Hi Meltingpot Readers,
When I recently heard about the Harlem Shake, I immediately bristled at the name when all I saw on YouTube were White people twitching and wiggling in funny costumes. I didn’t get it. And it just didn’t feel right. Then my sons came home telling me I had to see this Harlem Shake thing they’d seen at school. They wanted to put on their craziest costumes right away and record their own version of the Harlem Shake. I felt horrible telling them they couldn’t without being able to explain why. I just knew it felt wrong. It felt like some sort of misguided cultural misappropriation. But to my kids, they just thought I was putting the kibosh on their fun with no good reason. Thankfully, MSNBC’s Melissa Harris-Perry has put it all into perspective and explained the whole thing. Thanks, MHP. I’ll be sharing this with my sons!
Has the Harlem Shake hit your household? How so? I’m listening.
Peace!
