100% Afrika?

Part of Ben's birthday celebration was a visit to the Afro Cafe in Salzburg.  The teachers Ben works with gifted him some Afro-bucks, so away we went!

 

So, what am I taking away from this experience?
1. Well, I now know how to custom-set the white balance on my camera.  Red fluorescent lights? No, thanks.  But, it was necessary to learn because that mural needs to be captured for posterity.
2. Although it's called Afro Cafe, it was not African by any stretch of the imagination.  Speaking of Africa, I just read in Time that most African countries are experiencing incredible GDP growth and that the population of Africa will more than double by 2050 to an estimated 1.9 billion.
3. I'm not a child of the '70s, but the mural and aesthetic of the place are pretty African-American, circa ~1971,  right? We could get into a huge discussion about cultural appropriation, and if a cafe run by 100% white workers in Austria should be called Afro Cafe.

Also, there's been this advertisement plastered around town:

100% party, I believe, but 100% Afrika?  No.

Hmm...

And then there was an advertisement at the bus stop of a man in a stereotypical Native American outfit selling something.

Hmm...

This happens a lot; what begins as me trying to be light-hearted usually ends with me considering and critiquing what I experience, and often, it takes writing about it for me to work out how I feel.  Like, hey, look at all of these beautiful buildings!  Oh wait, what happened here?  Now, I just need to get into a classroom so I can teach my students how to develop a critical perspective.

Note: I think that many Austrians would not find this culturally insensitive, and that they do not open cafes like Afro Cafe to be demeaning to anyone, however, Americans tend to err on the side of political correctness.  Cultural differences.