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why wearing black hairstyles is considered cultural appropriation: an educational thread
if you think black hairstyles are "just hair", that's not the case. ancient african civilizations used their hairstyles to indicate social status like which tribe they belonged to, their religion, age, and marital status. there's contemporary versions of these looks as well.
there's also a darker history regarding cornrows. during slavery, enslaved africans used cornrows to transfer and create maps to leave plantations and the home of their captors.
when black people wear these hairstyles today, its called "ghetto", "unprofessional", and "inappropriate" which subjects us to a lot of discrimination in our daily lives. black kids have even been suspended from school for wearing these hairstyles.
when non black people wear these hairstyles, it is considered "style" or "fashion" and therefore creates a double standard: black people face discrimination and non black people are praised. these are our hairstyles, yet we have to suffer the consequences.
i noticed a lot of people say that braids are in a lot of different cultures which is in fact true HOWEVER braids that are specific to black culture are highly identifiable. if we tell you not to wear them, you should listen.
at the end of the day, people may feel that they don't care about the historical and cultural significance of black hairstyles and wear them anyway, but remember when you do, you're mocking the pain and suffering black people have gone through in the past.
thank you for taking the time to read this thread. hopefully, you learned something that'll help you be a better ally to the black community. here's an article that further explains: https://www.bet.com/news/features/1619/the-history-of-hair-braiding-in-black-america.html
