Cultural appropriation or appreciation? Zulu parade in New Orleans sparks diaspora wars

by Nomonde Simelane

It appears that diaspora wars are in full effect after African Americans from New Orleans have been left explaining and defending the reasoning behind their annual ‘African Zulu’ parade that has offended South Africans and the African continent at large.

With the advancement of technology and social media, ‘diaspora wars’ have become a lot more common as some black cultural practices across the world have been exposed to have problematic roots and history. This has caused tensions and friction between certain groups, as many tend to have passionate opinions as far as their culture and history are concerned.

The annual Krewe of Zulu parade that takes place in New Orleans is a mere example of a cultural practice that has caused some diaspora wars on social media. Although the black community in New Orleans has attempted to explain the history of the parade, with them citing the fact that it was created to pay homage to African culture during slavery, South Africans have voiced immense anger at the thought of the parade. They deem it a problematic and inaccurate caricature portrayal of the Zulu culture.

It appears that both sides are standing firm on their stance and want to protect and preserve the history of their cultures. The African Americans have explained that the name of the parade was named after a play that was shown to slaves but has nothing to do with the actual Zulu culture. Furthermore, they give insight to the history of the parade as a whole, from its inception and what inspired it, all the way to the meaning behind the costumes, songs and the practices performed during the event.

However, the opposing side has highlighted how damaging and problematic it is to name the parade after an existing South African nation that comprises approximately 10-11 million people. Furthermore, they highlight how giving the parade such a name while not accurately portraying the culture is a form of erasure, and using blackface and other costumes qualifies as racism.

Social media users have called African Americans out for their constant disregard of African culture in particular. According to these users, the ignorance Americans display has been left unchecked for too long and needs to be put to a stop.


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