Cam3540 Speaks Up

All of a sudden it’s a trend to be ‘black’ and rock pro-black things. So I think that for much of the IMVU community, it’s about jumping on a bandwagon. It seems to be trending in real life and IMVU is clearly influenced by what goes on in real life. I think it’s suddenly appealing to those who are just becoming conscious but it’s also ‘trending’ with those who just see it as cool clothing designs that are popular at the moment.

I feel that it’s simple-minded. Only a simple minded person would really judge or label someone because of their attire. For example, people who are less fortunate [“bums”] wear clothing that is sometimes worn-out, full of holes, torn, ripped, etc. Yet Kanye does it and now it’s “fashion”? Are bums ‘fashionistas’ now? Another example: A young black man wears a hoodie and he’s automatically labeled a thug. Yet all kinds of people wear hoodies all the time. It’s popular casual clothing, yet they’re stereotyped and radicalized. Black people are stereotypically associated with certain types of clothing even though, as a people, we wear a wide range. In the end, though, it actually doesn’t matter what we wear or how we dress. It’s not about a hoodie, a suit or an item of clothing; it’s our skin tone that’s labelled. Listen to Kanye west’s song “All Falls Down,” when he says “Even if you in a Benz, you still a nigga in a coupe.” Ultimately, you could hang out with them, drive their cars, date their women, wear the ‘right’ clothing etc...you’re still just a nigga to them.

I think that trends can box you in and they can mute your individuality. I also think that it’s hard to express ‘yourself’ if you don’t even understand what you’re wearing, why you’re wearing it or what it represents. Take the trend with African prints and clothing. A lot of people just see the vibrant colors/patterns and like the clothing item but have no idea that it represents different ideas. Sometimes it comes down to a lack of connection, a lack of real interest (and research) or just ignorance towards the culture.

By keeping my sense of individuality, I guess. That’s really what it comes down to. It’s about having a sense of who you are and how you want to be perceived. If you follow trends or become a slave to them then there’s no real sense of self or dignity in it. Whereas, if you have a sense of who you are then following trends or desperately trying to be like the next person isn’t something you’d really entertain. It’s kind of like consciousness. If you’re conscious your perception will change. By contrast, if you’re unconscious? You’re probably going to allow trends to run you.

So my black Queens and Kings, I want to leave you with a few things. Don’t let anyone or anything define our come up as a race. We are in control of that! Coming together, not just against racism or police brutality against our own but looking out for one another and supporting black businesses is a part of how we achieve that. They want you to believe your enemy is like you, but wears a different color or their hat on the opposite side of the one you wear yours on. Just remember, the enemy doesn’t wear the same skin color as you.