NDP leadership candidate Niki Ashton deleted a photo on social media quoting the lyrics to a Beyoncé song after she was accused of indulging in cultural appropriation. Words with the photo read “To the Left, to the Left,” a phrase from the lyrics to Beyonce’s song Irreplaceable, which Ashton used to used to characterize the political direction she is taking in her run for the NDP leadership. Black Lives Matter Vancouver tweeted at the politician, saying “Appropriating Black culture is not intersectional feminism,” and asking her to delete the post and “address the issue.”Ashton, who identifies herself as a feminist and has said she’s committed to fighting inequality, deleted the photo and apologized to BLM Vancouver, saying it wasn’t “our intention to appropriate.” She added that she is “committed to a platform of racial justice.” Ashton also asked for the group’s feedback. Both BLM Vancouver’s tweet and Ashton’s response received a backlash online, with many confused about how quoting song lyrics was cultural appropriation and others upset with Ashton’s immediate removal of the offending photo.

Source: thestar March 16, 2017 23:48 UTC