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Opinion
The Whiteness of Lucidity: Everything But Inclusive
EMILY ZHANG/DAILY NEXUS
Why did he start dancing like a ‘gypsy’ Disney character right when I sat down? UGH.
This was one of the many uncomfortable questions I had to ask myself this past Sunday while attending the Lucidity Festival: Kindred Quest, at Live Oaks Campgrounds. As a local arts and music fest, I’ve heard about its transformative practices for the past three years while living in SB. Lucidity has been described as a healing space, a space flowing with divine love and compassion and a space where you may freely express yourself. All of this sounds enticing to any existentially-questioning student, right? Right. The freedom to simply be is why I bought a ticket. On the contrary, what I experienced was the inability to be freely me, because of the whiteness that is Lucidity (and many other festivals), and the modern racism that is whiteness.
The minute I stepped onto the campgrounds, all I saw was whiteness. When I say whiteness, I’m not talking about being surrounded by white people. Whiteness is a culture of cultural appropriation, white supremacy and modern racism. Cultural appropriation is the exploitation of different cultures by taking bits and pieces of their sacred practices and artifacts to accessorize privileged (mostly white) lives. This usually happens without knowledge of these artifacts or traditions and, therefore, the disrespectful usage of them. White supremacy is ethnocentrism, which is nationalism, which is the belief that white Americans are superior to all. Lastly, modern racism is more subtle than racism of the past and can usually be seen through microaggressions. Although microaggressions are mainly described as unconscious acts of racism, I don’t believe this to always be the case. Microaggressions are subtle (or sometimes more explicit) comments or acts of racism towards marginalized communities. What happened to me at the festival is a perfect example of a microaggression.
Why won’t he stop dancing like the fucking white idea of a Middle Easterner?
“So, what’s your ethnicity?” This is the first thing the white male sitting next to me asked after he stopped his rude dance. Abruptly, I respond back that I’m Persian. He then goes on to say, “Persian, like Aladdin?” I roll my eyes. Ugh, another day, another white male as*h**e. His white male friend sitting next to him chimes in. “OH, Persians throw the best weddings. Man, you guys know how to party. But you’re mean. You’re all so entitled!” They snicker. Without a pause for effect, the first white male starts chanting “Jasmine! Jasmine! Aladdin! Aladdin! Jasmine! Jaaassmineee!!” I ask where they’re from. He aggressively exclaims, “I’m from America, now where do YOU live?” Then they ask if we want to smoke with them, all the while sporting condescending smirks of victory. PAUSE. I can’t breathe.
What just happened? Were these men really slurring racist microaggressions at me at a hippie fest? At a place that’s supposed to be inclusive and loving? Where the bleep am I? These mountains don’t deserve to be filled with hostility. No one deserves this. This festival is supposed to be everything that Coachella is not, which means being culturally sensitive and inclusive, right? I felt so belittled, so small and so shocked that I hadn’t the courage to stand up to these men and state my piece. This is my piece to them now. If you’re reading this, y’all are what is still wrong with America. Your superior, racist, entitled attitude and aggressive verbal harassment perpetuates a cycle of hate. How can you be at a festival that promotes enlightenment and community and exclude members of your brother-sister family so obviously?
I felt so excluded. But this wasn’t the only reason I felt excluded here. I was wondering why there were barely any people of color in attendance. Why had I not seen a yoga workshop taught by a persxn of color? Why were the lectures on consciousness and positive architecture led by white males? Where were the womxn leaders? The womxn of color leaders? Where were the people of color leaders in general? I either missed all of them or there were barely any to begin with. Were communities of color reached out to as potential workshop leaders? Do the same people from the same cliques make up most of these kinds of festivals year after year?
How can there be a sense of community if we’re all just overpricing merchandise and ripping each other off?
I didn’t fit in. I was one of the few womxn of color at the festival. Aside from looks, the creativity I was portraying through my outfit was “mistaken” for a Disney princess-esque, exotified sexual fantasy, instead of a deep universe of internal colors. I didn’t find any of the activities amusing. I didn’t find many of the people inviting. Also, it felt like a big flea market to me, with focus more on the “ethnic” merchandise (sold by white people) than the land and each other. The food was organic and good for your body, but way overpriced, like the salad sampler I got for 12 bucks. The food was bad for your wallet and the financial hardships college students face. How can there be a sense of community if we’re all just overpricing merchandise and ripping each other off? Capitalism was made organic.
Honestly, everything overwhelmed me. It overwhelmed me so much that after four hours my friend and I took an Uber home, desperate to get back to a safe space.
The day had ended the opposite way in which it started. The day had started off with excitement. I did the fun dress-up thing, excluding festival cultural appropriation. I slathered myself in glitter, darkened my lashes and showed my midriff to the world, ready to channel my inner warrior goddess. But my main goal was to have conscious experiences with conscious individuals. I craved deeper unity with the Santa Barbara community beyond Isla Vista.
When I use the term “conscious people,” I mean people who are empathetic toward all humxns/humxn experiences, and people who live for equality, kindness and creating safe spaces. Unfortunately, I was let down tremendously and the glitter fantasies of my mind had vanished by the end of the day.
Lucidity was anything but safe for me. It was anything but a healthy environment. I was growing because of my own strength to remain confident in my brown skin, but there was not an enriching experience brought on by the festival itself. It was my first festival, and it may be my last. These festivals are the new white culture, and this whiteness doesn’t have room to respect people like me. I don’t have the time nor the energy to prioritize efforts to change this culture. It’s not my responsibility to turn a racist zone into a conscious zone, nor does it seem like this culture of stolen cultures wants any reform. But I will write about it and speak about it to anyone who is open to listening or wants to know my experience further, because I need to do my part to respect myself and others like me.
White America, I’m not your Disney princess. I’m my own princess of strength and respect. I will persist, and my voice will always be heard one way or another. Go take your inappropriate fantasies to a land far, far away.
