Straight off the heels of the Rachel Dolezal controversy, Allure decided it would be a-okay if they encouraged white women to wear their hair in an Afro style in a how-to tutorial that subtly shades Black culture.
According to E! , in the August, 2015, issue, the magazine uses a white model-actress, Marissa Neitling, to demonstrate how white women can have their own Afro-look.
Although it goes without saying, this might be offensive to African Americans, as the Afro was worn in the 1970s as a way to express freedom and empowerment during a time where Black people were forming significant groups like the Black Panther Party (formed in 1966) to rise up against discrimination in America.
Allure states that, “An Afro is not an introvert’s hairstyle.” Then the magazine shows a how-to tutorial for its perplexing headline, “You (Yes, You) Can Have an Afro, Even If You Have Straight Hair.”
This article and the use of white actress sporting an Afro has sparked outrage all across Twitter. Here’s just a few responses from Twitter taking down Allure.
Everybody want their hair styled…but don’t nobody wanna be profiled @Allure_magazine pic.twitter.com/4P22d4UIn6
— Erika Totten (@2LiveUnchained) August 2, 2015
If you can’t walk a block without the pick falling out your head, it’s not an Afro. @Allure_magazine #realAfros
— Diana S. (@Amused0472) August 4, 2015
If any of my followers who are white, have straight hair, “get an afro” w/those tips from Allure block me. Teasing your hair isn’t an afro k
— Sleepy Spice (@Feministfists) August 4, 2015
I miss my afro, @MarissaNeitling @Allure_magazine ! Repeat: To hell with the #TwitterInquisition ! pic.twitter.com/zQgYrrJSBR
— Adam Baldwin (@AdamBaldwin) August 4, 2015
That Allure/Afro foolishness is a great example of how you can work in beauty & know literally nothing about black hair. Literally nothing.
— Cora Harrington (@lingerie_addict) August 4, 2015
When Allure does an article telling white women how to get an afro after being dismissive of black hair for decades. pic.twitter.com/ErSKJu8ber
— SNIPES! (@ChocnessMonsta) August 3, 2015
Allure, of course, caught wind of this and decided to respond. Instead of apologizing for offending, they took a stand and said their intention was to inspire creativity. Allure told Fox411 as follows.
“The Afro has a rich cultural and aesthetic history. In this story, we show women using different hairstyles as an individual expressions of style. Using beauty and hair as a form of self-expression is a mirror of what’s happening in our country today. The creativity is limitless—and pretty wonderful.”
What do you think about Allure’s decision to feature an afro on a caucasian woman?
[Image via Allure ]
