It’s For Black People Anyway!
Over a year ago Kevonstage made a statement that rang out with so much truth with black folks around the world standing in agreement , “It’s For Black people anyway!” This came after watching a white woman attempting to recreate a twist out hairstyle that is often worn by black people.
I often am shaking my head watching white folks attempt to shimmy their way into black people’s conversation, business and culture. I tried hard to just shake my head this past week but I just couldn’t as I watch white girls really act up in a recent social media post.
For the sake of the conversation, yall remember when Monique dragged black women with her opinion no one asked for regarding black women wearing bonnets in public? I watched as the black community either jumped on the bandwagon to agree or disagree with Monique causing one big tussle over the topic. I watched from a distance, as my exhaustion of the topic and similar topics leave me completely exhausted. For far too many years I have been the center of these types of conversations, being reminded “not to be too ghetto,” “make sure you talk proper,” “don’t be too loud.” From childhood to adulthood I have been told how to be, how to show up and how to exist.
Imagine my surprise and shock (heavy on the sarcasm) when I see two white girls in their IG reel, putting their bonnet and sunglasses on. With a caption explaining they are wearing their bonnet so they can get comfortable on their flight. Here’s my question, “Are we calling them ghetto too?” I mean the world has been yelling and telling black women how GHETTO we are for doing this. But now the white girls they are simply protecting their curls, getting over 35,000 likes on this social media post. If the goal is to protect your “curls” by all means do that. Do me a big ol’ favor though find a way to do that without without appropriating the culture. Acting as if you have discovered a new item, a new thing to do all while black women have been doing for years. It’s giving, Christopher Columbus.
Some may say, “How am I doing that? It’s just a bonnet.” Yes just a bonnet to you. It is a bigger than just the bonnet.
As recent as last year, let me say that again last year, there was a bill signed called the CROWN ACT (Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair) that prohibits discrimination based on hair style and texture. Did you hear me this is 2023 we are signing this bill so that our CROWNS can be protected. Will there be a bill signed so that our bodies can be protected from the bullets of officers or slurs of the racist that may be living right next door to us? So yes it is bigger than a bonnet.
The conversation is layered in my opinion as black culture is trendy to those who aren’t black. From our dialect, our style, our music yet when these things you have picked up as an accessory threaten your way of living it is easy for you to take it off as it may put you in the “ghetto” category. The black culture is stolen from to be “hip”, “down” even considered an “ally” yet when it is time to really and truly speak up, look around everyone on, “MUTE” (thanks Beyoncé!) Here is the icing to the cake, aspects of the black culture is then renamed to be more palatable for your friends, then monetized with brand deals where black women would NEVER be considered for. Yet white girls are able to do it under the guise of wearing the bonnet to give their hair the right glow and shine.
Again, “It’s not about the bonnet” its really about understanding the deeper conversation. As a white girl wearing the bonnet now is acceptable only after black women have been ridiculed for doing the very same thing.
Before I head out answer one more question, “Where did you get the bonnet?” If it was Sally or Amazon that would be the wrong answer. You get them at the Beauty Supply store. You wouldn’t know what that is cause why? It’s for black people anyway!