“…we are coming together as One CommUnity with One Voice.”- Lucidity Website.
Leilani Leila Riahi is an Iranian-American womxn, and a third-year psychology major with a minor in philosophy.
Opinions are submitted primarily by students.
Jovian Radheshwar
May 5, 2015 at 11:12 pm
Hi. I want to express solidarity with the author. I am an Indian-American man and I cannot any longer attend any yoga classes in Santa Barbara for this reason, too. At a yoga class at Divinitree not too long back, the teacher said “devote yourself to shiva, like the dalits, the most despised people in india, whose devotion alleviates their suffering.” Of course this is tantamount to saying slavery was ok because black folks are now making jazz and hip-hop. Dalits make up 800 million people in India and their suffering is socioeconomic, not something that is owed to the ‘naturalness’ of India’s awful and barbaric caste system. By appropriating the caste system, the yoga teacher reintroduced racial supremacism into an American context, where I was the only man of color (no surprises there SB) in the yoga class, and thus felt as though I was no longer welcome there. I have not returned.
I am not a hindu and I am not offended by white folks studying hinduism. But ignoring the fact that hinduism is a religion of racial supremacism, and then proffering it as ‘peace and love,’ is the work of a pretty little hate machine who wants a crystal clean genocide where people of color are gone in the authenticity, and commodified and subjected, essentially, in their being.
MK
April 26, 2015 at 1:06 pm
Take your complaints to the BBB
amber
April 25, 2015 at 1:28 am
So let me get this straight… you went to one singular festival for a handful of hours and then overgeneralized an entire population of festival-goes based on one negative interaction with some ignorant males? That’s sounds fair.
Ryan Bonner
April 22, 2015 at 8:05 am
AN EDIT TO MY LAST COMMENT
*Also, how can you be so sure that you were surrounded by white people when many there are many mixed race individuals who look white, yet identify primarily with their colored background?
I’d say that this ia a huge ASSumption on your part.
Ryan Bonner
April 22, 2015 at 8:02 am
Another point I’d like to address is your concern over the lack of POC and non-white leaders/elders.
Did you attend the opening or closing ceremony?
If you had then you would have noted the ethnically diverse elders we have leading us with wisdom. My two favorite elders are POC, one is Native American, and the other is African. Very beautiful and wise leaders that I strive to be like.
Also, how can you be so sure that you were surrounded by white people when many there are mixed race, yet look white, but primarily identify with their caucasian background?
I’d say that this ia a huge ASSumption on your part.
The world is changing faster that ever I believe.
You’ve got to forgive the past so that we can embrace a future where we aren’t constantly judging others based on a skewed view of the world brought about by past transgressions.
Ryan Bonner
April 22, 2015 at 7:46 am
I would also urge you to see how your take on the experience is a perpetuation of past hurt/negativity.
We strive to manifest heaven on Earth.
You have to step out of your wall of spite, and let go of all this judgement, to see the beauty that we aim for… and to forgive when our brothers and sisters fall short.
Peace and Love sister
Ryan Bonner
April 22, 2015 at 7:40 am
This is a sad take on what is meant to be a beautiful experience.
While I do honor your experience and your expression of your experience, I would urge you to try and understand how you are simply expressing your experience, not the ultimate reality of the situation.
Lucidity or me is a chance to come together with brothers and sisters who are like minded, hence the name of this years festival “Kindred Quest”, and plant good seeds for the future…
Yet here in your article it seems that you found a couple of bad seeds and generalized the whole thing as a failure.
You can’t expect ALL of Lucidity and it’s attendees to be perfect, but we are striving for the higher path.
Many like minded people who live in Isla Vista and the surrounding area look forward to Lucidity ALL YEAR because it is Home (Om) for them..
I’m sorry you met some low level individuals and didn’t feel included, or feel the love, or learn anything about the path.
<3
RB
Kayla
April 19, 2015 at 10:47 pm
You wrote in your article that you didn’t find any of the activities amusing. I understand where your frustrations are coming from, but you really didn’t find ANY of the activities amusing? If the countless musicians and art galleries and aerial silk dancers and fire eaters and interactive installations and glowing lights didn’t appeal to you, then honey, you shouldn’t be going to festivals!
P.S. You expected people to react to your costume as a “deep universe of internal colors” rather than an outfit? Those are some high expectations!
Shaun Izad
April 19, 2015 at 11:56 am
I think the author hit the nail on the head. After reading this article, I went to the Lucidity web site to get a idea of what this festival was about. I got the impression that it was yet another festival that was fashioned after the bigoted western romantic notions of other cultures; following the path of macro plunder of the resources and then the micro plunder the cultures of ‘people of a lesser god’. Organizer of such events understand full well that they catering to a bunch of people who grew up in the culture of ‘instant gratification’. If as the name suggests-‘Lucidity’ is about enlightenment and clarity, I am sorry to remind everyone that enlightenment is hard takes time. These things cannot be achieved by by the quick fix formula of dance-dance, chant-chant, smoke-smoke, and let’s eat a $12 bowl of organic salad!
I’m glad to see at least one person who attended this event was enlightened enough and had the clarity to see through their BS!
Bravo!
Kayla
April 19, 2015 at 10:53 pm
I don’t think Lucidity is trying to imply that visiting their festival will offer anyone “enlightenment.” It’s meant to be a creative space. Festivals are what you make of them, I think your expectations may be a little too high in this instance.
Dylan Aleshire
April 18, 2015 at 11:49 pm
I’ve got a feeling that the author probably stopped reading the comments at this point, if she ever did at all. So there’s really no point in the rest of you expressing your hatred for her anymore. Let it end.
Nikki
April 18, 2015 at 6:21 pm
Wow. The author is being just as racist by composing such a hateful article. One shouldn’t take the remarks from two ignorant individuals and then assume everyone at the festival is the same way.
