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a few weeks after lisa’s box braids, and now in light of bang chan’s cornrows: a thread on cultural appropriation and why it’s wrong
nyc JUST passed a law preventing discrimination against hairstyles. two teens in dallas were fired from six flags recently for wearing dreads/slicked ponytail. black ppl are constantly discriminated against for wearing hairstyles that have been part of our cultures for centuries.
when we wear it it’s unprofessional, and should leave it at home. it’s “ghetto”. but when non black people wear the styles, it’s “chic” and “stylish”. non black people wearing black hairstyles enforces a system that tells them they can have what we’ve HAD, minus the consequences.
this not only goes for black hairstyles, but for bindis, religious dances, headdresses (native american or otherwise), etc.
those of you that believe that we as black people should share our culture, our culture isn’t being shared, it’s being stolen. that’s the issue, and that’s why there can’t be compromise. you can’t make a compromise that means anyting if the other person has societal advantages!!
it’s also not up to the people whose culture is being appropriated to “change the definition” of cultural appropriation to shift it into something appreciative, nor is it their responsibility to “take the first step” forward by forgiving people. we BEEN taking the first step.
“educate my fav then!” not everyone is willing to be educated on a topic like this, because it requires an understanding of what privilege is. a lot of people don’t believe (or don’t want to believe) that they may have a societal advantage, therefore trying to educate them-
-on cultural appropriation ain’t gon work. but correct education on the subject would result in a person realizing they shouldn’t be wearing the hairstyles/clothing/items of cultural or religious importance as an aesthetic to make themselves more “swag,” for example.
also, just because other people have done it, IT DOES NOT EXCUSE YOU OR YOUR FAVE. IF YOU CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE, YOU SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE. PERIODT!!
you can appreciate cultures without appropriating, and with black hairstyles and clothing/items that are of religious importance, there is a CLEAR boundary. some practices and art forms are closed, y’all jus gon have to deal with that
elle magazine did a lil mini doc on cultural appropriation and where it comes from. i disagree with the dude giving nb people black hairstyles (even when the clients understand the history behind it), but nonetheless, must watch https://youtu.be/yFGwmUCH9aI ">https://youtu.be/yFGwmUCH9...
yo i like bang chan and stray kids, but this ain’t right. appropriation has happened countless times in k-pop, mostly of black culture, so the people appropriating it can be considered cooler or trendy. meanwhile we lose jobs, get suspended, and are humiliated just for wearing-
our own hairstyles. cornrows, box braids, etc are protective hairstyles, meaning they aren’t even meant for non black hair, they’re supposed to keep black hair healthy. if you’re non black and you wear extensions with a protective hairstyle, you hair will literally fall out 
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“well black women straighten their hair!!” that’s because during the great migration, black hairstyles/natural hair were seen as country and ugly, too nigger-ish. people switched to metropolitan (white) hairstyles for job security, avoid discrimination + to gain media visibility
SEE THIS WHAT TF I’M TALKING ABOUT https://twitter.com/i/events/1119320971901460480">https://twitter.com/i/events/...
also, a thread on mass incarceration if you want to understand that issue as well https://twitter.com/neyogotmyback/status/1120741357767806977?s=21">https://twitter.com/neyogotmy...
