Morgan’s story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw7D12NudJU

Interview including cultural appropriation discussion https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-53452080

Morgan Bullock is a 21 year old African American Irish dancer who lives in Virginia, USA. Over summer Morgan went viral for her dancing.

Morgan says, “People say I shouldn’t be Irish dancing because I’m black and I don’t look like most Irish dancers.”

Morgan says when she first saw Irish dancing she remembers how energetic it was; “It was something I had never seen before.” She was the only African American girl in her Irish dancing classes; “I don’t think I ever considered it an issue, it was definitely something I took note of but I had grown up in a predominately white area so it wasn’t something I was uncomfortable about.”

Some people argued that Morgan was wrong to take part in Irish dancing because she was not Irish. People said this was ‘cultural appropriation’; this means when people of one culture adopt customs or practices of another culture. This could be a hairstyle, a piece of clothing or an activity. The problem arises when people from a dominant culture pretend to be something they are not by drawing on stereotypes to do so. Morgan argues there is a difference between appropriation and appreciation, and she is appreciating.

Morgan appeared on a radio show where she was invited to join Riverdance. Riverdance is a very famous Irish dancing show that is performed across the globe. Padriac Moyles, the lead dancer in Riverdance said, “Thank you for having the guts in many ways to put yourself out there”

-        What is Irish dancing?

-        Why do people think Morgan is unusual?

-        Morgan was the only African American dancer in her class; do you think this affected her?

-        Why do some people say Morgan should not do Irish dancing?

-        How does Morgan respond to that?

-        KS2/3 what is cultural appropriation? How is this story related? Do you think Morgan is guilty of cultural appropriation? Discuss.

-        Why did Padriac Moyles say Morgan had “guts”

What can we learn from Morgan and this story?

why is this about No Outsiders?