The Montreal Anarchist Bookfair collective opposes all systems of
domination and hierarchy, which necessarily includes white supremacy.
We work to make the bookfair as accessible as possible, and recognize
that failing to adequately address instances of white supremacy is an
issue of access. Over the years, one manifestation of white supremacy in
particular—cultural appropriation—has meant that many people who feel
the brunt of racialized oppression have felt unwelcome at the bookfair.
We’re striving to change this as best we can, and part of this means
trying to figure out better ways to concretely address cultural
appropriation as it plays out at the bookfair.
One of the most
common ways in which this occurs is through aesthetic choices such as
non-Black people wearing “dreadlocks” and people non-Indigenous to
Turtle Island wearing “Mohawk” hairstyles. While these are by no means
the only ways in which cultural appropriation rears its head, we give
these examples as they are things that have specifically and repeatedly
been brought to the Bookfair collective’s attention over the years.
We’re not interested in policing people’s bodies, nor is it
logistically feasible—or desirable—for us to monitor every person who
attends the bookfair. As the collective is responsible for choosing the
bookfair’s content, however, this year we’re trying to be more
thoughtful in terms of who presents and tables. To the best of
our capacity, we will not be accepting applications from people wanting
to present or table if we know them to be making culturally
appropriative choices in how they dress or behave.
The
Montreal Anarchist Bookfair is more than just the collective; it’s on
everyone who attends to think critically about how the choices they make
(aesthetic and otherwise) might reflect systems of domination and
hierarchy, and how that impacts others’ ability to attend. We ask you to
think seriously before deciding to show up dressed or behaving in ways
that are culturally appropriative. If it’s more important to you to wear
your hair or dress any way you want, even if you know that might be a
misrepresentation of someone else’s culture, maybe you should stay home.
Beyond trying to address instances of cultural appropriation as and
where we can, the collective is also working to maintain the Montreal
Anarchist Bookfair as a space that is more accessible to racialized
people in the content we prioritize. This includes specifically
giving more space to ABIPOC (Anarchist Black, Indigenous and People of
Color), and specifically anticolonial and indigenizing content.
As always, the bookfair believes that popular education is an essential
part of confronting and dismantling systems of control. If you want to
learn more about cultural appropriation, or you’re not sure what we’re
talking about here, check out the resources below or ask your local
librarian!
http://azinelibrary.org/trash/dreads.pdf
http://www.aihfs.org/pdf/8-1-16%20Cultural%20Appropriation.pdf
https://medium.com/@overtake/are-dreadlocks-cultural-appropriation-b2489a271601
http://aihfs.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/8-1-16-Cultural-Appropriation.pdf