Black hairstyles have been co-opted by the public. Graphic Myriam Ouazzani
Lory Saint-Fleur,
Local Journalism Initiative
The politics of Black aesthetic appropriation
Black culture has been built on ideals of resistance and liberation
Although the definition of Black culture differs around the globe, various elements such as braids and music remain at its core.
These differences and similarities of Black culture around the globe can partly be attributed to the Atlantic slave trade and colonialism. Ethiopia is known as the only country in Africa not to have gone through colonization, as they defeated the Italians in 1895 at the Battle of Adwa. As for other countries in Africa and the Caribbean, conquest and suffering became the norm. Through nearly 400 years of slavery, more than 12 million men, women, and children were put on ships, many not surviving the treacherous journey.
Across the colonies such as the United States and the Caribbean, the sentiment for a revolution kept growing. The Haitian Revolution started in 1791 and lasted until 1804, Haiti became the first Black republic to gain independence against the French. This is an accomplishment, as multiple African countries only achieved liberation in the 20th century after prolonged struggles against colonial rule.
Similarly, in the United States, the Black community’s suffering continued. Despite the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 and the abolition of slavery in 1865, Black people in the US faced various new challenges. Jim Crow laws were instituted in 1877, keeping a clear separation between Black people and white people, keeping slavery ideologies alive and well—a reminder that racism doesn’t disappear overnight.
This long history of constant oppression led to a movement of opposition around the world. In South Africa, the fight against apartheid—a racist system that divided the population—was only beginning. In the United States, from 1954 to 1968, the civil rights movement became a demand, a fight for social justice, to allow Black people to be treated fairly and with respect.
This movement marked the way the Black identity was used and showcased, as it gave pride, power and agency to the Black community. The phrase Black is beautiful emerged in the 1960s, as African Americans truly began to embrace their identity. The popularization of the Afro hairstyle reflected a new sentiment of freedom, as it also became a political statement. Activists such as Angela Davis and the Black Panther Party wore afros as a symbol of defiance. Just as the Afro became a symbol of liberation, for centuries Black hair has carried deep cultural and historical significance. Although braids and cornrows are mostly worn today as stylistic choices, it is theorized that slaves used them as tools to escape, with different patterns and bumps in braids delineating locations such as rivers.
Additionally, dreadlocks became a symbol of identity and spirituality. First used in a derogatory way, dreadlocks were perceived as dreadful, intimidating, and dirty. The Jamaican Rastafari movement used dreadlocks as a way of letting hair grow freely, following the conviction that life is sacred. Though afros, braids, and dreadlocks were deemed nappy and unkept by their white counterparts, for Black people, wearing their hair in its most natural form is synonymous with liberation.
Black hair has continuously been policed and stigmatized, reinforcing systemic oppression. The policing of Black hair is rooted in respectability politics and hair-based discrimination.
Respectability politics implies that social pressures have forced many Black people to adhere to Eurocentric beauty standards to be acceptable in social and professional settings. Hair-based discrimination has been weaponized in professional settings to avoid hiring Black workers.
According to the 2023 CROWN Workplace Research Study, 66 per cent of Black women change their hair for a job interview, as Black hair is 2.5 times more likely to be perceived as unprofessional. Black women who wear their natural hair are also more likely to experience microaggressions. These repeated instances of discrimination have motivated the Black community to demand change by using politics in their favour.
The CROWN Act stands for Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair. The legislative act was first created in 2019 by Holly J. Mitchell in California. The legislation declares that “race is inclusive of traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles.”
The act seeks to combat race-based hair discrimination, but legal protections alone cannot undo centuries of bias. True change requires a shift in societal perception; Black hair must be accepted in all of its forms.
Despite a long history of discrimination, Black hairstyles have been co-opted by the public. The same natural hairstyles that were deemed ugly, unfit, and unkept are now frequently used in mainstream fashion as tools of originality, or by everyday people to showcase a “swagger” far from one’s culture. In fashion shows such as the 2016 Marc Jacobs New York Fashion Week show, Black hairstyles such as locks are used on white women to make models look more “edgy” and “interesting”. For example, box braids and cornrows have been worn without proper accreditation to the Black community. Instances of cornrows being called “Kardashian braids,” showcase how dangerous white appropriation is and how by forgoing recognition there can be an erasure of culturally rich symbols. .
Other Black aesthetics such as clothing and music have followed a similar trajectory. Streetwear fashion and hip-hop culture have been absorbed by white individuals, who use cultural markers for profits. The relationship between Black culture and fashion is complicated, as many fashion companies from Comme Des Garçon and Marc Jacobs have perpetuated a cycle of erasure by not giving proper recognition to Black culture.
Black people have led trends for decades, from long and intricate nails to hoop earrings. Nails have always been a form of expression for Black women. In 1966, they were worn by the first African-American woman on the cover of Vogue, Donyale Luna.
In today’s technological landscape, this tendency has not changed.
Multiple viral TikTok dance trends were created by Black creators. One such trend was the 2019 Renegade dance, created by Jalaiah Harmon but commodified by Charli D’Amelio. When elements of Black culture are commodified without proper recognition, it perpetuates a cycle of erasure.
As we dig into Black history and culture, it becomes clear that the problem is about who wears these styles, not the styles themselves. It seems like it was never about the hair or the saggy pants, but about who was wearing it.
This article originally appeared in Volume 45, Issue 9, published February 11, 2025.