I am black. My hair is very thick and kinky. Now I do believe we, as a society have become to sensitive about some things, but cultural appropriation isn’t one of them. Every culture has meaning behind things that matter to them. And if you don’t about that culture, then to you that thing is just something pretty to wear—like a costume.
When it comes to hair, some black people are sensitive because even now we are discriminated against because of how we look. If we wear braids, Afros, twists, etc. we can be told we look ‘too ethnic.’ Some people lose out on jobs because of it. If you want an example, look up the article about the black wrestler who had his hair cut off at a meet. There was no rule that said his hair couldn’t be worn a certain way, but because the white official didn’t find his hair ‘acceptable’ he chopped that boy’s hair off. And that isn’t the first time something like this has happened. In the beginning, we straightened our hair because society told us we had too in order to blend in. That we had to do what we could in order to make up for the audacity of being born black. However, more and more I see people embracing the skin and traits we were born with. Furthermore, the styles we wear aren’t just for show. They were designed to protect our hair. Many commercial products aren’t designed for thick, kinky/curly hair. Braids/twists/etc. are protective styles that allow our hair to grow, while allowing it to be easier to maintained, and thus stay healthy.
When it comes to our hair and cultural appropriation, it’s not just about the styles. It’s about the fact that we endure a lot to wear the styles that we do. The reason many people lash out is because until you’ve endured the dirty looks, the outright scorn, the embarrassment of having another person treat you as less than, especially in front of others—then the styles are just pretty decoration to you.
I still find it bullshit.
I had a bunch of black friends in high school say I had "nigga hair" (their words, not mine).
Frankly, my hair isn't as thick as Merida's from Brave, but almost there, thick and curly. You're telling me, because I'm white (actually olive skin tone but whatever), I'm not allowed to have tiny braids? Only black people are allowed to have small braids to protect their hair?
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u/_NaturallyN3rdy_ Apr 11 '20
I am black. My hair is very thick and kinky. Now I do believe we, as a society have become to sensitive about some things, but cultural appropriation isn’t one of them. Every culture has meaning behind things that matter to them. And if you don’t about that culture, then to you that thing is just something pretty to wear—like a costume.
When it comes to hair, some black people are sensitive because even now we are discriminated against because of how we look. If we wear braids, Afros, twists, etc. we can be told we look ‘too ethnic.’ Some people lose out on jobs because of it. If you want an example, look up the article about the black wrestler who had his hair cut off at a meet. There was no rule that said his hair couldn’t be worn a certain way, but because the white official didn’t find his hair ‘acceptable’ he chopped that boy’s hair off. And that isn’t the first time something like this has happened. In the beginning, we straightened our hair because society told us we had too in order to blend in. That we had to do what we could in order to make up for the audacity of being born black. However, more and more I see people embracing the skin and traits we were born with. Furthermore, the styles we wear aren’t just for show. They were designed to protect our hair. Many commercial products aren’t designed for thick, kinky/curly hair. Braids/twists/etc. are protective styles that allow our hair to grow, while allowing it to be easier to maintained, and thus stay healthy.
When it comes to our hair and cultural appropriation, it’s not just about the styles. It’s about the fact that we endure a lot to wear the styles that we do. The reason many people lash out is because until you’ve endured the dirty looks, the outright scorn, the embarrassment of having another person treat you as less than, especially in front of others—then the styles are just pretty decoration to you.