A short time ago, there had been quite the buzz surrounding actress Amandla Stenberg’s comments on appropriation in the African-American community. Amandla has posted videos, blogs and has openly tweeted her sentiments on the topic.
Most recently, a comment direct towards Kylie Jenner over Twitter about her cornrowed mane generated some controversy, backlash and some strong opinions from patrons all over the globe.
So what exactly is appropriation? The definition that Google provides states that appropriation is, “the action of taking something for one’s own use, typically without the owner’s permission”. On the other hand, Stenberg provides a much more culture specific definition in stating that, “Appropriation occurs when a style leads to racist generalizations or stereotypes where it originated but is deemed as high-fashion, cool or funny when the privileged take it for themselves”. Being of African descent, I happened to concur with Amandla and think that she is absolutely correct in her statement.
Now, let’s stick to what fuelled this feud and examine cornrows and the average African-American professional black man. It’s irrefutable that the professional black man is scrutinized and stereotyped when they have cornrows. Also, to this day dreadlocks are considered “unclean/unkempt”.
For instance, my cousin Sharon – who wears dreadlocks – was hired to teach English in Japan and in the email they had composed to her informing her of her successful candidacy they somehow felt it necessary to convey that she make sure that she keeps her hair neatly groomed and clean. I found their comments to her distasteful, demeaning and damn near prehistoric.
Furthermore, appropriation is perceived everywhere, and every day, since almost the beginning of time. White people tan, get butt and lip injections etc. features that we are born with as black people, as Amandla pointed out. Yet our people, (Jamaicans and especially the African community) bleach our skin.
The way white people have been attempting to emulate Black features through artificial enhancement, they should be the ones sending out the message to the masses that Black is beautiful. After all, they do these things in order to become more beautiful, no? So if it’s beautiful on them, why can’t dark like midnight skin and full like the moon lips n’ hips be beautiful on a person of colour? How it is that society praises our culture when appropriated by Caucasians but not when it’s done by the originators?
Whites used to put black woman on display because our curves were considered an oddity or even an eccentricity if you will. Nowadays everyone wants booty and will stop at nothing to get it. Ignorant as it may sound: We are NOT the minority when/if we ever figure that out we are unstoppable. In my opinion that is.
On to Ms. Jenner’s new coif: I think that it’s just a hairstyle. Not only black woman braid their hair. White people have done the “French Braid” in their hair for ages. I don’t think Kylie meant any harm by it, and I think that Amandla and her fans should give Kylie a break. Let the girl live! Not taking away from the plethora of valiant points that Amandla has made on appropriation, (I also watched her video last month on Facebook before this Kylie feud) but I think Amandla took it too far and is lashing out on Kylie.
It is very apparent that Amandla seems to feel very strongly about her opinions surrounding cultural appropriation, and by putting a face/person to her antagonism and distain took things too far. Being able to directly address someone about how she has been feeling on the topic, Stenberg got a little carried away.
There’s a fine line between discrimination and hypocrisy and in my opinion by going after Kylie for her cornrows Amandla surpassed the very line she was trying so hard to define.
Team Kylie on this one, rock them braids gurl!
Keisha N. Knibbs
Knibblettes 