This archive report was first published on 15 July 2019.
On a sunny day in July 2019, I found myself in the midst of a heated conversation with a friendly west African who questioned why a Kenyan would have a name from Ghana.
My answer was straightforward, but the conversation took an intense turn when I expressed my skepticism towards Pan-Africanism and its originators, who were, in fact, cruel and vicious dictators.
A south African who had joined us chimed in, jokingly suggesting that if I rejected Pan-Africanism, I might be seen as an imposter for using a name from another country.
This argument struck me as absurd, but it's a common claim made against foreigners who use cultural ideas and expressions not generated from their places of ancestry.
The concept of cultural appropriation has gained currency, but it's a bully tactic that has worked against firms unprepared to call the bluff of their accusers.
Claims of cultural appropriation have led to the withdrawal of words like Yoga, the Kimono for clothing, and ethnic food, as well as preventing people from wearing cornrows.
However, these claims are nothing but the domain of bullies and self-imposed gatekeepers.
As the CEO of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA-Kenya), a public policy think tank based in Nairobi, I believe that the boundaries that are to be preserved to prevent cultural appropriation hardly exist.
These custodians and gatekeepers need to find something else to do. If cultural appropriation exists, society needs more of it.
