Fair Use or Unfair Misuse: The Appropriation of Black Culture for Self-Promotion and Advancement in Media

African Americans' impact on society cannot be questioned, as black culture's notoriety has increased through globalization and the Internet (White, 2018). "Black Culture" is a lifestyle standard made of assumptions about black identity, often used successfully by marketers (Simien, 2014). African Americans' have continued to influence culture and trends through marketing and self-promotion. Recently, the term "blaccent" has been the subject in question. Blaccent or Black accent is speaking in a way that mimics or mocks Black vernacular by a person who is not Black (CNN, 2022). Their use of a blaccent scrutinizes Non-African Americans in media. However, content creators and celebrities continue to use the dialect for self-promotion and career advancement. Some see it as a proclamation of love and appreciation, therefore spreading the awareness of black culture. Others indicate black media have influenced them, and it is an unconscious use of the black vernacular.