From Khloe sporting Bantu knots to Kendall and Kylie making those poorly-designed “vintage” tees, it’s pretty much clear by now that the Kardashian-Jenner clan have a hard time grasping the consequences of cultural appropriation. The latest member of the controversial family to get called out on her appropriation is Kim Kardashian—again.
If you don’t recall, Kim faced backlash in January after posting photos of herself on Instagram wearing cornrows, or more specifically, Fulani braids, with the caption “BO WEST.” Kim was referring to Bo Derek, a white actress that wore Fulani braids in the film 10 back in the 1970s. So what does this mean?
Well, Fulani braids are a traditional hairstyle of the Fulani tribe of West Africa, according to Face 2 Face Africa, and, as explained by Africa.com, they also have a special tradition attached to them “that is passed through the generations to women and young girls [that] includes attaching the family’s silver coins and amber onto braids as a heritage symbol as well as for aesthetic purposes.”
In other words, they came around long before Bo Derek wore them, and they have much more cultural and historical significance than a fashion moment from a ’70s movie.
People were upset that Kim would take this traditional hairstyle that has ties to black culture and attribute it to a white woman. As pointed out by Allure, Kim was contributing to “the constant erasure of black women when it comes to beauty.”
It’s been six months since then, and Kim never apologized for the incident. In fact, it looks like she won’t ever apologize: at the MTV Movie & TV Awards on Sunday, Kim showed up with her hair in—you guessed it—Fulani braids.
MTV Movie & TV Awards 2018 pic.twitter.com/ky8u3Hwfda
— KKW MAFIA (@KKWMAFIA) June 17, 2018
This is so infuriating.
While it’s sometimes respectable that the Kardashians brush off hate they get about their looks, it’s important to note that the comments directed at Kim for her “Bo Derek braids” go beyond looks. People are angry that their history and culture are being “Columbused,” and that people who don’t have those identities are disrespecting those that do. Kim needs to understand the cultural implications and consequences of her actions. Because this doesn’t look like a laudable show of confidence in the face of haters, it looks like willful ignorance that erases the rich history of a beautiful hairstyle.