The Cultural Appropriation of Hair

By Melissa Aguilera on March 27, 2016

While surfing through my FaceBook feed, I came across a title that really struck me. It was something along the lines of “Zendaya on The Cultural Appropriation of Hair.” Every human being on Earth has hair. How could it possibly be culturally appropriated?

I clicked the link: (Nylon Interview) which led to Zendaya speaking about how African American women become frustrated when white women wear their hair in braids or dreads because the style was created by black women and they feel as though white women are getting all the credit for the style. Initially, this really ticked me off. To me, limiting hair style to one “culture” is insane. Braids and dreadlocks were in fact worn by a multitude of cultures throughout history.

On the other hand, I could see how it could be disrespectful just as wearing Native American headdresses is disrespectful. These headdresses were symbolic. Were cornrows and dreadlocks symbolic to a particular sect of people? I decided to do a little research on the origins of “braids” and “dreads” and try to put this cognitive dissonance to rest. I can’t help but feel guilty for believing that everyone is entitled to wear their hair however the heck they want to, when marginalized women are being offended by it.

On Braids

Cornrows are a traditional style of hair grooming. They are braided tightly and very closely to the scalp. The style originated in Africa and the Caribbean.

Cornrows were found in Stone Age paintings in the Tassili Plateau of the Sahara and have dated to as far back as 3,000 BC (5,000 years ago.) Cornrows in Africa in fact symbolize a range of things including; status, class, kinship, and age. Cornrows have been worn by black men and women throughout history. The origin of the style is indeed solely African based and any adaptations are simply an imitation.

Image via egyptsearch.com

Many Africans were stripped of their cultures through the Middle Passage, where they were also shaven bald. The hairstyles were part of what little remnants of African culture carried over. They were sacred and indicative of pride, identity, and bonds.

The problem is not that white women are trying these hairstyles. The problem is the way the media represents these women. The hair styles are presented as “new” when people have been styling hair like this for literally thousands of years. It’s incredibly sad to see the media completely ignore giving credit where its due through a white face, blonde hair, and blue eyes.

The LA Times made it quite clear that cornrows are only fashionable when worn on a white woman when they accompanied a photo of Cara Delavingne wearing braids with a quote from a well-renowned hair stylist:

“Cornrows are moving away from urban, hip-hop to more chic and edgy.”

Image via instyle.co.uk

That is not okay. Can you imagine a little black girl seeing that and what it would do to her perception of herself?

On Dreadlocks

While cornrows were born in Africa, dreadlocks were universal.

Dreadlocks are most popular, historically, amongst African societies and the Yogis in India. The Hindu deity Shiva, is often pictured wearing dreadlocks. Despite origin, dreadlocks have been worn throughout history by the Celts, Vikings, Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Nazarites of Judaism, Sufis, Sadhus, the Dervishes of Islam, and more. Many believe, fundamentally the Hindu’s and ancient Egyptians, that prana, or life force energy, exits through the top of the head. In order to maintain this energy and “lock” it in, one would assume the dreadlock hairstyle. Dreadlocks also symbolize the opposition to the vanity of the attachment to the material world. Rastafarians, whose beliefs are a combination of The Old Testament, African tribal culture, and Hindu tribal culture, popularized the term “dreadlocks” by adopting the Nazarites and the Yogis hairstyle.

Image via Pinterest

Essentially, the dreadlock hairstyle should not be attached to one culture, as it has been widespread globally throughout history and has never encountered such conflict as to “who should be wearing dreads.” Dreadlocks form naturally in any style of hair when one ceases to brush. If this is a natural process how could it possibly be culturally appropriated?

So? Is it okay for other cultures to wear cornrows and/or dreadlocks?

Before becoming confused or even angry that someone is offended over something you find unoffensive, do your research. There is nothing worse than ignorance. There is nothing wrong for men and women of any color to wear cornrows, HOWEVER, the problem lies in the transition of connotation due to a white person wearing cornrows vs. a black person. Something is incredibly wrong when cornrows are found to be “fresh” and “new” because Kylie Jenner posted a picture of her wearing braids, when African women have been doing it for thousands of years. It’s heartbreaking, disrespectful, and racist. This transition of connotation is the problem that needs to be addressed. African Americans indeed deserve credit and have every right to be bothered when a white woman is recognized for being “edgy” for wearing a hairstyle that is embedded in their culture.

As for dreadlocks… I see dreadlocks as a proclamation of the disregard for material wealth and self-image. Dreadlocks insinuate spirituality, just as it did to the ancient Egyptians and Yogis of India.  Dreadlocks are a manifestation of one’s rejection to societal norms.

Image via sarahsdreadlocktales.blogspot.com

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