Black and White Line Pop Art Girl With Hair

The concept of cultural appropriation has become a frequent topic of conversation, but nevertheless, the fashion world continues to brand the most painfully obtuse, racially insensitive editorial decisions.

If it'due south non a white model photographed in blackface, information technology'southward an commodity declaring baby-hair and cornrows equally the latest "trends" -- even though those black styles have been around forever. This week, Allure magazine drew criticism for posting a brief article education "straight haired girls" (ie: white girls) how to get an afro.

On Aug. 3, black women on Tumblr and Twitter chosen out the tutorial for beingness racially insensitive and also inaccurate -- white model and actress Marissa Neitling is pictured rocking corkscrew curls, hardly an afro. Twitter user Eileen Dautruche observed:

"Black Twitter" said it once, only let's say information technology again: It is not cool for white women to wear black hairstyles. It is not beautiful. Information technology is not flattering.

When white women habiliment black hairstyles, it's a slap in the face to black women.

There are then many reasons why information technology'south not okay for white women to rock styles traditionally worn by blackness women, including Afros, braids (no, not French braids, calm down), dreadlocks, and baby hairs. Blackness pilus is not simply hair. In that location's history and context tied to these styles that cannot be ignored, a historical legacy forever linked to the ongoing cultural remnants of slavery and institutional racism. A white person who wears these styles dismisses that context and turns black hair into a novelty, a parody, a subtle form of greasepaint.

Box braids and cornrows tin be traced all the style to ancient African civilizations. The practice of loc-ing hair (which, no, doesn't entail only not washing the pilus for several months) has religious ties to Rastafarianism.

The Afro came to prominence in the 1960s as a statement of pride and self-dearest in direct answer to white supremacy. And in the last 5 years, the natural pilus motion, with its twist-outs, bantu knots, and launder-north-gos, has brought near a resurgence in self-credence among black women.

Black women accept had our hair mocked and degraded, we accept been chosen "nappy-headed-hoes," and we accept been socialized to believe that our hair is "bad" considering it is not direct. When nosotros exercise rock our natural hair, it'due south called unkempt and unattractive.

In the professional person world and in academia, having this and then-called "unkempt" pilus is often a liability. Meanwhile, colorful or elaborate weaves are chosen "ghetto" and "ratchet." On the flip side, white women with unnaturally colored hair or offbeat styles are deemed quirky and alternative -- a double standard to say the least.

As Annah Anti-Palindrome (a white women who used to wear dreadlocks) observed on Everyday Feminism,"Without any regard to personal qualifications, even with an incarceration record and no college education, I was often given responsibilities [at work] that put me in positions of authorization over my co-workers of color. Despite my... appearance, I enjoyed a level of tolerance from dominance figures and order at big that can simply be attributed to my whiteness. "

White women are able to wear black hairstyles without the stigma of actually being black.

So, finally, no. No. When Blackness women straighten our hair, or dye it blonde, we're not "appropriating white hairstyles" -- it is not the same matter. The word you are looking for is assimilation. White hair is the norm. It is the default. It is the societal ideal. There are many reasons why black women today wear their pilus either natural or straightened, but for the about part, the practice of straightening black hair came from a real necessity to conform and survive, and to meliorate emulate societal beauty standards that oppress women of all races -- standards that only happen to be based around white beauty.

Information technology's important to remember that when blackness women call out articles similar the one featured in Attraction, or criticize white women similar Kylie Jenner or Rita Ora for wearing black styles, it's not simply out of this demand to deny access to something merely for the sake of it. To you lot, white women, it's just a cool hairstyle. To u.s., it'due south something we've fought to be able to fully embrace. There are other ways to admire or gloat black pilus without coopting it. Only understand -- black hair tin exist securely political, deeply spiritual, and deeply personal.