ARTSPEAK RADIO with Johnson, Salazar, Marron, & Wilks

Wednesday March 28, noon to 1pm CST KKFI 90.1fm Kansas City Community Radio On this special program, host/producer Maria Vasquez Boyd invited guests Michelle Tyrene Johnson, MG Salazar, Rodolfo Marron III, and Ryan Wilks to share their insight and opinions about cultural appropriation in the arts. Wikipedia defines cultural appropriation, cultural misappropriations, as a concept in sociology dealing with the adoption of the elements of a minority culture by members of the dominant culture. It is distinguished from equal cultural exchange due to the prescience of a colonial element and imbalance of power. Cultural (mis)appropriation is often portrayed as harmful in contemporary cultures, and is claimed to be a violation of the collective intellectual property rights of the originating, minority cultures, notably indigenous cultures and those living under colonial rule. Often unavoidable when multiple cultures come together, cultural exchange, as well as misappropriations, can include using other cultures’ cultural and religious tradition, fashion, symbols, language, and songs. Often the original meaning of these cultural elements is lost or distorted and such displays are often viewed as disrespectful or even as a form of desecration, by members of the originating culture. Cultural elements which may have deep meaning to the original…