I am a woman of color and I can empathize with the author’s perspective- I’m genuinely upset those guys stereotyped her and made inappropriate/racist comments that ultimately made her feel uncomfortable in her own skin. But rather than sit and passively write an article bashing a festival, the author needs to call them out! Someone needs to tell them: “well that’s fucking ignorant” & call them out on their bullshit! Don’t tolerate discrimination, or people will never change.
Derek Wakefield
April 18, 2015 at 3:00 pm
You rock, Leilani. Keep doing you and fuck the haters! The people who fight back the most are the ones who are least likely to actually want to engage you (ie the filth that is most of the comments of this article) but your article reached a lot of people who agreed with it and appreciate you for sharing your experiences and thoughts.
nico
April 18, 2015 at 1:20 pm
This was my third year attending Lucidity. I have been a core builder with them since the first year. I also identify as a latino, although i possess the skin color of a white-dude.
regarding Leilani’s criticism. i’d like to acknowledge that there is an awful lot of cultural appropriating happening across the board in all sectors of festival culture, not exclusively at lucidity, even more pervasively throughout the midwest and east coasts. in my honest opinion, lucidity may be one of the more sensitive festivals out there (as a person who typically does 5-10/year, i’ve seen enough disgusting displays to know when to pick my battles), but there is always space to grow. In my mind, this just one example in a growing discussion of how we can truly address these cultural inconsistencies. This critique is just one point in a greater dialogue about what it means to exist together as one group of people (namely, as festival attendees) though we all come from our specific background heritage. the truth is, we are integrated. we were all pulled to attend Lucidity for our own reasons- how we come together is another question.
That there are not more “womxn of color” teaching yoga classes is not an indicator of manifest racism, it is an indicator of who applies to teach yoga at Lucidity.
That there are warbonnet-donning douchenozzles floating around at ANY AND EVERY festival in America is not an indicator that the festival itself represents and promotes a specifically racist perspective.
My question to her would be: did you make it to the Ancestral Arts classrooms or to any of the “grandmother” panels? these very discussions have been given entire (physical and mental) spaces to be explored. Only you have limited your participation in them, and it sounds like your voice would be extremely needed.
my hope is that rather than level enormously critical reviews against an entire festival that you may use your gift as a sharer of knowledge to engage this discussion. it sounds like fear got the better of you. I will say that you could not have found a more pragmatic group to begin this dialogue with. good luck to you. hopefully we see you next year!
-nico
Bryan
April 18, 2015 at 7:58 am
Lucidity is NOT racist. I camped next to people of all races. And this article is complete Bullshit. Hollywood is racist, they don’t even let persians into the clubs because of the way they act. & I know this for a fact because I used to promote clubs in Hollywood. Maybe there is a lack of persians at conscious festivals because the ones here in America are mostly not spiritual/concious people?? I think spiritual people can recognize other spiritual people, it doesn’t matter what their skin color is but the energy they put out. And this chick sounds just like another negative Hollywood chick putting out bad energy.
LoL
April 18, 2015 at 7:38 am
You know, you could always just go back to whichever second- or third-world nation you’ve originated from. Then you wouldn’t be burdened with having so many eeeeevil white people around you.
I’m sure your kin folk would be glad to have you back. You could work on changing your own culture, which I’m sure is way more eeeevil and backwards than ours. (Assuming that’s even possible.)
Your motherland is calling! Are you brave enough to answer?
Luna
April 18, 2015 at 12:45 pm
@ Lol: What country are your ancestors from?
Sarah
April 18, 2015 at 5:28 am
Thank you for sharing your experience. I am sorry so many failed to actually connect any dots to what you said and instead got offended. Obviously, they are further examples of the type of ignorance which is prevalent at the “transformative” festivals.
I’ve attended several over the years and have found them far less radical than they seem to think they are.
I can understand your hesitance to try them again and especially your reluctance to attempt to right the very skewed version of “consciousness” at these events. It’s an uphill battle. I would like to add that there are people who are attempting to combat that ignorance and I think it is a long term goal of some of the organizers. I have not attended Lucidity yet, but I know several people who adore it. Which, is easy for middle class white people to say. I’ve yet to see a discussion of cultural appropriation or race at a festival. Or gender (except Burning Man…where I still had a few experiences which irked me as a woman). However, there are people at these events who have educated themselves about racism and cultural appropriation. We’re just sadly still a minority. And, maybe I’m just missing the talks or workshops surrounding these topics. All I tend to see is yoga, sacred G, alternative forms of healing, community building, permaculture, maybe education research, environmentalism, etc. rather than anything pertaining to race, gender, or cutural norms. Generally it’s all topics which are EASY to talk about. Talking about privilege makes people uncomfortable.
I have seen festivals change people or to steer people into the more conscious and actively educating themselves path. I hope that if you do attend another one that you will find those people and will be able to enjoy it feeling less alienated. I go to these places because I’m there with a close circle of friends, I like the music, and for the artwork more than for the people.
Again, thank you for sharing!
Conscious Observer
April 18, 2015 at 5:01 am
yoooo…why is everyone jumping on this lady from a place of ego?! She is stating how she feels and what she observed. It’s her first festival and did not feel welcome. Maybe a lot of you need to put yourself in a person of color’s shoes for once…
nope
April 18, 2015 at 7:45 am
or maybe she needs to grow a pair and stop expecting the world to cater to her stupid first year womens studies sjw opinions
Karlhungus
April 18, 2015 at 2:50 am
It must feel bad to to finally realize that everything that you overpaid to learn about in university is an absolute farce. Multiculturalism only dilutes and bastardizes the cultures it claims to advocate. The fact that you think there is something wrong with the, for the time being, white majority trying to sample and understand different cultures only proves that you are the racist. As a proud POC that hates cultural appropriation you should abstain from such things as modern electronics, mechanized transportation, medicine, democratic government, even anything with a wheel. It should be easy to survive without the advances of your oppressors.
