From Michael Jackson’s Glove To Ghana’s Gold: Who Really Owns Black History?

Illustration: R.K / RABBI KUMI (2026)

Introduction:

There’s something deeply depressing about the way black people all over the world produce the dopest artifacts and collectibles in the culture, only to make them disposable like a wet wipe.

The Influence of Black Culture:

We create global culture like it’s a reflex. Music, fashion, slang, dance, jewelry, sneakers, hairstyles, entire aesthetics. Everybody literally wakes up every morning asking, “What are Black people doing?” like we’re the unofficial creative directors of society and how we shape it. But when it comes to ownership? Archiving our own history? Suddenly, everybody develops the instincts of a caveman, casually throwing a rock in the ocean.

Before people start saying shit like: “Well, everybody auctions off their stuff,” yes, obviously. But there’s a specific tragedy in watching culturally sacred Black artifacts become luxury Pokémon cards for billionaires and celebrity collectors who, for your information, don’t give a single FUCK about OUR CULTURE!

Celebrities and ownership:

Why don’t we, as a culture, ask ourselves why someone like Drake, who has shown us time after time again that he does not care about black culture, but somehow owns Tupac’s ring? Michael Jackson’s glove? Cameron’s pink fur? And even Pharell’s chains?  

Illustration: R.K / RABBI KUMI (2026)

Tupac Shakur is not just a rapper. He’s a revolutionary symbol. A global cultural icon. But somehow, one of the most meaningful personal pieces tied to him ends up sitting in another celebrity’s collection like a rare Supreme drop. The same thing with Michael Jackson's clothing, which is casually owned by Lady Gaga herself.

The Role Of Institutions:

White people build museums while we either throw away our shit or auction them off for a couple of millions we eventually throw away in the strip club or spend on chains? Shit, that doesn't matter in the long run!

We have even come to a point where the United Kingdom really looked Ghana in the face and said: “Yes, about those looted crown jewels we stole… good news, you may borrow them back temporarily.”

Illustration: R.K / RABBI KUMI (2026)

Borrow them back? The audacity of these niggas, bro. Imagine someone breaking into your house, snatching your grandmother’s chain that has been in your living room as long as you can remember, then offering you a weekend visitation slot and charging you for that shit?  

But the uncomfortable truth is this. Everybody EXCEPT US understands the value of Black artifacts. That’s the shit nobody wants to say out loud and admit. Because ownership is about more than money. It’s about memory. Narrative. Legacy. Whoever controls the artifacts controls the story. And too often, we treat culturally important items like shit instead of historical anchors.

Conclusion:

The real issue is that, at the end of the day, Black cultural history and artifacts are never owned by us. Our story and our narrative are always being told from an outsider perspective! And we cannot keep acting shocked when outsiders become gatekeepers of our legacy after we willingly auctioned the keys away.

Maybe the real flex isn’t buying the chain, the ring, the jacket, or the glove. Maybe the real flex is building institutions that make sure they never leave us in the first place!