The Columbusing of it All
Found Land
As far back as I can remember the false rhetoric of Columbus sailing the ocean blue was imbedded in my mind. The floral and checkered patterns of my memory goes back to my all white suburb in 1992 where my teacher attempted to teach us the song of fallacies , “In 1492 Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue”. The very precocious 7 year old me quickly raised my tiny hand and blurted out to her, “Columbus didn’t find America people were already here”. Frustrated, the sweat on my teachers tight lips glistened as she took my recess away. Instances like this always make me chuckle because the history I learned in school and that which I learned from my parents always rivaled like Cardi and Nicki stans. One thing was clear to me at a very young age: White folk claim to have discovered most things under the sun and if no one speaks up, nothing will change. In this same vein I was turned on to the word “Columbusing” a few years ago when a colleague of mine sent be a video by College humor called, Columbusing: Discovering things for White People. This hyperbolic comedic sketch highlighted the hilarious yet exhausting way in which many white people insert themselves into spaces and take claim over any and everything they come into contact with. From the colonization of Black and Brown countries to its stinging lasting effects on said communities, this trend of Columbusing seems to be ingrained in the DNA of many people.
Say What?
Scrolling through Instagram, much to my dismay, I saw a woman named Sarah Martanz who per Fashion Magazine has been dubbed the inventor of the “Nite Cap”, a $98 silk bonnet meant protect your hair and skin. Martanz allegedly got the idea for the nite cap when planning her wedding. Fashion Magazine went on to say, “To her delight, she noticed how much better her hair looked in the morning, her blowouts lasted longer and yes, her skin improved too”. Reading this article I blurted out a confused chuckle, “Girl what in the world”? Two things instantly came to my mind, “ Here yall go with this foolishness, you can purchase the same exact cap for like $2 at the beauty supply store.”, followed by a “So the writers at Fashion just do no type of ethical research”?
Side Eyes & Eye Rolls
After reading this article, like many of my Sistahs there was a collective eye roll felt round’ the world by those who had ever been called “ghetto” for wearing the bonnet that Martanz allegedly “invented”. Quick trips to the store in our satin bonnets have always garnered snide remarks and stares of disgust when seen on brown skin. This ancestral eye roll sums up how many Black womxn feel as the community has begun to address this very issue via fashion sporting shirts that decree: “Ghetto until proven fashionable”. In the age of social media Black Twitter has done an amazing job of calling out the columbusing of Black culture. They have made a point to drag a multitude of fashion magazines for praising families like the Kardashians for calling cornrows “boxer braids” and igniting a “new trend” that has been ingrained in cultures of color for centuries. The bottom line is that Black culture is and has always been one of trend setting and creating what is indeed fashionable. Unfortunately, what we know is fashionable only gets recognition when it is not on our Black bodies. Cultural appropriation is continually weaponized against the community, letting us know that we are the suppliers but not palatable enough to be recognized for our inherit creativity and all around genius. The monetizing of our culture is nothing new. While many of us feel pimped out to the masses, others are just exhausted when our creations are not only stolen but also repackaged for white consumption. To this date Mrs. Marantz has issued a lackluster apology stating that she “stands with those who were hurt” and that she is committed to “honouring the significance of hair wrapping”. This statement can only be interpreted to me as a “Sorry yall but I’m still gonna exploit your culture for these coins but my fault”. The disregard of African lineage tied to bonnets and hair care created by the community has still not even been acknowledged and quite frankly Mrs. Martanz that is the LEAST that you can do. This cap is the pinnacle of appropriation and willful ignorance. I’d suggest that rather than purchasing the $98 bonnet consumers go out and purchase designer bonnets by Black owned businesses such as 2NaturalGurlz, Peace Crown’d, Baddie Bonnets, Before Bed Headz and Sumo Bonnets. I leave columbusing folk with a word: You cannot invent something that already existed, just like Columbus couldn’t discover land that was already inhabited by the Indigenous Peoples.