anti racist halloween

Tips for an Anti-Racist & Anti-Biased Halloween

It is that spooky time of year again, and if you celebrate Halloween we have a few tips to help you celebrate and be anti-racist!

So what IS Cultural Appropriation?” Appropriation is the act of borrowing elements from one culture and removing all context and meaning, with the intent on using those elements for your own purpose or profit.” (Parents for Diversity)Ci
“Cultural Appropriation is the act of taking significant elements (symbols, dress, words, practices, etc.) from a culture that is not your own and removing all original context or meaning, usually with the goal of using these elements to make oneself seem “edgy” or to make a profit.” (LGPRIG)

Culture doesn’t = Costume
“The Halloween costume decision comes down to whether or not you see another person’s culture as equal and worthy of consideration and appreciation. You see, not everything is ours to take.” (Rachel Garlinghouse; Scary Mommy)

Questions to Ask Yourself:

Are you using makeup to alter your natural skin tone?
Does the name of your costume include an ethnicity in the title?
Are you wearing garments or accessories that are traditional to a culture?
Are you dressed as an offensive historical figure?
Is your costume “funny” because it mocks the real-life experiences of others?
Does your child’s costume represent a culture of race or people to which they don’t belong?
Does your child’s costume play off stereotypes?

“If you have an inkling that your kid’s costume is offensive, choose another one!” Shannon Speed, UCLA (via today.com)

Resources to check out for more information:
https://parentsfordiversity.com/how-to-celebrate-halloween-without-cultural-appropriation-or-racist-stereotypes/
https://firstnamebasis.org/holidays/how-do-i-avoid-cultural-appropriation-when-it-comes-to-halloween-costumes/
https://www.dickinson.edu/info/20229/women_s_and_gender_resource_center/1860/resources/4
https://www.escco.org/AvoidingCulturalAppropriationThisHalloween.aspxhttps://libguides.wvu.edu/Halloween/costumeshttps://inside.tru.ca/2020/10/29/culture-is-not-a-costume-a-halloween-checklist/
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