Vazquez
April 18, 2015 at 10:36 am
You do realize that a lot of our modern ideas/inventions are inspired by ideas from the middle east and Asian countries. Our did you think an American invented the wheel? It’s pretty basic elementary education and common knowledge.
evil straight white man
April 18, 2015 at 2:04 am
disgusting racist, sexist scum. please stay away from the public with your toxic personality and stop complaining about cultural apropriation while using technology that was entirely developed by white men.stupd btchi
Girl who loves SB, my home
April 18, 2015 at 8:55 pm
This is exactly the reaction I had when I read this. This lady is more racist than any white people I know. And she won’t write “men” in “women”
What a nutcase! I am a woman and I have never once cared that the word “man” is in “woman”
This lady is just some overly sensitive feminist that expects the world to tend to her.
STFU lady and don’t live in Santa Barbara if you hate us so much!
Chang
April 20, 2015 at 3:06 am
lol drowning in your white tears
Gnostech
April 18, 2015 at 12:00 am
You know, after thinking about this for several hours, I want to address you personally in the spirit of love which lucidity brings: come back next year for the full three days and I will buy you dinner every night. We don’t need to hang out any more than you want, outside of getting you fed. As much as your article makes me angry, deep down really I just wish you had a great time and I think that’s what everyone else here wishes.
How abouts the Lucidity treat this misinformed author to an absolutely amazing experience next year? Who’s with me?
Love & light
Gnostech
April 18, 2015 at 12:00 am
Lucidity family*
missed a word there ^.^
David Rothschild
April 17, 2015 at 10:08 pm
“Your superior, racist, entitled attitude and aggressive verbal harassment perpetuates a cycle of hate.” You should really look in a mirror and take your own advice. Because one white person made a stupid harmless comment to you, all white people are assholes? The fact that your generalizing a group of people is racist in itself. Second, if a European person went to Persia and got mad because there wasn’t more Europeans and expected everyone their to accommodate him, is that not definition of entitlement? Its unfair to expect the majority of people adapt to you instead of adapting to the majority. If i went to Persia i would respect they’re culture and way of life, and realize it would be a privileged for me to even be they’re in the first place..Anyway you sound like you have a major victim complex, it might not be a bad idea to seek professional help.
Rebecca
April 17, 2015 at 10:49 pm
CliffsNotes for the above comment: White guy attempts to invalidate womxn of color’s feelings, tells her she should seek professional help for voicing her opinion, and talks about going to Persia. Wow.
b
April 17, 2015 at 11:22 pm
CliffsNotes for the above comment: Whxte bxtch repeats things shx learned in femst 20. Err 2x.
t
April 18, 2015 at 5:09 pm
That is hateful and unnecessary. Earth can be a living paradise or a living hell. take your pick.
Paco
April 19, 2015 at 12:52 pm
It was totally necessary.
Terra Celeste
April 17, 2015 at 9:13 pm
“…When I use the term “conscious people,” I mean people who are empathetic …”
Empathy seems a multi-directional street, when open, the relatable experience flows between, from one to another >>> one directional,
empathy flows between each other, omnidirectional from and to become less meaningful.
exercise empathy. consider, starting from the seat of your own foot paths, bear empathy out on the whole of the situation from your heart, with you stance, from where you are. In 4 hours, you had your experience, in that expanse of time was reflected to you many considerations for growth. start with your innermost awareness of what empathy, equality, kindness and creation of safe space seems like, when manifest, and should your vision of this space be clear and strong in your heart, then please, bring it! be the creator of the equalized, safe, kind, empathy infused space you desire :)
Reverend Kate
April 17, 2015 at 6:01 pm
For being so ready to takedown a scene you are new to, you haven’t done a lot to substantiate your claims of rampant appropriation (“I see whiteness everywhere…” Yes, honey, you’re in Santa Barbara.)
You had a bad experience with some douchebags, and that sucks. A lot. When you open your doors to everyone, sometimes unsavory people walk through them, and because we welcome all strangers there’s not a lot we can do about that (until they show their true colors.) Unfortunately, you used that single encounter as a platform to launch a critique of a culture you have not bothered to understand or participate in, except on the terms YOU name. That is *itself* appropriation.
Here’s the thing: multi pagan, environmentally aware, self-organizing, musically focused, hallucinogen-fueled dance festivals *are* white culture. It’s what happens when you grow up without a community or an ethnic identity. You have to form your own tribes. The results? You get punk rock. You get burning man. You will rarely find a group more eager to enrich its base of knowledge with new folks. As a culture, we deeply value integration. We honor and respect the stranger. But it’s also a participatory, DIY culture.
Why didn’t you volunteer? A lot of broke college kids volunteer services (cleanup, punching tickets) in exchange for low cost entry to such events. If you’d made the slightest effort, you could have gotten to know the community before lambasting it from the outside. But nope, YOU decided to apply YOUR personal standards to *culture you have no ownership over*
If you, as a nonwhite identified newcomer, barge in and demand to know why there aren’t more “yoga teachers of color”, well dear, as they say: “it’s not my job to educate you.”
Ultimately, you came as a guest to a place that was not your house, racially profiled the shit out of every motherf’r you saw, all the while making your OWN reductive assumptions about local costume and iconography (“I slathered myself in glitter, darkened my lashes and showed my midriff to the world, ready to channel my inner warrior goddess.” Really? Warrior for what exactly? Goddess to whom? Check yourself). You ripped it down without becoming involved as a producer – only as a consumer. You passing judgment as an outsider. Excuse me, as *an outsider warrior goddess*
Your complaints would be legitimate, if you chose to participate and become involved in creating the experience. If you walk into an eco-festival in California with a laundry list of things you want to see, you should be prepared to start making those things, or STFU and GTFO
WhitePharaoh
April 17, 2015 at 10:05 pm
one of the best replies i ever read.
thank you
April 18, 2015 at 5:25 am
awesome comment. thank you a lot for it.
and now we should collectively stop giving this brat a platform to spew her vitriolic sexist and racist worldviews
Gnostech
April 17, 2015 at 5:22 pm
I’m sorry, WHAT? Why was this article even published? Where is your editor? This is so awful. You’re so privileged and entitled that you think a festival thrown in a primarily white area should what – suddenly turn non-white? And that white people celebrating other people’s cultures is a bad thing?
