My Thoughts on White Women Wearing Braids and Other Kinky Styles

This topic has been quite controversial with all of the ruckus about supposedly “white people stealing the black culture and making it their own.” On social media, there has been quite a few topics on certain celebrities like the Kardashians getting plumped lips, butt surgeries, thick hair, etc.

Now for the braids phenomenon…there is a trend that has started among white women, and this trend (which has been apart of the black culture for centuries) has made the black women uncomfortable.

Of course, America is a place where all cultures co-exist, but some people of different cultures get quite offended when their symbolic clothing and hairstyles are used by others as a fashion trend.

What about braids, though? Should be black women be offended by the white women who choose to rock box braids, dread locks, flat twists, etc.?

We must first understand the history of braids:

Braids date back to 3500 BCE. Throughout history, braids established ethnicity, social status, even religious and marital status. The picture below is the ancient African cornrows.

The 1950s rolled around when a French ethnologist discovered a painting with a woman wearing cornrows and feeding her child. In the 1970s, cornrows came back in style in America.

The ancient Egyptians wore braids to establish their royalty. Even common Egyptians wore braids, but the braids gave clues to the person’s divinity.

Even Native Americans have braids as a part of their culture. Most of the Natives’ braided hairstyles symbolism remains a mystery, but the majority of the styles symbolize spiritual and physical war.

So how is all this relevant you ask? Well, I think it is more than just hair, its about culture and added hair has not been historically been apart of white culture.

Regardless of the history though, the fact that white women are going the extra mile by adding actually braiding hair to their braided hairstyles is a bit much to some black AND white women.

The concern was brought up on Instagram and two users replied to the post. One user, a black woman who’s a fashion and hair icon, Kenya (who wished for her account to remain anonymous) said these words:

“I love box braids, marley twists and any other protective hairstyles on black women. I think it’s a beautiful way to embrace our heritage and culture. I don’t even mind white women wearing them because it shows the influence black women have over other ethnics.

What I dislike is when white women emulate our hairstyles and change the name & call it “urban” as if they invented it. It’s just like (what) they’ve done for centuries, take something we’ve invented and claim it as their own.”

Another Instagram user, who is a white German woman, commented on the concern as well. Sandra quoted:

“I love braids and dreads, but now do I like them on whites? I do, but I wouldn’t wear them because I personally do not think it is my style. Where I am from, I will be judged if I wore braids. A lot of white women try to look (and act) like Americans. I’d be judged definitely. Hairstyles should look natural.”

 Now, the question is: do you think braids, dreads, etc should be strictly for blacks or are you one of those people who feel it just doesn’t matter?