We are about a year removed from the “performative male” trend having another resurgence, this time, from the angle of matchas and quarter-zips. It started off innocently, with influencer Kyle Umemba, nicknamed Kyle The Matcha Man, proclaiming his newfound love for matcha on TikTok last February. This was genuine, and you could tell that he was real about his enjoyment of the drink.

Next was the rise of the quarter zips, pioneered by influencer Jason Gyamfi. Rather than from the perspective of “love” for the clothing, he was cultivating a mindset and starting a movement. Also on TikTok, he encouraged men, especially Black men, to put down the Nike Tech, a popular sweatsuit among Gen Z, and start wearing quarter-zip sweaters. 

Dubbed “QZs,” Gyamfi paired the sweaters with matchas to inspire men to transform their lifestyles and expand their palates and horizons. It was deeper than just the quarter zip. 

There was no problem with either instance; it was just pure authenticity on display. The issue arose when the general public began approaching this movement the wrong way. 

The core of this movement was to empower Black people, but as it spread, it became a trend. When authenticity went out the window, the movement fell apart. 

As I’d scroll on social media or even walk around H-F, all of a sudden, I saw countless young men sporting quarter-zip sweaters. I quickly realized this had become another trend and that it’d likely die down soon. However, what I found under it was much more than a harmless trend; it was Black people abandoning their culture. 

The performative trend has always rubbed me the wrong way, because at the end of the day, people aren’t being themselves. In this case, I saw people leaving their culture by the wayside and assimilating into what they saw around them. 

This instance of assimilation was much more lighthearted than the forced assimilation that we have seen in American history. Ultimately, it boiled down to a lack of authenticity. People were wearing quarter-zips that they had never worn before and were only wearing to look trendy and cool, and drinking matchas when bitter drinks weren’t even to their liking. 

Despite the less grave nature of the situation, it still served as self-inflicted, forced assimilation. 

Now, one may ask, “What’s the big deal? It’s just people enjoying themselves and having fun with their fashion and lifestyles.” The thing is, this assimilation—just like matchas and QZs—is a trend, one as old as time. 

Assimilation is painted all over African Americans’ day-to-day lives. Whether it be code-switching to suppress African-American Vernacular English, straightening or relaxing natural hair, or avoiding culturally rich clothing to appear more “presentable,” the examples are endless—and I see this as a less significant, yet still notable, instance. 

Now, it should be acknowledged that quarter-zips are part of the culture of those who truly wear and enjoy them. Nevertheless, adding to one’s culture and conforming to another’s are on completely different ends of the spectrum. 

The trend has since died down, and those who are still consistently wearing quarter-zips and drinking matchas do so with authenticity and genuine enjoyment. 

This doesn’t change the fact that what happened, and is still happening, just to a lesser degree, was negative for the Black community. At the core of Black culture is authenticity, and trying to be someone you’re not has never—and will never—cultivate success or progress in African-American communities.