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"A lot of African-Americans, some of them feel a connection to Africa, but some feel slightly ashamed," she says. Being able to facilitate such self-discovery is one of the reasons Virginia began The African Sim, her African-focused Tumblr for The Sims, in the first place. Clothing, whether it be physical or not, allows people to explore their identities, to express themselves in ways they can't through words alone. The Sims might be a video game, its clothes stitched from 1s and 0s, but here was proof that a simple digital garment could make a big difference. That's your culture that was stolen from you, and you're asking if you're allowed to have it back? You should wear it with pride!"įor Virginia, that moment was a real eye-opener. "You're a Black person asking me if you can wear clothes that were created for Black people. "I was like, of course not!" she recalls. 'Would it be cultural appropriation if my Sim wears it?'

'I'm African-American, I'm Black, but I don't feel strong ties to Africa,' read the email.

That only made the response she received to one of her West-African wedding dresses all the more surprising. Though she had spent the first 12 years of her life in West Africa, her mixed-race origins marked her as an outsider, and she worried people might see her creations as inauthentic.

Virginia never imagined she'd be telling a Black woman it was okay to wear Black clothes.Īs an African with lighter skin, Virginia had feared accusations of cultural appropriation when she first started making traditional African outfits for The Sims 4.