I might upset some people with this article, but I promise... you'll be okay. Heck, you might learn something. I'm not bashing white people, but it's 2017, ya'll should know better by now. We're not going to keep babying you and walking on eggshells, so that you can feel "comfortable" and "secure within yourself". What's the problem with giving credit when credit is due? I'm confused as to why this is even a problem. The media is doing a huge disservice. For people who don't have black friends, they're getting this information and it's so whitewashed, and they don't understand our anger or the violation."
It's no secret that much of America's trends come from different cultures and races. We're a big melting pot of cultures and heritage... BUT WHAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO is sit here and STEAL our Melanin culture, slap a new name on it and think it's going to be okay. Truth of the matter is, it's not okay. It's downright disrespectful. I know some will probably think how can a hairstyle belong to a person? How can one race be of ownership of braids? It's not a matter of owning them, it's a matter of respecting and acknowledging where they started. "Artist Jennifer Li created this excellent piece which perfectly sums up the double standard that arises when something black people have been doing for years suddenly becomes acceptable when put on a white body."
I am TIRED of seeing the pictures with newest "fads" and "trendy" looks and clicking on the picture and seeing something that's been around FOR YEARS. Not only has it been around for years, it's been part of the BLACK CULTURE. The term Culture Appropriation has become embedded into today's times because well folks are becoming confused with what's new and what's actually been around for centuries, okay.
These braids right here have been called "Boxer Braids". A ridiculous term coined to this hairstyle that Kim K along with her sisters have "made famous".
First of all sis, these are "cornrows," not boxer braids. This hairstyle did not reign from the UFC world. African-Americans have been rocking these since Ancient civilization. It's fine to borrow hairstyles from other cultures, they're cute and different! The issue rises when the dismissal and lack of acknowledging the history behind them surfaces.
Here you can see the hairstyles can be braided up in MANY different styles and patterns. Little black girls have been going through the trials of sitting between momma's legs while she plaited their hair for years now.
BANTU KNOTS are not new and they're not called "twisted mini buns".
Rihanna and Blac Chyna were not the first ones to introduce them.
It's nothing new, it's not some cute "trend", it's part of my culture. So give credit where credit is due. "The problem is not borrowing," Tharps said. "What white people are not doing is giving credit. They're stripping black culture from its origin, and that's not OK." So before you call something new or a trend, do your research.
