Augustana College pleads with students to 'pledge' against cultural appropriation

Augustana College held an event on Monday to discuss cultural appropriation, asking them to “sign a pledge promising not to appropriate any culture.” 

The Office of Student Inclusion and Diversity at the Illinois school held an event at The Gerber Center for Student Life titled, “There’s No Costume in Culture,” inviting students to raise their awareness of cultural appropriation on college campuses and its social consequences. 

[RELATED: Gonzaga warns against ‘potentially harmful’ ‘cultural appropriation’]

”The Office of Student Inclusion and Diversity invites students to a discussion about awareness of cultural appropriation on college campuses, and the social effects appropriation creates,” the event description reads. “Students will have the opportunity to sign a pledge promising not to appropriate any culture and may also buy a shirt from the office for $5 in the Brew.

The Office of Student Inclusion and Diversity Facebook page shared photos of posters for the event, defining culture appropriation as “the adoption of elements of a culture that is not their own.” It goes on to read, “It reduces a culture to a stereotype and removes the context that makes cultural elements meaningful.”

The posters for the event also featured a tagline saying, “let’s appreciate, not appropriate.”

One poster advertised the event as part of a “Culture Appropriation Awareness Campaign.” The event is also part of the school’s larger “Conversation Series.”

[RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Gonzaga panelist tackles SUICIDE at cultural appropriation event]

The event offered students to sign a pledge promising not to culturally appropriate. Admission to the event was free.

The office also offered a $5 shirt, as well as entry into a raffle to win a “free gift.”

The Office of Student Inclusion and Diversity referred Campus Reform’s questions to Michael Rogers, the director of that office. Rogers did not respond to Campus Reform’s request for comment in time for publication. 

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