She is a 30-year-old white woman with thick curly brown hair.
Tight Corkscrew Curls
She mentions that her hair is classified as 3c, which refers to tight, S-shaped coils or corkscrew curls that resemble a pencil in diameter.
Hair Struggles
She has always struggled with her hair and explains that she was adopted into a family of people with straight hair who couldn’t care for her hair properly.
Inappropriate Salons
This led to huge knots and required her to get regular haircuts to make it short and easier to deal with.
Her Best Friend
When she went to university, she met her best friend who is Black.
Best Friend To the Rescue
Her friend has a similar hair type to her and when noticing her struggle, she offered to help her out. She showed her hair products from brands intended for Black people that really helped with her hair quality.
A New Hair Salon
She even took her to the salon she goes to that catered for Black hair types.
Problem Solved
She says her hair has been amazing ever since. They have been the only people to understand how to care for her hair and make it look nice.
A Work Night Out
She and some friends from work went out for dinner.
Black Haircare
They were talking about their hair, and she commented that she goes to a salon that specializes in Black haircare.
Inappropriate!
One of the women at the dinner, also white, commented that it was inappropriate for her, as a white woman, to take advantage of Black products and services that should only be used by Black people.
Cultural Appropriation
When she asked why, her colleague replied that it was “kind of cultural appropriation.”
Uncomfortable
The others there agreed, and she has felt uncomfortable ever since.
What Would She Do?
She doesn’t know if they are right and if she is in the wrong. She also says she doesn’t even know what she would do if she is wrong, as she doesn’t want to go back to the salons that butchered her hair before.
She Reached Out For Advice
Feeling lost and confused, she turned to an online forum to gather some opinions. Some of these are shared below.
Not Your Fault!
One user says it is not her fault, and she should pay no attention to what her colleagues are saying: “Black woman here with 4c hair. You use the products and resources that best suit your needs. It wouldn’t be a Black vs white issue if the beauty industry recognized the need and taught students how to do all types of hair!”
Helping Black-Owned Business
Another commenter agrees that she is definitely not in the wrong, but actually helping Black-owned businesses. She also adds, “Your colleagues seem like the kind to accidentally find out a shop they like is Black-owned and then brag about it online without ever actually buying from it but making it seem as if they signal-handedly keep their business afloat.”
They Aren’t Helping!
“As a black dude,” one user says, “I really wish white people would stop speaking for us in this manner. It’s not helping in the way they think it is!” Another user agreed and sarcastically added, “Yeah, don’t spend money in Black-run stores; that’s cultural appropriation!”
Who Is The Better Arbiter?
Another user wonders who the better arbiter of cultural appropriation would be: “the Black women who style your hair, or your goofy white friends?” She also adds, “‘Cultural appropriation’ has been appropriated by white people as a term they can use to demonstrate that they’re more virtuous than other white people. These days, it’s a tool for white people to rank themselves compared to other white people, and that’s about it.”
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