-In this picture Kim Kardashian took for her snapchat, she told her fans that she was wearing Bo Derek braids. Bo Derek is the woman pictured on the right, she was a model and actress in the 70’s seen with these braids. Yes she wore them, but she did not invent them. These braids are called Fulani Braids, that originate from West Africa. Its one thing to appreciate the culture, but this move Kim did was an appropriation of black culture.
-This appropriation must be addressed because individuals like the Kardashians get praised on magazine covers as well as in 2016 when the Marc Jacobs fashion show had their models who were predominately white wear faux locks. This praise is hypocritical because in so many cases young African American woman get suspended and expelled from school for their hair/braids being a violation of dress code. This also goes for woman not getting employment because of their braids. Below are some news articles that show this.
Black students at Massachusetts charter school served detention, suspended from sports teams for wearing hair in braids
A school thought this Black girl’s afro was ‘unacceptable’
WAR ON BLACK HAIR: WEARING BRAIDS GETS BLACK GIRLS BANNED FROM PROM AT MALDEN CHARTER SCHOOL IN MASSACHUSETTS
Black Students Punished For Wearing Box Braids To School
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