White person with braids

In this op-ed, Antonia Opiah explores the shortcomings of the current cultural appropriation conversation. At the heart of conversations about CA — in its very definition — is an imbalance of power.

Got questions about why people get mad when white folks wear traditionally Black hairstyles? So maybe your first question is this: Why the hell do I care about what some teenager does with her hair? The white, younger sister of Kim Kardashian posted a photo of herself wearing cornrows. Then, year-old Amandla Stenberg best known for playing Rue on The Hunger Games before becoming best known for inspiring widespread awe with her summary of cultural appropriation made me applaud my computer screen once again. Now, the public is weighing in. I get it. In our world, systems of oppression create power dynamics between different groups of people.

White person with braids

I see it as a welcome cultural export, not pernicious appropriation. The politics of hair is becoming another issue that exacerbates the racial divide. H air is not an easy thing for a woman to manage, day to day. In recent times, hairstyles have increasingly become a politicised, racialised issue that women are expected to have a stance on. I do understand the symbolism of hair, especially to black women who, like black men, have had to endure taunts and insults about their natural physical appearance in the past. However, in the words of India. It has also become a case of some women wanting to dictate to other women how they should wear their hair. In an era in which mixing, matching and borrowing are fundamental elements of fashion worldwide, an era in which we are trying to emphasise our common humanity, do we really have to insist on particular hairstyles being the exclusive ownership of a certain race? I had hoped such days were long gone. I choose to wear my hair natural not because I suddenly discovered how evil hair relaxers are, but because of my hair texture. I choose to celebrate the freedom of swinging between hairstyles, and if women out there of any race choose to adapt my styles, I have no qualms about that. This would mean me having to reconsider my whole make-up routine.

We welcome outside contributions. Although Jenner and Kardashian West have both ignored previous opinions on it, let this be a lesson to anyone who's even thinking about braiding their hair this way without giving credit where credit is due.

Arterbery drew on her own experience and that of professionals in fashion and media to explore the role of cornrows in contemporary American society. Readers responded on Facebook and on nytimes. Here is a selection of comments. Read the full article and the comments here. Either white girls will dislike your hair and ridicule it, or they will like it and try to imitate it. You already know how painful the first one was.

A viral video has started a debate about "cultural appropriation" and the racial politics of hair. The footage picks up in the middle of a confrontation between two young people - one a white man, the other a black woman. The argument centres around the man's hairstyle. Specifically, his dreadlocks. At one point she pushes him and tries to stop him from walking away. The video , which has been watched more than three million times on YouTube, kicked off a debate online. The man was later identified as Cory Goldstein, a student at San Francisco State University, where the video was apparently filmed. During the argument, Goldstein at one point declares: "You have no right to tell me what I can wear. Join the conversation on this and other stories here.

White person with braids

Jennifer Whitney does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. With their hair styled in multiple braids with colourful extensions, the famous offspring were promoting the latest trends in festival fashion and beat-the-heat summer hair. At first glance, such an enterprise might appear just to be fun, even frivolous. But fashion and beauty are never as superficial as they seem. Upon the release of the ad campaign, the Braid Bar found itself dealing with a knotty dilemma. The point being that this style of hair braiding is central to black female identity. Following the outcry, the Braid Bar released an apology :. It has come to our attention that we have not given enough consideration to the cultures that we have drawn from in creating The Braid Bar, particularly black culture. Having been naive, our eyes are now open to the issues… We would like to reach out and apologise to all of those who have been offended by our lack of cultural sensitivity… The Braid Bar is a welcoming and fun place for people of all races, ethnicities, genders, and ages; an environment that is all-inclusive and accessible to everyone.

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Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources. I was the only person of noncolor to be seen. It goes beyond hair. So, all of this back and forth sparks the ultimate question: "Is it ever okay for a person who isn't Black to wear cornrows? In our world, systems of oppression create power dynamics between different groups of people. This would mean me having to reconsider my whole make-up routine. This isn't the first time white people have decided that something in Black culture is cool, after all. Read more. Email link. Not to minimize the roots of your irritation, but to be annoyed with cornrows on white girls is also to be annoyed with the fact that cultures grow and mutate. In the case of hairstyles predominantly worn by Black people, the word appropriation comes up when non-Black people style their hair similarly. You have to get the hair to not be as slippery.

Arterbery drew on her own experience and that of professionals in fashion and media to explore the role of cornrows in contemporary American society. Readers responded on Facebook and on nytimes.

Newsletter Sign Up. Seeing a non-Black person be lauded for the same styles while fighting for your own natural hair rights is a terrible feeling. Through her own project, Inkblot Arts , Maisha taps into the creative arts and digital media to amplify the voices of those often silenced. Braids are protective hairstyles for tighter curl patterns that lack moisture. When a white woman wears a traditionally Black hairstyle, she:. Dance styles would have to go back a hundred years. Either white girls will dislike your hair and ridicule it, or they will like it and try to imitate it. It's a lot of effort for a look that ultimately isn't theirs. Use limited data to select content. You can't just erase what it was. Does it get worse if you try to rebrand them as something else? A white woman who wears dreadlocks is acting on her privilege to have that hairstyle and still get by, and even to get positive attention for her hair. Andrews thinks similarly. Politicising the issue of hair is wrong.