You know what, whatever. You obviously came there with a bad attitude and some sort of cultural marxist agenda. Lucidity has one overarching rule: you get out what you put in. What did YOU contribute to the festival? Did you just want to show up and be a “goddess” and have everyone bow down to your awesome, non-white superiority? (lol @ persians being non-white, you need to learn history)
Personally I’m kind of pissed that all of this multicultural diversity nonsense is driving all of us insane. I’m all for celebrating other cultures and experiencing everything our amazing world has to offer but whites are becoming demons in the eyes of so-called progressives and this is very scary.
I saw almost every religious pantheon represented at Lucidity EXCEPT any of the ones that were white: Greek, Roman, Nordic, Celtic, etc. Personally I get a lot out of Hindu mythology, but there is a lot of evidence that Hindu and Norse mythology shares a common Indo-Aryan root. Why isn’t Odin, Thor, Loki, etc represented at Lucidity? Because it’s too white?
Well whatever. Next year I’m going to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT unlike you. I’ll set up my own space where people can explore and experience European-pagan roots. And guess what? I’m not going to feel bad about it, and I’m also not going to be an asshole if someone from a different culture or race wants to participate or explore my culture and my race.
Being white is NOT A CRIME.
bubbles
April 17, 2015 at 10:28 pm
>whiteness is not a crime
Well, not yet
Golnar Fatemeh
April 17, 2015 at 5:00 pm
Well, you’re entitled to your opinion… So there’s that. Here’s my opinion. This article is so misinformed it makes me laugh. I’m a Persian female and felt so included, so incited, and so apart of Lucidity. Why are you searching for people of color??? Is that necessary for you to feel included?
Oh and by the way, different ethnicities were represented everywhere. Did you go to the opening or closing ceremonies held by Native American, African or Mayan eleders? I did and we all participated, held hand, and did a vortex dance. Did you attend even one of the hundreds of workshops led by all sorta of people Friday – Sunday?? I went to at least five! Did you go listen to the elders story tell by the communal campfire every evening? OF COURSE NOT! You were only there for four hours. Go back with new eyes and an open heart, you’re being very silly.
Chelsea
April 17, 2015 at 3:17 pm
I’ve been going to lucidity for the past 3 years, and I’m deeply sorry you didn’t get the expertise you deserved, but it seems you only gave it 4 hours and not much of an open mind? Unfortunately, I have to agree with a few points you have made as even I’ve notice as the popularity of the festival grows the quality of the intentions of the attendants has gone down hill. Those two you met, for lack of a better word, we’re complete douches. That is not an accurate representation of who attends these festivals. I’ve met nothing but kind, sharing, conscious, open hearted people of many colors and ages each time I’ve gone. Of all the workshops I attended a little less than half were being taught by people of color which is not accurate representation I agree, but it is still representation. This is a 3 day festival with classes starting at 9am and going until midnight meaning four hours out of one day there is an impossibly small amount of time to be basing your opinion on. Not to mention there is an entire area of the festival devoted to women and women teachers…. Which is a stark contrast to your claims of none. It seems as though you showed up with your mind made up already. Your passing biased judgment towards people dancing when in reality they were probably feeling free and safe only to have you there watching like a grumpy hawk. That’s exactly the kind of attitude no one wants at a transformation festival. Normally I’m right there with you teaching people overt and covert ways that white culture appropriates and furthers racism, but this article is extremely mean spirited and close minded.
Taylor Harris
April 17, 2015 at 3:09 pm
http://reason.com/blog/2015/03/22/nyt-on-the-zenith-of-trigger-warning-par
Rob Grant
April 17, 2015 at 11:30 am
I’m surprised that with a psych minor, the author would seem to be unaware of the cognitive bias of general attribution error. Basically, it is where one applies characteristics of one or more members of a group, as characteristic of the group as a whole. Getting a complete picture of a group of 4,000 people is impossible in three days time, much less four hours. How many workshop leaders could she have seen in four hours time? I’m disappointed that the Daily Nexus opinion editor would ignore this obvious shortcoming in this op-ed. I too have questioned what appears to be a fetishization of non-european cultures at festivals like Lucidity, but I’ve come to realize that hackneyed though it may be, it represents a dissatisfaction with white American culture, and a yearning by people who’ve known nothing else to escape the echo chamber of their upbringing. Lucidity has a tradition of addressing the polemic of cultural appropriation in a positive and productive way in a way that is just simply uncommon in America at large.
http://lucidityfestival.com/reframing-the-cultural…/
Matt
April 17, 2015 at 11:27 am
I’m sorry about those douchebag kids. But no need to reflect your emotions about their douchiness, onto an entire race. I mean seriously, “Whiteness is a culture of cultural appropriation, white supremacy and modern racism.”…
So is blackness the same as black supremecy?? No because that’s the most racist and condescending fucking term ever and so is whiteness (in context of racism).
The white race has done much injustice in this world but you cannot generalize a whole culture and people around that, that is just racism as well.
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Let’s not become racist trying to destroy racism.
WhitePharaoh
April 17, 2015 at 10:10 pm
“The white race has done much injustice in this world”
stop dude. just stop. it will never be enough. the technology, infrastructure, medicine, science and inherent rights we all enjoy were created by “whites”. millions of us fought and died for other’s rights and freedom. everything oppressive was met three-fold with kindness. even to our own detriment. apology time is over.
Gnostech
April 17, 2015 at 10:28 pm
Right? Like every other race hasn’t waged war, enslaved, and committed atrocities? Anyone ever hear of Genghis Khan? This is some serious nonsense.
