti.  It's not mine, I didn't invent it.  I discovered something awesome and put it forth with my own spin.  Go, me!

There are tons of artists who come out with a unique voice, a clever manuever, a distinct style - and before long, there are many copying it.  When you put something out into the world, that's what is going to happen.

In this story, there just happens to be a skin color component and a tradition and those things are very important too.  I think they complicate our thinking on it, but when you take that out (if it can be taken out), then the issue is more universal.

Irish Clogging has gotten REALLY popular since Riverdance lit on fire.  I'm guessing there are tons of cloggers who don't have a drop of Irish blood in their bodies.  I wonder if there is an emotional reaction to that by those who hold the Irish traditional dance dear because it means something in their heritage.  (That's not rhetorical - I really wonder.)

JustLinda

 fabulously imperfect Nothing to See Here... Just Linda ( http://justlinda.net )

Twitter @JustLindaSTL ( http://twitter.com/JustLindaSTL )

While this hasn't totally happened with stepping yet, I think the fear is this:

Let's say your grandmother had an awesome bran muffin recipe. She was known for three counties for her amazing bran muffins. Everyone in your town, hell, your STATE, knew she was at one with these bran muffins. However, your grandmother didn't have a publicist.

One day, at the church social, in walks Emeril. He staggers before the coolness of your grandmother's bran muffins. He begs her for the recipe. He makes them on his show. He doesn't really mention your grandmother.

Suddenly, bran muffin fever sweeps the country. Bran muffins with Emeril's face on them are on The View. They're everywhere. You receive an e-mail from Oprah talking about how cool bran muffins are.

Your grandmother feels robbed. She started making those bran muffins when they were something she shared with her family. Sure, she liked the praise at the church suppers, but this ... this is different. And the world sees bran muffins as Emeril's now.

I *think* that is what this is about.

Rita Arens writes at Surrender Dorothy ( http://surrenderdorothy.typepad.com ) and BlogHer and is the editor of Sleep is for the Weak ( http://tinyurl.com/9pg62e ). She is BlogHer's assignment and syndication editor.

Too tired to go into reasons why I don't care who won, black or white, and too, too tired to explain why people had a knee-jerk response to the win from my perspective, but ... Thanks for taking this on, Gina. You've done well.

Nordette Adams ( http://www.bookotopia.com ) is a BlogHer CE ( http://www.blogher.com/haystackprofile/viewprofile... ) & you can find her other stuff through Her 411 ( http://her411.com ).

While it's understandable, to think that this will open the floodgates for non-blacks to infiltrate what is almost sacred amongst black people, especially black college students, especially here in the South, I really don't see what the problem is.

Where I'm from, stepping is pretty much known to be a 'black thing'  and there's little interest in it from most outside of the race. It's already pretty widely known (I'm thinking of the film from a few years ago, Stomp The Yard, which was a pretty big hit) and really, who cares if white people do it?

If you're good at something, your race shouldn't matter. To me. I know that's not the one and only point of your post Gina, I'm just choosing to have tunnel vision here. :)

Also - Justin Timberlake does R&B better than many R&B singers do R&B, haha.

- Maria Young

immoralmatriarch.com ( http://immoralmatriarch.com )@maria0305
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Dawn A.K.A. Whineaux www.whineaux.com ( http://www.whineaux.com )

I live my life under the notion that race shouldn't be the first thing you notice about a person, nor should it be how you judge them.  I have my judgements and bias, but I reserve them for people's behavior.  My biggest concerns with new people are, do I feel welcome around them, their family and thier culture.

For years our country has struggled with racism.  The very things that your article seems to deem dangerous -  the whitening of traditionally black performance art; are a beacon of hope to me.  Maybe if white kids have a healthy interest in the same activities black kids are pursuing -- they'll collaborate as artists, athletes, scholors. Every collaboration changes the essence of it's focus.   2 cooks in the kitchen produce a very different meal than if only one of them had prepared it -- but they work together as cooks, not as members of a race, religion, sorrority etc.  Just as cooks.

Certainly MTV influenced the competition with their editing, name a reality show where the "contestant-characters" weren't editited to fill tne needs of the media company.  Their job is to sell ads, our job is to accept everyone and stop worrying if white people are "infilterating" traditionaly black arts or if black athletes are infilterating NASCAR and Golf.

It feels a little trepidacious to comment on this, as a caucasion, because I'm quite sure I couldn't possibly understand it from the perspective of some of those who hold this dear. 

Clearly, I can tell from your article that this art form is special and has meaning.  I see that.  I get that.

However, is the root issue here anything to do with skin color, really?  This is where I'm unsure and ignorant.  It seems to me that anytime someone - an individual or a group - has something cool to share, there is the danger (and sometimes even the hope!) that it will be appreciated by many for all its coolness and it will, perhaps, catch on.

Even some of the examples in your article - music, sports, dance, science.  If something catches on and is shared beyond the group of its origin, isn't that just a form of flattery? 

And yet how can a group (any group) keep something for themselves and also share it with the world?  Because it seems once it's shared with the world it will take on a life of its own and change and morph, thus perhaps leaving behind its origins and its invetors/developers.  This seems a universal truth, though... things change and morph and grow and spread in popularity and go in and out of style and and and. 

It seems almost paradoxical, and people are confused about when things should be inclusive and when things shouldn't.  I can't offer an intelligent opinion on whether the white team should have been allowed to compete or should have won or whatever.

But I watched the video and thought "Damn, that is SO cool." and therefore I can see how it would catch on more broadly.  Cool things always do, and we're all trying to promote inclusion and equality and all that so it seems the lines are blurring.  I tend to find that a good thing, a great thing, but the loss of tradition or a-thing-of-our-own seems to be the casualty of it.

Food for though... I'm interested in following the discussion.

JustLinda

 fabulously imperfect Nothing to See Here... Just Linda ( http://justlinda.net )

Twitter @JustLindaSTL ( http://twitter.com/JustLindaSTL )

Oh, God, Gwen! I cannot spend a single moment in thought about Semenya without getting emotional, truly. If this is not the heartbreaking embodiment of the risks of putting oneself out there, what is? Only, she did not choose the notoriety nor the utter invasion of her privacy, medical and otherwise!

I have this discussion with my kids all of the time. Everything, everything comes at a price. We like to ignore the cost of fame, even of a little media attention. But the costs are very real and rarely small. This step show experience was a little Media 101 lesson for all involved. That's what college is for though, right? Learning how the world works, even the broken parts.

( http://www.proactiveblackparenting.blogspot.com/ )

Think Act: Proactive Black Parenting ( http://www.blogher.com/http;//WWW.proactiveblackpa... )   and    Tortured By Teenagers ( http://momhouston.com/torturedbyteenagers )

Gina, thank you for the post. Took some time and watched the videos. Am thinking on the parallels to Semenya ( http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/19... ). No conclusions besides the ones you're coming to here: that Hollywood/big media/press can be utterly destructive. Not just to a culture, but to an individual, as well. And yet we're inexplicably pulled to wonder what it would be like to live the "Hollywood lifestyle" and become overnight Internet superstars.

Modern day conundrum.

-- http://gwenbell.com