Allure magazine is in the middle of an appropriation debate, after teaching white women how to get an afro. The article makes it seem that afros are edgy and trendy, but ignore the social and historical significance of the hairstyle. Ana Kasparian (The Point), Karamo Brown, and Becca Frucht (Pop Sugar) hosts of The Young Turks discuss.
Is the cultural appropriation? Why is cool for white women to have afros but not for black women? Let us know in the comments below.
Read more here: http://www.buzzfeed.com/essencegant/t…
“The editorial, titled “You (Yes, You) Can Have An Afro*”, stars actress Marissa Neitling from the TNT TV show The Last Ship. It offers a step-by-step for how to get what Allure calls a “Loose Afro.”
The “Loose Afro” is a part of the magazine’s “Retro Modern” ’70s-inspired styles, which seem to feature only white women.”
Comments
I understand how black people can feel that their culture is being appropriated. A unique feature of their identity is now available to anyone. However, I think that the debate on cultural appropriation is also a bit counter intuitive.
Consider this, people worldwide look at America for fashion trends, music and more. They wear blue jeans and listen to our pop music. America is the great melting pot. This country has been the greatest example of cultural diffusion ever, exchanging ideas internationally.
I believe that the African Americans should celebrate that their culture is very dominant in America. Also I think this debate is throwing up barricades between us. We can’t keep saying this is mine, this is yours, it simply divides us. We can celebrate this hairstyle among different races, but all we must acknowledge it’s origins and not berate those who wish to wear their hair in this fashion. For they may be the ones that bring is closer together by sharing this piece of culture.
For example, tacos are Mexican/tex-mex. I love tacos. The cultural exchange among Texans and Mexicans created one of the most delicious cuisine on the face of the planet. We can benefit from sharing our culture.
It’s a hairstyle. Equating it with the civil rights movement seems a little over the edge. I also don’t hear about dreds raising any issue with appropriating Jamaican culture. While I might agree afros were a statement of black pride, I don’t believe it to be the case with corn-rows or what looked more like a perm than anything else.
Agreed. I understand how wearing a sombrero as a Halloween costume could be considered an offensive form of cultural appropriation. However, in this case, the offense appears to be that white women are wearing an afro hairdo without either suffering adverse social consequences or engaging in a discussion of US racial history before perming up…. I fail to see how this is harmful to anyone.