J
April 17, 2015 at 11:13 am
I am a white, cis female that has been attending music and awareness festivals for some ten years now. I feel very fortunate to have attended these gatherings all over Canada. Your article made me think of the culture of these events differently, which I thank you for. I aim to be more critical of the environment of these types of places and to watch for these micro aggressions you discussed, from myself and other attendees.
You are right when you say these festivals are white, at least the majority of ones I’ve attended certainly are. I’m sorry those two men lent to an unsafe space for you and your friend. Please know that at these gatherings there are kind and compassionate people that strive to better themselves as human beings. I can’t speak for all white people but a lot of us would like to open up and diversify the festival community, so please continue to speak out against the racism you have seen and experienced. Sometimes it takes someone calling you out on unacceptable behaviour before you realize what you are doing. Some people want to hear and learn how to make these places safer and accepting of everyone, as many of these events claim to be.
I understand if not, but I hope someday you give a festival another chance! Maybe a Canadian one? I know some good ones!
Nick H
April 17, 2015 at 11:03 am
Sorry about your experience. I’ve never been to Lucidity, but many of my best friends were there, many of them people of color and grace. I wish you’d ran into them as I can guarantee none of them would have treated you as thoughtlessly as those you ran into.
Many of the comments on this article are almost as lame as those she experienced at the event. Guys, you’re proving her point!
While I agree with the sentiment that one shouldn’t dismiss an entire event or culture for the words and poorly chosen dance moves of a few obnoxious d-bags, lashing out at the girl for pointing out those flaws is not the proper way to respond. You a-holes are just proving her point.
People need to have the strength of character to not just refrain from douchery themselves, but to check those around them who think that it’s ok to make those kinds of comments. Harassing people of color (or anyone, for that matter) is not OK, and if you witness someone else doing it around you you should let them know what an a-hole they’re being.
While I understand why you use the term ‘whiteness’ as an epithet, I believe the word you’re looking for is “Douchebag” : https://medium.com/…/douchebag-the-white-racial-slur…
It makes us uncomfortable to be confronted with the realities of cultural appropriation and subtle racism, but we need to get past our knee jerk defensiveness and to a place of true welcoming before we start to see the kind of diversity and inclusiveness we long for. Unfortunately, 4 hours wasn’t enough for you to run into someone who could better represent our culture…
Nick H
April 17, 2015 at 11:04 am
This is the link I was trying to share
I think many of the commentators on your blog should read this before they post more defensive harassment to people sharing their experiences…
D L
April 17, 2015 at 10:52 am
WOW what an ignorant and poorly written article. Her basic racists assumptions are gross and disgusting and put on display the author’s obvious lack of thoughtful discussion. Its a shame the nexus prints such mindless dribble. They should retract the article and offer and apology.
“Whiteness is a culture of cultural appropriation, white supremacy and modern racism.” STUPID AND IGNORANT
Horrible and shows the low standards of the Nexus
Nick H
April 17, 2015 at 11:12 am
You know who else from Santa Barbara thought women who disagreed with him were stupid and ignorant? This Guy
Don’t be like this guy. I’d rather be represented by or resemble a disappointed feminist POC than an angry, entitled murderer.
DL
April 18, 2015 at 12:46 pm
a comment of the lowest type. wow Its not women its this young girl who obviously has a lot of learning and growing to do. Her comments are stupid and display ignorance of the hypocrisy her own argument displays.
SST
April 18, 2015 at 11:17 pm
In a comment section filled with the some extremely ugly racist and sexist rants you single out NICK’s civil reminder of where this sort of thing can lead as “a comment of the lowest type”? Wow. Just wow.
NF
April 17, 2015 at 10:49 am
Hey honey,
Sorry you had such a bad time and that those guys were jerks to you and that it left a “bad taste in your mouth”!
Please know that not all festivals are like this and with all due respect I find it unfair to base the whole festival off of some rude guys’ comments, although that is unfortunate and I would be mad too.
Also, perhaps in the short time you were there (4 hours) you were unable to see that there were a diverse variety of people there from many cultures. This was my first year at Lucidity but the artists and presenters were culturally diverse– just look at their website. I saw a wide variety of people.
Sorry you had a bad time but I do find it unfair that you biased your experience off of 4 short hours and 2 rude men.
K
April 17, 2015 at 10:28 am
I know festival culture is not perfect, and I agree that there is room to evolve. I personally would like to see a lot less raging and consuming and more focus on sustainability and consciousness. I am sorry this was your experience and I commend you for speaking your truth and advocating for something better.
However I do have one question:
When can we break down these cultural barriers and be able to authentically express ourselves as part of the diverse human culture without being seen as cultural appropriation?
I am Persian and Filipino but I by no means limit my self expression to those cultures. I value the wisdom of other cultures, and I have a deep love and respect for their beauty. I am part of the diverse human culture and I am not limited to the countries my ancestors grew up in. If America really is this land that many cultures come to to make one culture, would it not make sense that we share culture with each other without it being “cultural appropriation”? Why not educate them on what that means in that culture, what it’s significance is instead of judging them? That’s just my two cents.
And to everyone that is judging her for speaking her truth, great way to represent our community and empower her point… I feel what she is saying is so valuable as I sometimes have felt it myself and I’ve been going to festivals for 6 years. She was told the magick of our community and instead experienced the darkness that sometimes can be there. Why not hold space for her and show her differently… Being rude doesn’t make it better <3
Scott
April 17, 2015 at 9:57 am
Honestly, it sounds like you had a bad time and are trying to act like every human at a transformational festival is a racist white-privileged idiot.
This must be your first festival, because like all places, we will find the people who are “Good” at doing the thing they’re doing, and “Bad” at it.
Festivals are a place to go and be free to be yourself, even if your a dumbass. It’s a place to burn of old patterns and habbits, and get feedback from those around you and learn how to be a better person.
