In the black community, the popular phrase "stay woke" is continuously used in conversation and on social media. The saying means to stay aware of what is going on in the black community regardless of the fact that mainstream media may or may not be showing attention to topics that are important to us. One topic that the African American community needs to be aware of is cultural appropriation.

Cultural appropriation is the adoption of elements and traditions by members of a different culture group. The adoption of this culture is usually of an oppressed group, while the group that adopts the oppressed group's culture is the dominant group. In America, the dominant group is seen to be Caucasian people and black people are seen to be the most oppressed. However, black people are not the only group that gets mocked.

Other groups are offended by cultural appropriation as well. For example, the Hindu/Indian community is victimized when people wear henna tattoos or bindis in the middle of their forehead without knowing the historical background. Most women in Hindu culture who are about to get married are painted head to toe in henna tattoos to symbolize femininity and spirituality Bindis can signify many things such as spirituality, marriage, and good health. Although it is becoming more accepting to accessorize based on other cultures, it is important to take the time to research the traditions of your new fashion trends.

In the African community, waist beads and gauges have also been turned into popular accessories. Some people wear the beads solely because they think the style is fashionable, but waist beads in the African culture symbolize different things to different tribes. One central theme of the beads relating to African women is that the waist beads represent significant milestones in their lives. These milestones could include maturity, getting married, and becoming pregnant.

The United States is a melting pot of different cultures and ethnic groups. You are free to follow and participate in any popular trend that you may see fit for your style. However, some of the most popular trends derive from other cultures and have a deeper meaning. The more you are informed about that meaning, the less likely you are to offend someone of a different background and to be considered culturally inappropriate.