Chapter 6
Rice concludes chapter six by explaining how appropriation effects African American artist on a cultural, economic, and political level. On a cultural level it affects how we view other cultures and gives us a lack of knowledge. The economic level effects African American’s by depriving them of the money they deserve for the original rights. Lastly on a political level the lack of control of one’s own creation is taking away one’s right and place in society. Rice arrives to these points by explaining how cool is related to African American history. The way we view certain perspectives is influenced by cultural aspects. During the ’60s much of African American music was appropriated by the white culture, therefore depriving them of their connection to the original work. They don’t receive the wealth, or fame when the music becomes a hit.
The argument that Rice has made can be considered along withoppression/empowerment. From what I stated above African American’s can be viewed as the oppressed by having their rights to musical production deprived from them, “forgotten and overshowed by newer white versions” (52). The white culture can be viewed as the empowerment because of their ability to appropriate. Another way to look at oppression/empowerment is through the slave trade. The Africans had their rights to anything taken from them and were empowered by the white culture.
Chapter 7
Appropriation changes in the 7th chapter by becoming a definition of empowerment rather than a racial struggle between Africans and whites. Amiri Baraka used music as an example to explain racial relationships. He uses the music types of jazz and blues and how white artists used their recordings and became famous. On the other hand in chapter seven Public Enemy used appropriation as a form to voice their opoions about drug use or teen pregnancy and other issues of the time. This gave their use of appropriation power to voice their ideas.
My definition of plagiarism is to take ideas or writings from someone else and present them as your own.