Those guys probably were like sophomores in the festival world, they look the part, but they still lack the education that comes with longer-term study.
As a human who has gone to festivals for most of his life, and started off as a really dumb “white” kid out there, I can tell you that you missed the entire essence of the festival. People want & NEED to be silly and fun and just dumb sometimes. But the idea that festivals in general are racist is silly in itself.
People LOVE doing this, thats why it happens. Some kid goes to a festival, has his mind blown, and after ten years of hard work and single steps, he is throwing a festival himself. He’s not saying ‘lets make as much money as we can’, he’s doing what he can with what he’s got.
This modern culture is fucked up, and we are doing our best with what we were given. The difference between you and the people who enjoy the festivals (among other things im sure), is that you dont see the large scale picture and the long term affect it has on people.
They say the road to heaven is paved in hell, and I can tell ya that festival culture is one of the paths that can lead right to freedom and inner liberation and love.
Once you stop worrying about what the world is doing TO you, you can start doing something better TO THE WORLD.
Love always.
Monkey
April 17, 2015 at 7:10 am
I commend you on sharing your experiences at Lucidity 2015, sharing and being a part of the community is one thing that the festival is all about…BUT…I’d have to say this narrative is the absolute exception. I have gone to every Lucidity thus far and never ONCE experienced anything remotely similar. Quite the opposite, all interactions I’ve had are pure, transformational, and uplifting. All of my camp neighbors have been courteous, loving, and VERY community oriented. Is it luck? Is it by chance? I think not. This is what the Lucidity crew strive to establish.
If you are looking for a more diverse clan of instructors and facilitators then you obviously did not look at the lineup. Many women, many colors, and many walks of life. It’s a shame you only see the narrow view that you do and fail to see what actually happened over the entire weekend (having only experiencing 4 hours).
If you enter an event looking for external stimuli to lift you up and expect your transformational experience to originate from outside of yourself then you missed the point! If you come into Lucidity knowing the change you want begins in yourself then you have begun the right journey!
I think I can echo what many are saying in I hope that you don’t write off Lucidity and you come next year. Just do yourself (and the other festival goers)a favor next time… come in without expectations, come in with an open heart to community, come in with the mentality of being part of something bigger than yourself. You do that and I guarantee your review next year will have a much more positive spin of the festival.
Sammy
April 17, 2015 at 7:07 am
I thought the Uber point at the end was going to be a joke, but then it wasn’t. Does the author of this piece really not see the contradiction between all the points she made and the fact that she – unreflectively, it seems – uses a service that pays horrible wages, knowingly imperils the safety of its workers, and is actively and eagerly contributing to the systematic destruction of public transit in cities across the country (something that bears most acutely on poor people of color)?
Also, the first step in being taken seriously by anyone outside of an academic “Studies” department (which presumably is the case if you’re writing an op-ed) is properly spelling pronouns. That alone shows how out of touch she is with the vast, vast, vast majority of people, including the vast, vast, vast majority of people of color.
steve
April 17, 2015 at 3:31 pm
Not to mention that dial-a-ride transit is the most energy-inefficient mode of transportation on Earth.
What a racist, ecologically harmful womAn.
steven
April 17, 2015 at 4:14 am
She spends so much money for an education that teaches her to misspell words to the point of being unemployable. Hilarious.
No wonder they cut billions from UC’s budget. The soft sciences are brainwashing people to the point of mental derangement.
:/
Leeroy
April 17, 2015 at 1:48 am
How do I unread this?
steven
April 17, 2015 at 4:29 am
http://www.debate.org/opinions/are-persians-iranians-white
Mike
April 17, 2015 at 12:03 am
There is no need to feel offended over people from one culture participating in activities from a culture which is not their own. Even if it’s being misinterpreted and if in doing so they are making complete idiots of themselves due to their ignorant (not a**h*le-ish) behavior. I hope you’ve never been to any Cinco de Mayo or St. Patrick’s Day parties because then you’d be a hypocrite. I could go and rant all about the “whiteness” and “microaggressions” that are present at every Gauchos home soccer game (I’m referring to the tortillas that are thrown onto the field) and blame the entire UCSB campus but, I know that most of those students only do it to fit in and because everyone else has done it, and that the purpose of throwing the tortillas is not to offend.
I don’t feel for you or your experience at this festival. Your expectations were unrealistically high and you had the misfortune of interacting with two guys who are ignorant and complete a**h***s, and you left too soon after. I bet that if jumping off a bridge was “cool” those guys would be buying tickets as soon as they went on sale.
I really do appreciate and admire your forward thinking and desire for equality, but you can’t hold everyone to that right now because it’s too soon and unrealistic.
brock
April 16, 2015 at 10:50 pm
Blah blah fukn blah…Utter nonsense . Totally fallacious premise. She had judgements before she ever got there. I’m not buying her guilt trip projections. Why the phuck doesn’t SHE get up and volunteer for a slot to speak and teach yoga? I guaruntee she wouldn’t be “excluded” She’s excluding her own damn self . She is projecting just as many “micro-aggressions” as she is accusing ‘the ENTIRE Festival scene’?! uv lolz… Just because more POC don’t show up doesn’t even come close to the conclusion that the entire festi is subliminally racist. She arrived with a whole load of contrived expectations and left ONLY 4 HOURS in. cuz of ONE disney comment. as halfass ignorant as that moment may have been. The image above is PREcisely how I feel when trying to slog through her bitter self entitled rant… Oi vei…
Realeyes
April 16, 2015 at 9:04 pm
Yeah but that is more a sign of out society and culture than it is of Lucididy. Lucidity didnt select out who they wanted to attend the festival, and I saw a diversity of people and IDEAS teaching workshops and attending this festival. I do resonate a little about what you are talking about, and I think that the problem lies in the fact that Lucidity was actually seeking to heal these wounds by bringing both of these cultures together, however it was more of a failure of “white culture” to respect other cultures, rather than Lucidity only inviting racist white people like you were portraying.
