STOP & THINK: What was your earliest memory of cultural appropriation? Ugh! I'm cringing even thinking about it. It was Thanksgiving time, and my first-grade class had a feast to "celebrate the First Thanksgiving." Children were encouraged to dress up as "pilgrims" and "Indians." I begged my mom to let me wear my Pocahontas dress. I remember promising that I won't get cold and I'll wear leggings and a turtle neck underneath it. On the big day, I asked my mom to braid my hair in two french braids so I could "look like a real Indian." When it was lunchtime, parent volunteers and teachers rolled out large yellow sheets of butcher paper and laid them on the floor. Our spots were marked using the placemats that we colored during class time. Then, educators welcomed all first graders into the hallway where we sat and ate as one big happy family. And this isn't my only memory. Unfortunately, by the time I turned 18, cultural appropriation didn't seem inappropriate. It was very, very normalized. And, I know I'm not alone. Parents, teachers, and caregivers taught us to use pieces of someone's culture for pleasure and fun. Big box stores sell cheap knock-offs at a fraction of the price. Pop culture constantly oozes with cultural appropriation. And Western museums are still holding sacred artifacts hostage in the name of the learning. Cultural appropriation wasn’t okay in 1994, it’s not okay now and won’t ever be okay. Make a firm rule at home. We say no to harmful Halloween costumes. Work with your children to identify hostile costumes and help them determine why they're unfair, who it hurts, and how. - The full article is available on my buy me coffee page. I’ve included the email script I use to ask my child's school administrator and Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) to share the Cultures Aren't Costumes flier by @little_kotos_words in their newsletter and on social media. - Happy Halloween 🎃