Everyone has the right to dress country – L'Argonaut

If 2023 was the year of the girl, thanks to Barbie, Priscilla and Girl Math, then there is no denying that 2024 should be considered the year of the country. One of the most notable reasons for this is the release of an album that allowed Beyoncé to become the first black female artist to reach number one on the Billboard Country Charts Cowboy Carter.

However, this major gender shift from popstar has caused many people to share their opinion that now everyone thinks they can do country music, according to a viral Tik Tok post by user @Shay. Although this album was celebrated across America by all races, some critics claimed that the growing trend of black people adopting Western style was cultural appropriation.

Not only is this historically inaccurate, but it continues the legacy of white supremacy in the country. For many decades, this prevented other races and ethnic groups from participating in the natural evolution of Western fashion and music.

People were talking about Beyoncé and how she was going to take up space in the campaign. I feel like she's starting a black country movement that already existed, said Van Lathan, former TMZ host and producer of the Higher Education podcast.

The American cowboy is an iconic symbol of Western aesthetics, usually worn by a white man. The fashion elements that automatically register someone as country are rooted in American colonialism and cultivated from many different influences.

History of Western Clothing

The irony is that the symbol of cowboys comes from Mexicans and blacks. As Mexicans occupied the American South and West, Vaqueros (or cow men) were often hired for their riding and roping skills, according to American Cowboy. As colonizers moved West, driven by manifest destiny, they began to adopt the clothing of the Vaqueros, including the famous wide-brimmed hats we call cowboy hats.

Native Americans also inspired the appearance of fringed clothing in Western clothing. As they often used resources close to home to make their clothing, it was common for them to also wear animal skins. They sold their clothing and artwork to white colonizers, such as rugs, jewelry, leather clothing, and beads. All of these elements are now the quintessence of Western aesthetics.

It is clear to most people that Native American clothing was adapted into what is today considered country or western. Therefore, why is the claim that other ethnic groups appropriate white Western culture invalid? We cannot claim to appropriate something that was not solely theirs to begin with.

However, other models come from European influences, such as denim developed in France. Styles like the bolero jacket originate from Spanish cattle ranchers. White Americans, originally European, applied their own inventions to cowboy clothing.

In the 19th century West, Mexicans, Native Americans, African Americans, and white Americans all had roles in cowboying. Despite the inequality between these groups, the creation of the country's White American expression can be defined as a cultural amalgam, an equal blend of cultures. The difference is that over time, other cultures have managed to maintain their own identity throughout history, while white people have managed to claim this new identity as their own.

Despite their obvious presence in the ranching industry, black cowboys and cowgirls were never present in the heroic roles of the westerns that popularized the cowboy style among audiences. African Americans and Native Americans were often portrayed as villains in these films. The association of other races as anti-cowboys erased the role they played in cultural identity, while the white cowboy became a symbol of American patriotism.

The need for cowboys eventually died out, as new methods of transporting livestock meant that cowboys were no longer effective in transporting livestock. Native Americans were placed on reservations. African Americans were not allowed to purchase land. The Vaqueros began to focus on developing the sport of rodeo.

The cowboy lifestyle is much smaller today, with the Department of Agriculture estimating that there are at most 1,000,000 in the United States today. However, black farmers and cowboys are still here despite their lack of recognition.

You don't see a lot of black cowboys in Raleigh, North Carolina and if I go to the store in my cowboy boots and my cowboy hat, they look at you trying to say, “You're trying to be a white man, or are you trying to be a Mexican or a Hispanic?

The truth is that many people who identify with the country aesthetic probably don't ride horses or tether cattle, they just align with American culture. One cannot justify the exclusion of other ethnicities from participation in something that is synonymous with American patriotism without subconsciously indicating that they do not view other ethnicities as truly American.

Jacey Coleman can be contacted at [email protected]