This is Jaden Smith.
If you haven't heard of him, you have been living under a rock. He is the 18-year-old son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. He raps, he acts, he drops major wisdom on Twitter, this guy does it all. However, we do not need to talk about these things. We need to talk about Jaden's appearance at the Met Gala.
My man Jaden looked very suave in his black Louis Vuitton suit and black high-heeled Louboutin boots. But, there is one thing that we must discuss: his accessory.
Jaden Christopher Syre Smith brought his recently chopped off dreads as an accessory to the 2017 Met Gala. He literally carried his hair to this event! While Jaden has done some "out there" things in the past, this takes the cake. Some people think this look is gross or crazy. Other people are calling him iconic. One article, in particular, links Jaden's fashion choice to cultural appropriation. It states that, whether intentional or not, Jaden's choice shows that he is proud of his culture. Although he cut his hair, he remains connected to what the dreads represent, black culture. He is unashamed. Society has constantly either appropriated or bashed black hair. Several celebrities have taken traditional hairstyles and named them as their own (see the Kardashians).
As I (a white woman) write this, I can clearly see the problem. Even though it's just hair, that hair represents a rich heritage full of struggle and exploitation. We, as white people, have not had to experience anything like that. EVER! We have not earned the right to that hair or those hairstyles. We cannot choose which part of the black culture we want to take and which part we want no part of. Those hairstyles connect people across oceans and through centuries.
So when a famous person steals those looks, they say to the world: "Hey. Look at me! Look at this trendy new hairstyle I just came up with!" Meanwhile, there are children in schools across America being bullied for those same hairstyles. People are called ghetto or nappy-headed. They are shamed because of the hair on their heads. This is why we need to talk about Jaden Smith. By bringing his dreads to the Met Gala, a spectacle that had everyone talking, Jaden made a huge statement. He showed that no one should be ashamed of black culture and heritage. Even though he shaved his head into a common (mainstream) style, he is still connected to those dreads and his culture. Jaden Smith showed that no one could take away his culture. You keep doing you Jaden!
