lol there's so much in this as well though. Is the Smithsonian a union shop? Because that also closes a lot of doors too.
I don't know about museums to be able to speak more than just generalizations unfortunately.
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A white woman was placed on a curation team at the AA Smithsonian museum
- Thread starter RastaMentality
- Start date
- Status
I don't know about museums to be able to speak more than just generalizations unfortunately.
I can understand the sensitivity. It does seem like she had been working on this for a long time and probably has some credibility on the project. It's a tough case and as a white guy I'm inclined to listen to the voices of those with more of a vested interest. If I worked on something for years and had it taken away because of race or cultural reasons I would feel some resentment but she must understand the various forces at play. She seems qualified but I don't think that's the only thing that matters in this specific case. as I said, tough one.
This is all too often true in the musem/library world. Huge academic requirements and shit pay is really effective at making people not want to work there.
I don't know how the museum advertised and interviewed for this role but this is such a stupid argument.
Just because you are part of 'group x' doesn't mean you inherently know more about context, culture and historical placement of said group/topic.
Sure, you don't have the same (or first hand) experience of being part of that group, but experience isn't knowledge.
I'd like to think someone who has studied a topic to a phd level or beyond would have more knowledge of historical context and precedent than someone uneducated in 'group x'...
You could argue that minority groups (be they black, lgbtq+, Hispanic or whatever) aren't getting the chance to do that level of education and I think that's valid and the real argument.
We need to focus on real injustices and systematic failures, not silly sideshows like this.
Vanilla Ice's 2019 Exhibit featuring:
Macklemore
Snow
Eminem
El-P
House of Pain
Beastie Boys
MGK
I don't know what you know about hip hop culture (I'm an expert) but...
https://nmaahc.si.edu/about/leadership
The director, advisory, and guiding council is predominantly black. If they are cool with it, I'm inclined to say she's supremely qualified.
OP
OP
If I studied and immersed myself with Asian American culture my entire life, I sure the fuck would step aside to not lead a museum exhibit. This has to do with selflessness beyond just being qualified.
His argument IS that minority people aren't getting the chance. LGBT people don't get chances when straight people play them or decide to curate their museum exhibits. that's the point.
/ threadmaybe she will do a good job?
Lol. There is no fitting gif
White people cannot be experts on black cultural EXPERIENCES. Fuck history, you can open a book and read history. She cannot speak to cultural experiences with authority over a black person with similar credentials.
.
Also like some have said, who applied, who did they reach out to.
Her resume is impressive... She already have Smithsonian experience.
Knowing it's a govt position, it could have been internal only.
It's alot of variables to just jump to oh hell naw.
I wish I could write that I am surprised about the amount of "well, if she is qualified.." responses in this thread.
Anyway, this is just your daily reminder that systemic racism is ingrained in just about every aspect of society.
Anyway, this is just your daily reminder that systemic racism is ingrained in just about every aspect of society.
What a weird post.
Should we shut the forum down and stick to private messaging only lest someone reply to something that wasn't specifically addressed to them?
This woman is the reason why hip hop was taken in count at the Smithsonian. Yet she's not qualified for this position because of her skin color.
I'm curious what will happen in the future. In 300 years black people will be far removed and never experienced hip hop culture of today. Does the skin color divide still stand? I would think it racist to say assume a black person couldn't curate a Museum on Mozart.
But she's not like that. I mean for one this whole thing is basically her life work, and second of all she was hired by a mostly blacks staff made of really really smart African American people.
That's good, because I don't think she's trying to be an expert on black cultural experience, but trying to create a museum exhibit about Hip-Hop music.
This pretty much summed what I've been wanting to say, but probably in a better and less-likely-to-be-perceived inflammatory way.
I wasn't aware Mozart made music with a white idententarian lens
Yo, why is this getting ignored. She got the co-sign, time to let it go
Because "white person" sounds weirder than "white man" or "white woman" in that context. Nothing more. It's the whiteness that is the issue, not their sex.
So we give her a job because a white institution finally decided to listen to a white person while ignoring black voices?
While hip hop is largely tied to black culture, it isn't necessarily black culture, so I don't see why the position should have someone black. If she's knowledgeable, and credibly so, I don't see the problem with this
This is akin to people questioning Reza Aslan speaking about Christianity, simply because he isn't one, ignoring the fact he has a PhD in the field and is more authoritative than the people doubting him
This is akin to people questioning Reza Aslan speaking about Christianity, simply because he isn't one, ignoring the fact he has a PhD in the field and is more authoritative than the people doubting him
I'm sorry but this post is BS. It's really really getting old hearing non blacks determining what's important for us and what isn't. You calling this a silly sideshow is so out of touch that it's oppressive in itself.
You mean black institution because the people who run this thing are black.
What does being racist have to do with making music? I hadn't even heard of Identitarian until now and was confused when I tried to google how you spelled it.
stop this
it's super embarrassing seeing all the people in here dragging the museum itself
OP
OP
like jesus christ, people acting like other people can't comment on why they wouldn't take jobs in other peoples spaces. If indigenous communities in australia got upset over a white person leading their exhibit over one of their community, it did make complete sense.
the smithsonian is ran by white people. i'm sorry to break it to you but yeah, it kinda is.
Yep, thats where I'm leaning. Plus, this is going to drive some buzz. Would LOVE to know the process though.
It (black culture) is necessarily tied to the history and story of hip hop.
Mozart is not tied to whiteness So your analogy does not work.
A white person can be an expert on the subject matter. Her job is to know what works influenced the industry over time to arrange them in the allotted space, to be knowledgeable about the historical importance of the works on display if anyone asks.
Anyone who does their homework should be qualified for a history exhibit. I'd guarantee she knows more about it than 99% of the people in the world if she landed the job.
Anyone who does their homework should be qualified for a history exhibit. I'd guarantee she knows more about it than 99% of the people in the world if she landed the job.
He's talking about her earlier work at the Smithsonian before the African American museum existed.
And it will always be primarily a white institution as long as Smithsonian is in front of its name lol
Who would win:
Lonnie G. Bunch II, Founding director of the Smithsonian, an african american man who's a prolific and widely published author, $ has written on topics ranging from the black military experience, the American presidency and all-black towns in the American West to diversity in museum management and the impact of funding and politics on American museums
or
some dudes on the internet who learned about it 30 minutes ago
I really think we should at least acknowledge our ignorance on such complicated topics if we want to talk about it seriously. Be humble. Otherwise we're just shouting random shit at each other without any significance.
Lonnie G. Bunch II, Founding director of the Smithsonian, an african american man who's a prolific and widely published author, $ has written on topics ranging from the black military experience, the American presidency and all-black towns in the American West to diversity in museum management and the impact of funding and politics on American museums
or
some dudes on the internet who learned about it 30 minutes ago
I really think we should at least acknowledge our ignorance on such complicated topics if we want to talk about it seriously. Be humble. Otherwise we're just shouting random shit at each other without any significance.
I always hesitant about minority stuff being interpreted by majority. You might listen to "fuck the police", but do you have the emotional context accurately dissect the words.
Plus white people doing "this is what they are saying" will never be a good look
Plus white people doing "this is what they are saying" will never be a good look
Considering all shes done for the museum and the exhibit (after reading up on it) - good on her, she deserves the position.
Hopefully she isn't chased out of the position (but who are we kidding on this one, of course she will be).
Hopefully she isn't chased out of the position (but who are we kidding on this one, of course she will be).
She got the cosign cause shes legit. People want to ignore this fact tho
That's because rightly years afterwards we don't say classical music is a white only experience.
This is classical music's definition:
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