A portmanteau of the words "Afro" - meaning something associated with Sub-Saharan Africa, and "appropriation" - as in "cultural appropriation". One who engages in Afropriation is called an "Afropriator".
Afropriation refers to the trend of those in the SSA diaspora (particularly African-Americans) who either inappropriately adopt or outright steal elements of a peoples culture or history. This is seen most often in Afrocentric circles, wherein they commonly target the culture and history of people such as Ancient Egyptians, Berbers (usually incorrectly called "Moors"), Native Americans, and Ancient Israelites. This involves allegations that those peoples were actually "Black" (i.e. Sub-Saharan African) and that, as SSAs, Afropriators have the right to claim and adopt their culture and histories as their own. These actions almost always carry racist overtones, such as harassment and denigration of the peoples modern descendants, usually called "fakes" and racial slurs (examples include "Five-dollar Indians" for Native Americans and "Jew-ish Khazars" for Jews) and conspiracy theory-laden accusations of plots and cabals throughout history seeking to deprive SSAs of some kind of better, glorious past. Afropriators rely heavily on pseudohistorical "evidence", works by discredited authors - ranging from those who retained a modicum of respect from their peers despite their claims, such as Cheikh Anta Diop, to out-right laughingstocks, such as S.O.Y. Keita - and doctored pictures.
Afropriation refers to the trend of those in the SSA diaspora (particularly African-Americans) who either inappropriately adopt or outright steal elements of a peoples culture or history. This is seen most often in Afrocentric circles, wherein they commonly target the culture and history of people such as Ancient Egyptians, Berbers (usually incorrectly called "Moors"), Native Americans, and Ancient Israelites. This involves allegations that those peoples were actually "Black" (i.e. Sub-Saharan African) and that, as SSAs, Afropriators have the right to claim and adopt their culture and histories as their own. These actions almost always carry racist overtones, such as harassment and denigration of the peoples modern descendants, usually called "fakes" and racial slurs (examples include "Five-dollar Indians" for Native Americans and "Jew-ish Khazars" for Jews) and conspiracy theory-laden accusations of plots and cabals throughout history seeking to deprive SSAs of some kind of better, glorious past. Afropriators rely heavily on pseudohistorical "evidence", works by discredited authors - ranging from those who retained a modicum of respect from their peers despite their claims, such as Cheikh Anta Diop, to out-right laughingstocks, such as S.O.Y. Keita - and doctored pictures.
Person A: "So I saw this guy engaging in Afropriation earlier."
Person B: "What’s that?"
Person A: "Well you know when you see a Black person haphazardly using ancient Egyptian symbolism and claiming that they were actually Black and that modern Egyptians are just "thieving Arabs"? That’s a prime example of Afropriation."
Person B: "Wow. What complete and utter idiots."
Person B: "What’s that?"
Person A: "Well you know when you see a Black person haphazardly using ancient Egyptian symbolism and claiming that they were actually Black and that modern Egyptians are just "thieving Arabs"? That’s a prime example of Afropriation."
Person B: "Wow. What complete and utter idiots."
by Saudades March 30, 2022