The day Delavion Johnson of Four Points in Denver won his first track meet he knew he was destined for a life dominated by speed. Going on to win all manner of track championships, the African-American athlete followed in the long and proud strides of Jesse Owens, not only in his athleticism but also in breaking racial barriers. To Delavion’s surprise, however, he has gotten opposition in his latest speed endeavor. “The first day I went out to Colorado National Speedway, and felt the power of a V-12, I decided to try out of’ NASCAR. I never thought that would get me into the hot water I’m in.”
Enter University of Colorado professor Dr. Jake Keskinen of the Majority Studies division of the Sociology Department. “We in academia are conceded about certain disturbing tends in society today, particularly cultural appropriation. We repudiate any individual or group who shamelessly plagiaries or misuses the cultural preserves of races and ethnicities other than their own.” He went on to add, “When Katy Perry dared to wear her white-girl hair in corn-rows, it was at my prompting that students first protested on CU’s campus. When a Caucasian duo endeavored to open a high-end taco joint in Portland earlier this year, I personally flew out to protest this calamity! Now, because we in CU’s Majority Studies are not about double standards, we would like to repudiate Delavion Johnson’s cultural appropriation of a traditionally Caucasian institution: NASCAR.” As Keskinen elucidated, “Enough, enough, enough. I mean, come on, we gave them basketball and they recently took golf, can’t we dominate one sport that doesn’t involve water?”
When Johnson announced his interest in NASCAR on social media, he sparked a wave of protests that became viral. To our surprise at the Focopolitan Tribune, Dr. Keskinen has found an unlikely ally: the Northern Colorado Chapter of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. Long the nemesis of African-Americans, the KKK has joined its voice with the chorus of people calling out cultural appropriators. The Klan spokesman, speaking to the Tribune anonymously declared, “NASCAR stands for Non-Athletic Sport Centered Around Rednecks, not Non-Aryan Sport Containing All Races! For once, I’d like to use my so-called ‘white privilege’ to exclude this cultural thief from our sacred institution! I mean, they culturally appropriated the presidency of this nation for a whole eight years. We failed to keep them people out of the high school in Arkansas back in the ’60s…at least let us win this one for once. What’s the next thing you’re gonna tell us? Is he gonna get sponsored by the Cracker Barrel? That’s just about as wrong as Canadian country music; don’t even get me started on that!”
Focopolitan Tribune reporter Buck Hummingbird caught up with Johnson, and he appeared to take it all in stride. “Cultural appropriation? What kinda bullshit is that? Look, man…I’m just a competitive athlete who’s lookin’ of’ my next thing. Now these idiots be sayin’ I can’t, ’cause I’m culturally appropriating? Next thing these assholes be saying’ is that black people can’t speak appropriate English – we gonna all have to speak Ebonics ’cause we culturally appropriating the English language? Gimme a break, man!” He paused, and with the confident smile of a champion, Delvaion quipped, “Okay, I promise that if I make it into NASCAR, Aunt Jemima and Church’s Chicken are gonna sponsor me.” With a wink, a nod, and a smile, Delavion got back into his race car’s seat.
