Should White Celebrities Be African?

March 30th, 2011 - By TheEditor

Alicia Keys is known for the pushing the envelope when it comes to raising awareness and support for her AIDS nonprofit, Keep a Child Alive. But according to some folks, she may have pushed the envelope a little bit too far with her latest ad campaign that features Hollywood stars in “traditional” African tribal dress with the tagline, “I Am African.” Off hand, the ad doesn’t seem like such a bad idea. African-American stars like Janet Jackson, Iman, Tyson Beckford and Alicia Keys herself are photographed in tribal face paint and traditional “African” headdresses. But several white actors like Richard Gere, Sarah Jessica Parker, Liv Tyler and Gwyneth Paltrow are also included.

Here’s where the uproar comes in. Are these ads disrespectful of African culture?

To Keys’ credit, I’m sure she had no intension of offending anyone. As explained on the Keep a Child Alive website, “each and every one of us contains DNA that can be traced back to our African ancestors. These amazing people traveled far and wide. Now they need our help.”

Ok. We get it. But what are these images of “privileged celebrities”—as AOL Black Voices describes them—really conveying? That in order to get people involved in the fight against an epidemic that plagues all of humanity we need celebrities to play dress up and declare that they are African? Is it too farfetched to be yourself to fight AIDS? AIDS is a global epidemic, so regardless of one’s race or ethnicity, the message should be conveyed that this is a human—not solely African—issue and any and everyone should get involved to save lives.

Just as Keys’ campaign last year featured celebrities dead in their coffin and declaring that they will stay off of social media until fans donate $1 million did not resonate for many, it appears that this campaign is suffering the same fate. In any case, Keys got people talking, but was it in the most effective way? Will it strike enough cords to make people take action against AIDS?

 

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  • CPT

    YOU ARE 5 YEARS LATE WITH THIS ARTICLE. THE CAMPAIGN WAS IN 2006. YOU ARE REPORTING ON IT 5 YEARS LATER.

  • Meritamun

    Covert mind control. The ad is attempting to legitimize foreigners as Afrikans. Your identity or "Nationality" is based upon what geographical location your genetic evolution/mutation settled into a stable identity. Chinese-China, Japanese-Japan, Italians-Italy, Germans-Germany etc.
    Those who are politically ignorant will fall for this B.S.
    This world is about control of resources, and Afrika has enough to supply the world several times over. We Afrikans are asleep to this fact while everyone else takes advantage of our child-like perceptions of reality. This ad will plant the seed in the minds of Afrikans that outsiders are somehow entitled to "Our" resources.
    Oh now all of a sudden everyone is ok with being Afrikan……Yeah right! When billions of our ancestors have died from the treachery of foreign interests. And it is still going on today.

  • ABGurl

    There are white people who are Africans, what is the big deal? It's just an ad campaign for a more important discussion/issue — the ad should not be the focus, the message is. AIDS in Africa is a real problem, especially the stigma behind it, there is no reason we shouldn't focus on Africa and AIDS, take off your blinders!

  • Nessa

    First of all, I'm really not sure why this is being reported as something new, when this ad campaign was run back in 2006. The fact that 5 years passed before anyone decided that it was controversial takes away from the validity of the argument. Why now? What agenda is behind attempting to stir up controversy with this campaign at this particular moment in time? Or is it just a slow news week at the Atlanta Post?

    Secondly, I'm not sure what the problem is with Caucasians saying they are African. Hopefully the author of this post realizes that there are white people, as well as many other races, that are born and raised in Africa, thus making them African. Though North America confuses the issue by referring to black people as African-American, it needs to be clear that the term 'African' is not equivalent to 'Black'.

    Thirdly, the purpose of this ad is not to "play dress up". It is to bring attention to the fact that we are a human race, and that not much separates us from those in African who are living, and dying, in the AIDS pandemic. I commend Alicia Keys for always finding ways to pull people together to fight for a good cause, and I'd have to say that any controversy found in this campaign is being created by people who are either intentionally missing the point, or who are just too ignorant to grasp it.

  • jane key

    Africa is a CONTINENT! of course, white should be included.

    • hola

      Africa is a continent with 53 countries learn before you write and no white should not be include

      • Cane

        And of those 53 countries there are white people currently living there as well as other races. People go read a book before you go correcting people.

  • Patsy

    Charlize Theron was born in Africa. Alicia Keys in NY. I was at an HIV/AIDS conference where there were buttons that said Jesus has AIDS or I have AIDS. The issue is not people "dressing up" but yes, it's about humanizing an issue to get people involved. Especially those folk who can't see past the tv or a commercial to get motivated to help others. Jesus having AIDS or a white person – hell for me Alicia Keys declaring herself as African is provacative enough to make me stop, listen, think and serve. Now when folk start wearing "I'm the Tea Party" shirts THEN I might lose my mind.

  • donchano

    Why twist it all up? It's not saying white people have to pretend to be African American, it's just saying they partly are and people in Africa need help desparetely bad because this is where Aids is most prevelant. So, black or white or whatever, in order to try and stop the spread of Aids they need your help. I must say Alicia does have a way of getting everyone's attention on this matter. <3 Good for her.

  • Keep A Child A Live

    It would be nice if we would all contribute in a positive way to society as a whole. Many people just complain about everything. It is a custom that is sending a positive message.

    We should all contribute financially if you can or just volunteer to help other in need globally. You have no idea what poor is in other countries. It would be nice to a change if we all just shut up and give, time, hope, money and positivity. But we are just don't contribute to our own Africans, African Americans or any other.

    Sad! Very Sad!