by
Black Girl With Long Hair
We’re officially in the Trump era, and one of the ways black people are resisting is wit, humor and the art of the clapback. We’re starting ‘the clapback chronicles’ to document instances where trolls and generally uniformed people try it, and fail.
Over the years there have been many thoughtful discussions about Beyonce’s aesthetic, particularly her fondness for blonde hair pieces. Blonde hair is an aesthetic black people can have naturally, but undoubtedly it also is a symbol of ‘all-Americanness’ that is situated in whiteness. It’s a complex discussion, and one that a random dude decided, unwisely, to insert himself into.
“Solange is telling white people not to touch her hair. She should also tell her sister not to wear ours. #Solange #SNL.”
To which a black fan replied;
“that’s brazilian not the mississippi lice collection try again.”
K.O.
When you come for the Beyhive, you better not miss.
2 Responses
So… white people are free to appropriate the physical traits of black women (plump lips, large buttocks, tan skin, perfect hourglass shapes, traditionally black hairstyles) but they have the nerve to try and insult us when we adopt a style that they think is exclusive to them? Especially when they shame us for flaunting the traits we posses naturally that they try to steal from us, giving us no choice but to assimilate? Boy, bye.
At the same time, this presumptuous white male was most likely emboldened by seeing black people on social media shaming Beyoncé for “trying to be a white woman” by wearing a blonde weave. When we black people chastise each other with racial put downs in public, we further validate white people’s view of us and give them permission to insult us in the same vein. So let’s keep this in mind the next time we publicly excoriate one of our own for not adhering to our strict standards of blackness.
I completely agree. I am biracial. I am half black, half white, but I don’t feel conflicted at all. The white man was wrong. Point blank. He shouldn’t have said anything. Is it too much to ask for Solange to not want people to touch her hair? I didn’t think so. Its rude and uncalled for when people touch your hair without permission. When white people get plastic surgery to plump up their lips, is it called trying to steal a black characteristic? No. Its not. It becomes a social media trend.