Cultural misappropriation and hair

[meandthem]

Am I being unreasonable to object to ethnicity being a factor in respect of what hairstyle choices women are "allowed"? I am pissed of that it now seems acceptable for some styles to be considered cultural misappropriation. What happened to the sisterhood and feminism and women's right to do what the hell we want with our hair!

Perrie the roots of Rastafarianism are in black slavery and the movement of black people from their homes in Africa against their will.

I don't care how deeply your white mate feels about 'his God'. White rastafarianism has surely has to be the ultimate in cultural appropriation.

Rastafarianism is fundamentally about black people. And not especially complimentary about whites either. I know there are white Rastas, but as a belief system it's just not something that is for or includes us.

I have very recently been diagnosed with cancer and to stop me googling things about metastasis and survival rates, I have been googling wigs and headscarves. What has struck me is that it is only really recently, as in the last few months even, that white women (who are healthy) have started getting into wigs as a purely fashion thing. The vast majority of the YouTube videos and really useful information are from black women who obviously do this not purely for fashion reasons, but almost out of 'necessity' if you see what I mean? They have obviously been doing this for a long time and are experts on wigs, weaves and headscarves actually. They look so natural that I think many people forget that a lot of black women don't wear their hair in their purely natural form.

I have been looking at different headscarf styles and am actually slightly worried about cultural appropriation myself, in that as a (very!) white Irish woman, it might be best not to go for the big bun front tie headscarf, even though it looks amazing!

This user- I think you sound lovely to even consider it best of luck with all your treatment ahead and wishing you strength

I get upset that people think it’s appropriate to post this as a topic . Are they that desperate to have plaits and braids ? NO
It’s an excuse to bash people basically

Given that black women have to live with both racism and misogyny I think we should allow them to claim this - and anyone who denies their voice clearly hasn’t read much on the last 400 odd years of history

I get upset that people think it’s appropriate to post this as a topic

We're not even supposed to discuss it now???

How do you expect society to learn and progress if we can't even discuss things in a discussion forum?

@TheFirstMrsDV @Beetlejizz "The Rastafari movement was started solely for the purpose of resisting white racism, imperialism and colonialism. That was not to say that only Black, Brown or oppressed people could be Rastas. The Nyabinghi motto is “Death to Black and white oppressors”. Therefore the main tenet of being a Rasta is that you must be anti-oppression and it was not based on the shade of your skin"

You can cut and paste all you like.
It doesn't make a white man with a totally white upbringing being a rasta any less ridiculous.

It’s wasn’t posted as a discussion though really . It was posted as a rant and I would guess and opening for people to agree with her

Of course it’s fine to discuss the notion !

@TheFirstMrsDV Maybe we need to agree to disagree as I can feel your blood boiling from here. There's a difference between a healthy debate and rudeness.

I am pretty sure you saw something like this when you were googling

'Rasta means resistance. But exactly what are White Rastas resisting? Their parents maybe? They surely aren’t resisting against the system. In fact, they are defenders of the system'

White people looking for an alternative lifestyle and taking on the mannerisms, clothing and hair styles of non white people. Pretending to be part of a culture without a single experience of being grown in that culture. Picking out the 'cool' bits without any experience of the bad.

The definition of cultural appropriation.

The Nyabinghi motto is “Death to Black and white oppressors”. Therefore the main tenet of being a Rasta is that you must be anti-oppression and it was not based on the shade of your skin"

That doesn't necessarily follow. It would be possible for a group who wanted to eliminate every single white person on the planet but also a few black people to endorse that slogan.

(I know Rastas don't want to eliminate white people btw, it's just an explanation of why your argument is a non sequitur).

Thank you @stopfuckingahoutingatme

If you don't want to debate thats fine Perrie.
Please don't try and hide behind the 'you sound really angry' thing.
Me not agreeing that 'your friend' can ever be an authentic rasta man does not mean my 'blood is boiling' or that I am being rude to you.

If you find people challenging you uncomfortable I would suggest that it is you who cannot debate, not I.

Sorry, typo @stopfuckingshoutingatme

and you can report my post to MN if you think they are rude.
They will delete any personal attacks.

Unfortunately they are not so hot on deleting passive aggressive get outs.

@TheFirstMrsDV actually I also read your comments as a bit rude and attacking - so I've got to agree with @PerrieGrey here.. sorry!

Tone policing isn't a political argument.

Oh well I agree with MrsDV so there you go.

White people looking for an alternative lifestyle and taking on the mannerisms, clothing and hair styles of non white people. Pretending to be part of a culture without a single experience of being grown in that culture. Picking out the 'cool' bits without any experience of the bad.

The definition of cultural appropriation.

@TheFirstMrsDV has it right. Picking and choosing parts of another culture to ape because it appeals to you on an aesthetic level is wrong. I adore dreadlocks and braids, they are beautiful, Jamaican DP has sported many styles in the time we've been together, I am learning to braid so I can do DDs hair when she is older, but I would never ever have them in my own hair because I think it makes white people look like insensitive idiots to do so. No different to white girls wearing 'bindis' and feather headdresses at festivals. That is not celebrating another culture, it is demeaning it and reducing meaningful objects and practices to a fashion statement.

And the 'black oppressors' that @PerrieGrey quotes are black people who sided and supported White supremacy at the expense of their own people in Jamaica. A white Rastafarian is an insensitive poser and an oppressor, they are not descended from slaves, but from their owners. They are not African, they cannot believe they have a right to be repatriated to Africa (which is central to Rastafari), they have benefitted from the systems of oppression which have beaten down black people for centuries.

I agree with perriegrey.

www.thenational.scot/culture/14850217.Music__Dundee___s_Rastas_mixing_the_message_of_marijuana__Marley_and_Pictish_roots/

Hope that link works

I was at an anti racism rally with some friends (none of whom were white) when this band Pictish Clan started playing.
It was so incongruous and so much like blackface.
The language quoted in the article is very colonialist.

Grim imo

'Dundee reggae collective' WTF?

In their defence, they do live in Dundee - more to be pitied than scorned.

Dundee is a great city and already has a reggae band called buffalo soldiers who are actually good. The fact that pictish clan make out they brought reggae to dundee after discovering it in a village in Jamaica is just embarrassing.