Cultural appropriation: dreadlocks on Whites (famous, women)
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Why celebrate white looking black people? I dont understand that.
Jean Toomer was from Washington D.C, and went to an Elite high school that only admitted black people that looked like him. His whole family, and all of his aquaintences were other white negros like him. They didnt actually identify with black black people at all.
The "high tone" community (e.g the Mordecai Johnson family) at the time considered themselves to be a class apart and excluded black people that actually looked black.
You wouldnt even recognize the early graduating classes of Howard University as black, it was that far gone.
Why celebrate them? Why try to convince people that its normal for black people to look white? Its not. Thats not what we look like.
My post specifically stated it was in reponse to another poster who stated that light skinned black people are not considered "black" by black people.
I gave proof to the fact that they are considered "black" by black Americans.
I do not celebrate Jean Toomer because he is light skinned. I celebrate him personally because he was a great writer of of one of my favorite works of literature ("Cane") and because he is a part of the Harlem Renaissance as a black American artist. I actually had never even known he was light skinned until after I became a fan of his work. I only knew he was black and had written "Cane." FWIW, I also never knew that Hale Woodruff was light skinned until very recently. I had seen his murals and had known of his work but never knew that he had light skin. That is the point in regards to us black Americans. There are many "famous" black people in the history of this country who completely self identified as "black" and who were raised as a part of the "black" sub-culture in America. We celebrate these people because of their great work as a black American regardless of what hue their skin color was.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tritone
Older folks believe in that, especially the generation that came up during segregation. They were raised to think it was completely normal for black people to look totally white, and talk obsessively about "passing" and colorism.
I have always found that ridiculous - ever since I was a child.
I wouldn't take Shawn King seriously even if he were partially black (and he most likely is not).
Are you black? If so, it doesn't matter what who you take seriously in this regard. I personally could care less about Shawn King. He says he is black. FWIW, he looks darker than my dad who also considers himself black and he has 2 black parents.
Because we can't wear our naturals to work or a job interview without somebody complaining about it, perhaps?
Cultural assimilation ≠ cultural appropriation
Eh, I don't know. Even black retirees are perming and weaving it up, so I think the whole "necessary for work to fit in" thing is overplayed, especially in today's day and age and especially with public sector/government jobs. But even in the private sector I see many of my friends going natural at Big Law jobs and in other fields/jobs/industries.
When you think about it really, though, even many black women who could set the standard and wear their hair how they want to without fear of reprisal (i.e. elected officials and other high profile individuals, including Michelle O.) continue to perm their hair/weave it up, which shows that there is a bigger, cultural, self-image problem at hand. And that saddens me
Eh, I don't know. Even black retirees are perming and weaving it up, so I think the whole "necessary for work to fit in" thing is overplayed, especially in today's day and age and especially with public sector/government jobs. But even in the private sector I see many of my friends going natural at Big Law jobs and in other fields/jobs/industries.
When you think about it really, though, even many black women who could set the standard and wear their hair how they want to without fear of reprisal (i.e. elected officials and other high profile individuals, including Michelle O.) continue to perm their hair/weave it up, which shows that there is a bigger, cultural, self-image problem at hand. And that saddens me
That has been very much gradual and involved specific approaches. As far as the private sector, particularly big law, women have learned to straighten their hair for interviews and a couple weeks/months and then go natural or wear natural styles. In some jobs, women will wear only certain natural styles. It is much easier in the public sector or if your hair is a certain texture. For many women, it still seems risky but it's changing.
Michelle Obama is natural by the way, but simply wears her hair blown out.
That has been very much gradual and involved specific approaches. As far as the private sector, particularly big law, women have learned to straighten their hair for interviews and a couple weeks/months and then go natural or wear natural styles. In some jobs, women will wear only certain natural styles. It is much easier in the public sector or if your hair is a certain texture. For many women, it still seems risky but it's changing.
Michelle Obama is natural by the way, but simply wears her hair blown out.
Thanks for that correction. Of course, this is a distinction that doesn't make much of a difference for the purposes of this conversation as she is still straightening her hair to fit a certain "look" that isn't a natural look for black hair texture.
As far as for others, black women have been conditioned to perm/straighten/relax their hair to achieve a certain "look" and generally do so starting at the teenage years when any career risk is nil. I'd buy into the argument that black women straightened their hair more if they started doing so right before they started professional careers, but that's just not what happening. No, as I mentioned, they're starting to do so at much younger ages in no small part because they've been conditioned that their natural hair texture isn't beautiful
I just have to laugh... I currently live in a NC coastal town in the Outer Banks. All the young surfers (mostly White) who make a living however they can (movers, bussing tables at restaurants, etc.) wear dreads. And many of them are blonde. It's a lifestyle choice, not related to racial identity.
Black people did not invent dreadlocks, nor were they the only cultural to wear them historically.
Where your hair style you like, but to claim it only belongs to one culture is ridiculous.
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