my point was that this tradition was shattered, or at least weakened, during the 60s and 70s, when all the artist you listed except the last two helped black artists crossover. Today there are plenty of black artists who outsell, (or at least match) Grande and Beiber, something that would’ve been unthinkable in Chuck Berry‘s time. 50 years ago, if a white artist copied a black artist the way Bieber copied Michael Jackson, the white artist would’ve made all the money. Bieber is rich, but not compared to the Jackson estate. There may be some statistical imbalance between deserved and actual success for modern black artists, but I’ll bet that fluctuates from decade to decade. it’s nothing like the overwhelming gap it used to be.

mainstream pop music outsells more sophisticated genres like rap and R&B, and in America these sophisticated genres are almost always the creation of the black community. The lower popularity of these genres could be caused by racial prejudice, but I think it’s just because most people prefer simpler music. it’s a shame, but it’s true. Bieber wasn’t nominated in the R&B category because he wasn’t good enough. The R&B artists you mention weren’t nominated in the pop category because they were too good.

I do appreciate your acknowledging that the white artists some dismiss as cultural appropriators are actually the ones who break down the racial barriers created by the music business. They put royalty checks into the pockets of the Black artists, and gave them exposure that really did lead to better gigs. That’s an important thing to remember when we talk about “white people“ doing this or that. There’s no inconsistency in the fact that white entertainers are allowed to wear black hairstyles, and black kids in high school aren’t. The people who are praising the black hairstyles on social media and those who are banning the black hair styles in schools are different people. This fact is hidden by the use of the passive voice, but it’s essential. Some white people hate black hairstyles and ban them, other white people like black hair styles and wear them. The first group are your enemies, and the second group are your allies.

I know you have two answers to that objection, (which are the best I have seen anywhere, and did cause me to pause and think). Nevertheless I don’t think they hold up to scrutiny. 1)As you pointed out in your article, people who get sun tanned are not trying to emulate African Americans, because there are lots of different peoples in the world with darker skin. 2)Your example of the guys in costume at a MAGA rally seemed compelling at first, but not when you consider that these are the only possible alternatives. a) If the costume doesn’t really look like the marginalized person being portrayed, it’s a caricature and designed for ridicule not respect b) if the costume made them really look like the marginalized person, they would get their asses kicked.

so apart from this thought experiment of yours, the so-called cultural appropriators are the most numerous and effective allies in the slow dissolving of racism. they are not doing it out of any sense of altruism or social conscience, but the long term result of their actions is that borders between races dissolve, and without races there is no racism.