Spill the chemical X tea.
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White girl attacked for getting box braids
- Thread starter Majmun
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Spill the chemical X tea.
If she was educated on institutional racism/cultural appropriation she would grow up to be timid around black people? How does that happen? Or maybe she would be more educated about the hairstyle and would understand what comes with it, maybe able to educate her friends/family on the hairstyle when they ask why she has the same hairstyle as the nigger up the street or when her friends ask why her hair is looking ghetto. Maybe her understanding will help her understanding of other issues that black people go through. But nah, she'll just forever be mad she can't dress like us and then her family will be racist or whatever you're trying to say.
You Are Viewtiful
Member
When did Twitter turn into Tumblr? Poor girl.
PetriP-TNT
Member
Box braids look awful on all colors, sizes and nationalities. All box braids are equal(ly awful)
But getting attacked for them (online or in real life)? Ridiculous.
But getting attacked for them (online or in real life)? Ridiculous.
Anton Sugar
Member
Considering my response was basically "she doesn't deserve the attacks but she should try to understand WHY those attacks occurred", then yeah, it would absolutely be the same.
We can't talk about racism not existing until it actually doesn't exist. Yeah, we all hope for race to have no meaning but we also have eyes, ears, and a brain that helps us understand that, yes, racism is alive and well.
EASTC0AST_GH05T
Member
close crop, a bowl cut or mullet, J/P rock whatever makes you feel good.
Gordon Shumway
Banned
Honey Bunny
Member
I'd see an aspect of a minority culture being integrated into the majority culture as a positive. Lessening the differences of a minority and majority brings everyone a little closer together. That's a good thing. The goal should be for a common culture that can unite everyone under a broad set of paradigms but at the same time can respect and appreciate differences of minorities within that culture, I think.
The problem many seem to have are the people or institutions in that majority who will benefit from this cultural exchange but still treat a minority the same shitty way they did before they started liking or marketing braids or whatever else it is. To that I say...they're racists, yeh - before white women wore braids and after. They were always going to be.
But I don't see why these people abusing their position of power should make us stop an inherently good thing from happening (a degree of cultural integration), in an effort to stop those shitty people benefitting from it. Because I think the integration itself can benefit acceptance and appreciation of minorities more than it can ever benefit those people and their exploitation of it.
It doesn't have to be a one way trade. Seeing darker skin, braided hair, whatever it may be come in vogue with the majority can help attitudes towards those minorities too. In a huge way, I think. No one should try to stop it from happening (and they never will anway, it's human nature). What should be happening is making it clear to the majority where this all came from, how these minority cultures and ideas can benefit them and how they can take an interest in them - not trying to scare them away. So I think approaching these things in a hostile manner is really counterproductive. Instead of shaming a white girl on twitter for wearing braids, link her to a gallery of black women in the past wearing them and looking fine, something like that.
. But some sort of gesture in that spirit.
The problem many seem to have are the people or institutions in that majority who will benefit from this cultural exchange but still treat a minority the same shitty way they did before they started liking or marketing braids or whatever else it is. To that I say...they're racists, yeh - before white women wore braids and after. They were always going to be.
But I don't see why these people abusing their position of power should make us stop an inherently good thing from happening (a degree of cultural integration), in an effort to stop those shitty people benefitting from it. Because I think the integration itself can benefit acceptance and appreciation of minorities more than it can ever benefit those people and their exploitation of it.
It doesn't have to be a one way trade. Seeing darker skin, braided hair, whatever it may be come in vogue with the majority can help attitudes towards those minorities too. In a huge way, I think. No one should try to stop it from happening (and they never will anway, it's human nature). What should be happening is making it clear to the majority where this all came from, how these minority cultures and ideas can benefit them and how they can take an interest in them - not trying to scare them away. So I think approaching these things in a hostile manner is really counterproductive. Instead of shaming a white girl on twitter for wearing braids, link her to a gallery of black women in the past wearing them and looking fine, something like that.
I don't know I'm not great with hair I just shave mine
Circle Jerk
Member
Why should someone try to understand attacks on them they dont deserve?
Nailed it. Great post.
A Fish Aficionado
I am going to make it through this year if it kills me
It can be. Not this case however.
Many black women are pressured to have straightened and other hairstyles instead of their natural hair.
Why harp, or stated differently, why ask you to explain what you mean in repeated references to her ignorance? Because of the answer you wound up giving, and what it implies: 14 year old white girl's decision to get braids as her new hairstyle is a decision made, at least in part, due to ignorance of misappropriation, denigration, and exploitation. Her ignorance is irrelevant. It's simple.
