Michael B Jordan, who is known for his role in the Marvel film Black Panther, received flak for naming his rum brand after a ritual in the Caribbean. Jordan, who released an alcoholic brand and named it J’Ouvert, was accused of cultural appropriation on social media.
He issued an apology and stated that the brand will be renamed.
The statement read, “We hear you. I hear you and want to be clear that we are in the process of renaming. We sincerely apologize and look forward to introducing a brand we can all be proud of.”
An online petition which surfaced days ahead of Jordan’s apology, explained the importance of the term ‘J’Ouvert’. It said that the word is deeply rooted in Trinbagonian and Caribbean culture and that it heralded the annual indigenous festivities of Trinidad and Tobago’s beloved Carnival, which began in the 1800s. The Carnival is still celebrated globally by people from the Caribbean.
According to a website on festivities in New York, “The name J’Ouvert originates from the French jour ouvert, meaning day break or morning, and signals the start of Carnival.”
The issue snowballed into a movement against Jordan after names like Nicki Minaj, who also hails from the Caribbean islands, called out the actor for using the term that signifies the end of slavery for Caribbean people, and asked him to rename the brand.
Minaj’s social media post from Wednesday read, “I’m sure MBJ didn’t intentionally do anything he thought Caribbean people would find offensive— but now that you are aware, change the name and continue to flourish and prosper.”
Others pointed out that some Americans, including African-Americans, partner with brands without any ties or understanding of the culture of the diaspora they profit from. Jordan, who hails from California, was hence accused of Caribbean appropriation.
Recommended
Cultural appropriation has increasingly been a topic of discussion on social media with the last person called out being supermodel Kendall Jenner, who received flak for introducing her own label for the Mexican drink tequila despite being a non-Mexican.
The advertisement saw Jenner wearing a cowboy hat, pigtails and a cotton shirt while riding a horse through the farm. While the model did not issue an apology, photo stills from the shoot have been removed from her Instagram account.
International fashion brands like Gucci and Dior came under fire in 2019 for using Blackface and for putting up a Mexican-inspired campaign, respectively. Creators of both shows later issued an apology.