Let's talk (briefly) about "Modern Swing"

This is a response I wrote in this r/WestCoastSwing thread where someone asked about the term “modern swing” that westies have been using over the past 3-4 years thanks to a movement initiated by Benji Schwimmer. I also can’t wait to dive into this book he’s supposedly publishing sometime this year.

What about saying the term "modern swing" is rooted in white supremacy?

I've been test-driving this idea in my mind for a while. The thing is, all swing dances are modern swing. It's done by modern people wearing modern clothing to modern music. And yes, nearly all swing dances, those coming from fertile Black American dances will call back to their originating musical roots.

When these dancers like Benji Schwimmer say "modern swing," they're dismissing most Black swing dances which include though not limited to hand dancing, KC Two Step, Philly Bop, Detroit Ballroom, DFW Swingout, etc. These are all modern swing dances. And when Benji get called in to answer when people pose questions about these other modern dances or actions he might take to honor Black dance cultural heritage and he doesn’t answer, that's a problem.

Once again, West Coast Swing either has a marketing problem or one where they are ignoring Black cultural dances and invisibilizing Blackness. The latter would be an issue of white supremacy and this would make this Benji post reek of insensitivity.