Not long ago Justin Bieber had said that he is “very influenced by black culture”. However, in the words of a fan, the singer’s recent Instagram post took him “1000 (steps) backward” with regards to his efforts against racial discrimination because Bieber is once again facing accusations of cultural appropriation over his hair.
On Sunday, the 27-year-old singer debuted short dreadlocks on Instagram, sharing several pictures of his controversial new hairstyle that elicited both calls of racial insensitivity and praise amongst peers.
Some Black women called Bieber’s hairstyle offensive and disrespectful and urged him to change it and apologise while others defended him, saying he can wear his hair the way he wants.
Dreadlocks are traditionally connected to the culture and identities of Black people, and wearing them is viewed by some as cultural appropriation. Locs – which are commonly referred to as dreadlocks, a term that holds a historically negative connotation – is a style where hair locks into fused coils over time.
The hairstyle has traditionally been worn by people of color throughout history and is often discriminated against and policed. In 2020, a teenager in Texas was suspended for refusing to cut his locks while in 2019, a New Jersey high school wrestler had to cut off his locs to avoid forfeiting the match. Then in 2015, Zendaya’s locs were referred to as smelling of “patchouli oil and weed” on the Oscars red carpet.
Hence, it was no surprise that social media users did not go easy on Bieber. One person tweeted: “Listen Justin Bieber. I don’t care how long I’ve liked you, this is cultural appropriation and I don’t like it.”
“Justin, how are you gonna preach that you’re an advocate for black people and then keep appropriating them? Make it make sense buddy,” said another one.
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Fans are hurt because earlier in June, Bieber had said that he is committed to speaking up about racial injustice.
“My style, how I sing, dance, perform, and my fashion have all been influenced and inspired by Black culture,” Bieber had said. “I am committed to using my platform this day forward to learn, to speak up about racial injustice and systemic oppression, and to identify ways to be a part of much-needed change.”
Meanwhile, earlier in 2016, Bieber had received flak for wearing cornrows.
“Hailey made me get corn rows like an absolute douche bag, these will be off tomorrow trust me Danny,” Bieber had captioned the picture.
The post Justin Bieber accused of cultural appropriation over new hairstyle appeared first on The Current.
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