White Team Wins National Step-Off

A white sorority drill team from Arkansas won the national Sprite Step-Off this week, the first time a non-black team has done so. In the clip below, the audience seems ready to laugh them off the stage at first, but is quickly won over. But not everybody is cheering. Via News One For Black America:

Stepping, which is deeply rooted in the tradition of historically Black Fraternities, has moved into the mainstream. At the Sprite Step Off, a traditionally white sorority with all white members, Zeta Tau Alpha won the $100,000 prize. Bossip was in the audience and they agreed that Zeta Tau Alpha “brought it.” This can be considered of another example of how Black culture becomes mainstream and becomes appropriated by Caucasian people and becomes a greater part of American culture as a whole.

The comments discussion at both above links is fascinating. I'm reminded of Madonna's co-opting of vogueing.