"Benefit of the doubt" because she's ignorant? What does that even mean, and benefit of the doubt from who? And of what kind? That she's not a racist, or acting maliciously, in getting braids?
She liked the hairstyle, she got the braids. Sometimes, the world is simple, even if it's not supportive of the narrative you'd like this thread to take on.
Yes, because you are being stupid as hell about this. No one should need a lecture on any culture for a fucking hairstyle. You are trying WAY to fucking hard here. Seriously. This girl isnt hurting anybody.
As long as we can all agree that all of the bolded is shameful. From the lack of acceptance until another culture takes it up, to the lashing out.
Thanks. I didn't think it needed to be said though.
You Are Viewtiful
Member
HuskerDutheDu
Member
Good on this girl for listening to the complaints and treating them with respect, unlike, say a bunch of people on a video game forum.
Man, those braids are well done. They're probably the best braids I've ever seen. I can't spot a single flaw in them. If there was a championship for braids, she'd be taking home the title. This is a sincere post and in no way intended to make The Faceless Master fire up photoshop to offer me a braid critique for my amusement. No sir.
It's called empathy and it allows you to grow as an individual. If someone hurt me because they were coming from a place of hurt, it'd be good to understand why.
It allows you to get to the root of an issue. People are at times abusive because of trauma they've suffered through. So let's explore that, learn about it and apply it to our lives.
Yeah -some- people say those things, but plenty of people don't. Quite a few give credit where credit is due. I don't think that because some people may not know, appreciate or recognize the roots of some cultural movement, that there should be some weird push back against this fundamental part of human nature, by that I mean the "appropriation" of culture.
When a person is rocking a hairstyle from women that would get bad looks/negative experiences from the hairstyle, then yeah, maybe it wouldn't hurt to learn a little about the history/culture behind it. She didn't get her feelings hurt and seemed to learn from it, why are you more upset than she is? At least she is seemingly willing to understand rather than just cry out reverse racism or stupid shit like black people are nazis.
Yup
If every race got cunty for all the things that have been 'appropriated' by other races ... all we'd do is have a 24/7 social justice warrior shit-fest.
People need to separate systemic racism, oppression, and true appropriation (where outsiders benefit at the expense of originators) from people appreciating another culture's ideas and creations. Cultures intentionally sell memorabilia to tourists, musicians and artists actively sell and perform to mainstream audiences ... you can't have it both ways.
thiscoldblack
Unconfirmed Member
We should encourage the sharing of our cultures and traditions with others to decrease segregation.
Ahem. I changed the formatting of your post so I can tackle each questions one by one. (I gave each point a number)
1. I have seen it happen. I am mixed so in London I never had any racism, but when I went to school in Manchester (only two black students) people acted differently. Some people would straight off be racist and ask me if I could do black things (basketball, rap, you name it) and otherwise there would be others who would just act, cautious. Like, it was worse because they we had a class where we were told to compare differences to students next to us, and the student next to me had to be the only one to say general shit like "we both have arms." When the teacher asked the kid took about a minute to mention I was black. It was actually the first time I was called black.
2. Exactly how my post says.
3. This right here. Listen to yourself. It's a hairstyle and YOU make the connection about niggering it up. You assume that the next person down the street from her is a thug in your imagination. I wonder where that comes from? Also they are not dreads, fyi.
4. My point is, it is kinda fucked up that black kids are now going to have to go to school feeling like every white kid is afraid to offend them. White kids will compare the size of their lips because one kid has really tiny lips or something, then the black kid joins in and wants to play. Everyone shuts up and says "it wouldn't be appropriate."
The Faceless Master
Member
lol
A Fish Aficionado
I am going to make it through this year if it kills me
You're one of my favorite posters on gaf.
shinobi602
Member
Yes, because everyone knows you should treat blatant racist comments with respect. Nevermind the fact the "complaints" are absolutely ridiculous and unwarranted. They deserve to be mocked and laughed at.
It's not like there is one American at the head of racism and cultural appropriation who is dishing out and acquiring in equal measure. This is a fluid and complicated process, that's both institutionalized racism and cultural "appropriation".
You really shouldn't use these large sweeping generalizations to give any individuals grief. And further, what are the geographical constraints on cultural appropriation? Is all of America under the same umbrella? North America? The western world?
We can aspire towards it. We can trust with our knowledge that racism is actually born of ignorance and character isn't determined by colour, and watch as our kids share mixed classrooms and learn it themselves without needing an essay of why blacks are really just people too.
