Thanks for this article! I agree very much with the bulk but have two major things that stood out to me: one is that again, Kim is not white. She's mixed race. While it doesn't excuse her blackfishing, it's still a valid fact. Two, the comment about braids. I know you know this but Black people's history doesn't start at slavery. That is not the only reason or value for wearing braids. Misconceptions like this make non black people think they can consolidate our entire existence and customs down to enslavement. Thats all! Thank you for your views here.
@rosiecat Well... getting your daughter's hair braided on holiday is weird. I don't know why white people have normalized it. it's like you go to some tropical island and put on a costume. Where even are you getting braids? Fiji? Bali? The native people don't even wear braids, does it not feel weird to you? If you love braids for your daughter, ok. Put her in cornrows in beads through the school year and have the school tell you your daughters hair is "inappropriate". Put your hair in braids and have your job tell you you look unprofessional. The issue is much deeper than just it belonging to another culture. it's the fact that non black people can switch on our cultural traditions on and off. It is not a necessary part of your existence, you put it on to feel "ethnic". That alone is problematic.