Kendall Jenner’s “Afro” Outrage

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher

Looks like it about time for another one of those good ole cultural appropriation discussions where we have to examine the black community’s fake outrage over things that non-black people do that black people feel like they have only exclusive rights to do.  These conversations come up at least 50leven times a year and like clockwork black people hop online and start banging their feels out on social media crying about what they believe non-black people can and cannot do.  Well, the latest offender in the black cultural appropriation wars is that of Kendall Jenner where she is accused of wearing an afro hair style for a Vogue magazine photoshoot.  Now, I’ve seen the picture and I’m not exactly sure if that technically qualifies as an afro.  To me it seems like just some puffed up hair that just happens to resemble the shape of an afro.  Nevertheless, that was enough to send knee grows on social media into a tizzy screaming cultural appropriation.

You know what kills me about this whole cultural appropriation argument is that black people act like they live in a country that is predominately black.  Black people act like they don’t run into various cultures on a daily basis and other cultures don’t run into them on a daily basis.  What I mean by this is, if you live around and interact with another group on a regular basis, one is bound to pick up and adopt certain aspects that another culture has been known to partake in.  Say for instance, hip hop music.  There are some black people out there that accuse every white rapper of being a culture vulture or culturally appropriating hip hop culture which was started by black people for black people.  In some instances you can make that argument, but in the grander scheme of things, hip hop has long since moved out of the projects of the Bronx to becoming a worldwide phenomenon to where you can legitimately classify it as one of the biggest things to have ever come up out of America that has a literal impact all over the globe.  Literally.  Don’t believe me, just do a YouTube search for Russian Trap Music.  There are dudes way over in Russia trappin’ in the snow while ducking and dodging polar bears and arctic ice tundras.  Basically, hip hop is everywhere.  Yes black people invented it here in America, but it became so popular that everybody got in on it and we are where we presently are.  It is what it is.

Now when it comes to this whole afro thing going on with Kendall Jenner, you hear mostly black women putting up the argument that black women are constantly forced to adopt white standards of hair and beauty but as soon as a non-black woman comes along all of a sudden everything that was looked down upon in regards to black women, such as big butts, full lips and curly/kinky hair is all of a sudden cool.  To a degree that is true.  But here’s the problem, this is America.  A country ran and dominated by white people.  You have to accept the reality of where you live at.  This isn’t some random country in Africa to where the majority population are black people.  This is America.  And unfortunately those of the caucasian persuasion have been able to get away with things since forever now.  Is it fair?  No.  It is what it is.  But that’s not even the point I’m attempting to make.  The point I’m attempting to make is in regards to this country that we live in is that, as long as black people, white people, hispanics, Asians and everybody else comes into constant contact with one another, you have to expect that people of different cultures may pick up on certain cultural characteristics and adopt them.  You can’t run from that and you can’t hide from it.  You’re not living in some isolated country like Wakanda where you can throw up your magically cloaking shield to hide your country and preserve your cultural artifacts from the rest of the world.  You live in the most envied country on the planet that everybody either wants to live in or they constantly pay attention to in some form or fashion.  So if you see a white chick rocking a pseudo afro or some cornrows, you can’t really jump up and down on social media and start screaming cultural appropriation because chances are that white chick (or white dude or whomever) was directly influenced by some black person that they know or admire from a distance.  Another thing about this whole cultural appropriation thing is, black people (especially black women), really have no argument in regards to cultural appropriation especially when it comes to black women who are notorious for wearing blonde wigs and weaves that look exactly like the hair you would find on a random Becky.  Let’s just be real here.  I’m sure that there are some black women who grow naturally blonde hair, but I have never seen one.  I have never with my own eyes seen a black woman whose hair was naturally blonde…never.  Now don’t get it twisted, I’m not one of these dudes who goes around policing black women’s hair.  If black women want to be bald, happily nappily or weaved down to the floor; do your thing.  Wigs and weaves don’t bother me unless they are just ultra ghetto like some of those pictures you can find on Google like that black woman who had her weave in the shape of a helicopter.  Other than that, I’m not tripping off of how black women style their hair.  All I ask is that you good and presentable with whatever type of hairstyle you may be rocking.  That’s it.  Now with all of that said, is it fair for black women to scream cultural appropriation off of a so-called afro when it’s plenty of black women wearing silky blonde weaves everyday that you know damn well none of these black women grew one single strand of blonde hair out of their head naturally?  I don’t think black women have any room to complain about if whether non-black chicks (especially white women) want to wear afros, cornrows or whatever.  Can you imagine if Becky and her friends hopped on social media crying about how black women are culturally appropriating white women’s hairstyles with these blonde weaves? 😂  People all over the internet would be telling Becky and them to shut up, but when it comes to black women, all of a sudden cultural appropriation of hair has been elevated to being on par with committing 1st degree murder.  This is ridiculous if you ask me.

“B-B-BUT OUR HAIR!  WE’VE ALWAYS BEEN LOOKED DOWN AND THEY JUST GET TO TAKE OUR HAIRSTYLES AND BE ACCEPTED!  YOU DON’T GET IT!!”

Actually I do get it.  I was in the Army when one of these hair conversations erupted in regards to how the Army was banning black women from wearing dreads.  I can vividly recall the numerous discussions due to quite a few black female soldiers I personally knew who were either going to have to get rid of their dreads or get out the military.  Fast forward to the present day, I’m no longer in the Army and I want to say the Army changed the rules to allow for black women to wear dreads if I’m not mistaken.  But the point is, I was there listening to these conversations.  I remember hearing all of the “IT’S NOT FAIR” talks.  I remember sitting there thinking to myself that this is the Army, you didn’t voluntarily sign up for “FAIR”.  In relation to the bigger argument of how white chicks tend to get away with stuff that is looked down upon in regards to black women, once again, life isn’t fair.  If you are a grown black person who is trying to survive and thrive and live the best life you can, unless you own your own business, you are rich, retired or just financially well off, chances are you are going to have to adjust to some standard set by people of European ancestry if you want to ensure you have enough money to keep your lights turned on and enough money to cop you some more blonde bundles.  It is what it is.  If this was some random country in Africa, it would be a different story I imagine but this isn’t Africa.  You all know what the deal is over here by now.  Is it right?  Not necessarily.  Is it fair?  Not necessarily…but it is the way it is.  This isn’t hard to figure out people.

To get back to this afro thing here, I don’t know if that technically qualifies as an afro but even it is one, all the crying about cultural appropriation online is not about to do anything.  If you saw a group of white chicks tomorrow walking down the street with white girl afros what are you honestly going to do about it?  Seriously?  Are you going to surround them in a circle and start screaming cultural appropriation?  You going to call the cops on them?  You going to beat them up?  Or are you just going to snap a picture of them, post it online with a cultural appropriation caption and hope that the photo goes viral?  Which is it going to be?  I think we all know the answer to this one.  

Anyways, y’all can keep crying about cultural appropriation all you want I suppose, but until you are ready to surrender the blonde weaves and the Chinese letter tattoos that way too many of you have, then expect to see more Becky-fros and cornrows.  You don’t live in an isolated country full of nothing but black people.  You live in America where people of various cultures and backgrounds cross paths with each other day either in real life or via the media.  Just facts B.