I personally was disappointed how people treated the elders that were invited by photographing them praying, and flying drones over people meditating. This festival had a juxtaposition of cultures, which is good in some ways yet painful in others. Ultimately I believe it is up to each and everyone of us to confront this and heal the wounds in anyway we can, so that we CAN heal and unite, which I honestly believe what Lucidity was trying to accomplish.
Wolfbear, Media Wrangler @ Lucidity
April 17, 2015 at 2:03 pm
Realeyes: Would love to chat with you further about how we walk that delicate balance between storytelling, footage capture, sacred space and consent. We’re deep in the conversation across the board, had a workshop specifically for media that was well attended on these topics and I’ve written about it at length in our blog:
http://blog.lucidityfestival.com/way-beyond-the-lens-7-trends-to-help-festival-media-last-for-7-generations/
Feel free to shoot me an email at media@lucidityfestival.com to share your experience and we can talk about the nuances you saw that could be improved in the future!
b
April 16, 2015 at 8:08 pm
Baby’s first sociology paper. Don’t worry Jasmine, you’ll get better if you practice.
JO
April 16, 2015 at 7:08 pm
I have had so many of these experiences… thank you for sharing your story.
Joshua
April 16, 2015 at 6:01 pm
Went to a party with expectations. Met a couple of obvious dirt balls. Saw people selling stuff at the standard, overpriced festival rates. Got mad. Had enough money for a 40 mile Uber. Attend a prestigious and expensive University. Have the right to lecture on privilege and cultural insensitivity bit only the patience to be there for 4 hours. Sure. This all adds up.
If you want to change things, please come get inside of those things you wish to change. Your article takes an extremely shortsighted view on a very broad spectrum of personalities. Personally, I had to check several people for acting like kids at the event. I did it with pride in the community that I know we’re working to build and that’s simply not what you experienced (I personally apologize for this and wish I could have been witness to it so my hippy whoopass can could have been put to good use). That’s a huge let down. I know we all hope you’ll try it again, but please manage your expectations. Don’t pretend that Festival culture is any different than our general culture. Yes, it is a privileged culture – who can afford it but those of us that work hard or are gifted somehow with wealth? It sounds like the biggest mistake you made was thinking you were hopping on an “it’s a small world” event. Try again. Or give up. It depends on if you want to make change or hide from the norm.
Amma
April 16, 2015 at 3:52 pm
Firstly, I wish to thank you for so eloquently sharing your experience at Lucidity this year. It hurts my heart to hear how you were mistreated by those two men.
However, I invite you to not write off all “transformational” festivals because of this one experience. Many women do come to these festivals to unleash their “inner goddess” and some find it a safe space to do so, and some do not. Personally, I have come out of some festivals feeling supported and held as a woman, and left others feeling disrespected and unsafe. I think it’s all part of the learning and transformation that we are undergoing as a society and culture at large. It’s good to remember that although festivals try to create a more open and transformational space, in the end they are still part of the larger society we all live in, and therefore, a reflection of it. If anything, I’ve found that in general, festivals create a more open-minded and open-hearted environment, and because of this, people are more willing to enter into dialogue about things like racism, sexism, etc, and try and create solutions to these age-old problems we face.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, anyone can buy a ticket to a festival, and bring whatever attitude they want to bring. I think all of us have run into assholes at festivals. It’s easy to let that define the entirety of the experience…and, it can also be a nice challenge to push through the discomfort of dealing with rude people, and open up to more love! There’s definitely a whole lot of it to go around, and I can guarantee you that there are many festival-goers who would be equally horrified at your experience, and want nothing more then to wrap you in their love and show you how welcoming, safe and transformational festivals can be!
Andrew
April 16, 2015 at 3:44 pm
It is ironically painful when racist people call other people racist. Author of this article.. if you want to be happy, get used to the fact that a lot of people in this world (including festival-goers) are ignorant. But whatever you do, please don’t generalize. This article is just one big generalization. Really painful to read, and I feel like I lost a few IQ points reading this. Ugh.
Afewirki
April 16, 2015 at 2:37 pm
wooooooow lady. Take an extremely large chill pill and don’t let a couple ignorant people at your FIRST FESTIVAL ruin a whole enttire weekend and your outlook on festival. This is one of my favorite festivals and basically I have experienced everything you said you didn’t there. Love, compassion, amazing friendships with people of ALL COLORS. You just let a few bad apples spoil your entire fucking pie and honestly your entire article is pretty racist considering you just pigeon holed all of is whites at festivals to be ignorant biggots. Grow the fuck up sister, quit over anlayzing everything, and quit getting so butthurt about a few bad eggs, every festival has them.
Ps, you’re supposed to pack a cooler of food for the weekend not spend 12 dollars and complain.
Zoe Raven
April 16, 2015 at 2:37 pm
I too have seen a lot of ignorance and Lucidity and other “conscious music festivals”. I to am highly disturbed by the irony of all the ignorance at these festivals… I must say though, I felt a lot more disturbed last year (my first year at lucidity) than this year. My first Lucidity festival a year ago was my first “transformational festival”. I held such high expectations for it (being, as you said, everything that Coachella is not). However, once I arrived there I not only saw much of the ignorance held in everyday society and main stream festivals but also mixed with this sense spiritual superiority….
This year, I looked at the festival in a new way. I didn’t put it up on a pedestal of idealisms. I saw it as more of a breeding ground for new ideas, where people can meet and dialogue. Its beautiful I think how at any given moment the environment is a co-created by each individual on the premise. Of course, this co-creation means that the residue of our nation’s white supremacist culture will be woven into it’s fabric. That being said, it is vital for people to bring these acts into dialogue to make more people aware of their insensitivities.
I really honor you for sharing this experience at Lucidity and I’m sorry that it did not provide a safe space for you. It is through this sharing that we gain deeper understanding of ourselves and others and in doing so foster a deeper sense of self-love and empathy.