The Faceless Master
Member
but the outcome is always paragraph #2
Zen_Arcade
Banned
The problem is that Anton willingly admitted that the girl did nothing wrong in the first place. So understanding why they're mad wouldn't make any difference, because why they're mad is irrational in this instance.
You're essentially saying "Little girl, you didn't do anything wrong, but you should learn why these people are irrationally mad at you for not doing anything wrong so you can better understand why they had no right to harass you in the first place."
I don't think you have to be empathetic to people who are not only berating you, but are berating you for irrational reasons.
HuskerDutheDu
Member
According to who?
GeordieMark
Member
The way I see it is that those people tweeting the girl are a miniscule proportion, and the vast majority of black people wouldn't be at all bothered by this.
It's the usual Twitter bullshit, where a few idiots spout off, and people turn it into a bigger issue than it really is.
It's the usual Twitter bullshit, where a few idiots spout off, and people turn it into a bigger issue than it really is.
Before I respond, are you saying that hair styling is a trivial endeavor for black women?
gutter_trash
Banned
borrowing each other's culture and opening up is the way to go for the future.
Getting closed up and saying ''that belongs to us and us only!!!'' just re-enforces walls and self-segregation
some urban centers have lots of diversity where there is lots of mingling among different cultures... that is great
the ones suck are urban centers that close up, who stick only to their neighborhoods and stick only to their own ''kind'' and don't want to mingle with ''others''...... now that is aweful
Anyway, I am appropriating stereotypical black food for myself because I find it delicious.
Getting closed up and saying ''that belongs to us and us only!!!'' just re-enforces walls and self-segregation
some urban centers have lots of diversity where there is lots of mingling among different cultures... that is great
the ones suck are urban centers that close up, who stick only to their neighborhoods and stick only to their own ''kind'' and don't want to mingle with ''others''...... now that is aweful
Anyway, I am appropriating stereotypical black food for myself because I find it delicious.
In the long list of shit that suck about this world being a black person, this doesn't really pop off on my radar. Yeah I can understand where the issue is coming from but I can't hate on that little girl, it'd make me no better than the Hunger Games tirades on the little black girl playing a role in the movie.
Culturally appropriation can be shitty though.
Culturally appropriation can be shitty though.
CheDominik
Member
Don't people have anything better to do in their lives than harassing a random little girl? WTF.
Anton Sugar
Member
Empathy, maybe?
If you want to ignore the "narrative" that's at play here, that's fine. I'm not the first and won't be the last to state that black women's hair is, yes, a highly sensitive and complicated cultural issue.
Black women have to deal with white women being applauded for being "bold" and "daring" when they wear black hairstyles (or "urban" styles, as they're commonly called) while at the same time being told that braids are ghetto or that locks are extreme/unacceptable hairstyles.
I don't disagree, but I think at this point in the discussion, it's counterproductive to use "I don't see race" as a platform for change. I certainly think it's something should be instilled in our generation, while also educating them in how the world actually "is" right now. As good a parent as you can be, your kids will be bombarded by the rest of the world.
- I don't know who Anton is, as I'm not closely following this thread.
- I'm not looking to go back in time to make this situation not occur. That's not going to happen. However, if people want to learn why black women can be offended by something like this, I'll help explain it. If everyone is truly hellbent on understanding one another, and understanding why someone who is hurt, may lash out.... Understanding their plight and hurt will enable you to not be an offender.
- I'm not condoning their actions. I'm trying to simply express why these hurt people are hurting someone else. It's sad that this young girl was hurt, but it's also sad that societal expectations have hurt those who are not doing the hurting.
Gordon Shumway
Banned
Fully agreeing with you.
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The 'white people steal our culture' stuff is also invading hip hop culture. I mean, who would have thought that all it takes to make people lose their mind is a single mediocre Australian white female rapper with good numbers? People make such a huge thing out of Macklemore and her, like: name all relevant white rappers from the beginning of hip hop; and then name all black ones.
Also, in this particular case: it has become quite rare to see black chicks with braids since a lot of women that I see use fake color or weave their hair. I'm not saying that this is the case for every woman, but those natural hair styles have become very rare these days. Not saying that this is a bad or good thing, but please don't act as if wearing braids was a privilege reserved for a certain part of the demographic; it's just a fucking hair style. Put your energy in much more serious matters than cyberbullying a teenager.
shinobi602
Member
Common sense.
Why should we treat racist comments with respect? Why is getting crazy over a hairstyle warranted?
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