Definition: The use of elements of one culture by members of a different culture (Wikipedia).
White people have been known to do stuff generally associated with Black people.
Like Kim Kardashian’s cornrows.
Or Iggy Azalea’s rap style.
Or Rachel Dolezal pretending to be Black.
Cultural appropriation is a problem not just because White people do a Black hairstyle, but because when they do it, it is considered new or trendy. It erases Black people as if they don’t matter.
Black people have always spoken against it. If White people want to borrow some peculiarities from Black culture, they should be willing to embrace everything else.
But this girl took it to another level. She physically came after a White guy at her university, because he had dreadlocks.
In a video that has since gone viral, the girl and her friend are seen confronting the young man. She asked the guy why he had dreads and was appropriating her culture.
As much as she’s standing up for an important issue, she rather went about it the wrong way.
Violence never settles anything. And this is bullying!
Also we have some important questions.
Do Black people own dreads?
Do Black people not use Filipino, Malaysian, Indian, European and Brazilian hair?
Do they not dye their hair various colours?
Watch the video.
This topic about cultural appropriation will not end anytime soon. Its history goes back to slavery. But we need to be aware of what is appropriation and what isn’t.