It’s pretty well-known that the Kardashians don’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to cultural appropriation. Kylie Jenner’s cornrows once got her into a feud with a less than thrilled Amandla Sternberg, and Khloe Kardashian has repeatedly worn a Native American headdress in Instagram photos. Unfortunately, it would also appear that Kim didn’t exactly get the memo based on these previous incidents.
On Monday, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star took to Instagram to share a few shots from a recent sexy photoshoot, in which she can be seen wearing brand new cornrows — and things took a turn for the worse when she captioned one of the photos “BO WEST,” a reference to white actress and model Bo Derek, who wore the hairstyle in the 1979 film 10, and was credited by the media at the time for starting a “cross-cultural craze and beauty-salon bonanza nationwide.”
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Considering “Bo Derek braids,” which are actually called cornrows or Fulani braids, have been worn by black women for centuries (a.k.a. much earlier than 1979), many of Kardashian West’s black fans were not happy about the fact that she not only culturally appropriated the hairstyle, but she didn’t even bother to give credit where it’s due.
They are called Fulani braids or some may even say corn rows. You could of called them either one but you called them “Bo derek” giving credit to a white woman for a black style knowing you already catch heat for culture vulturing. #KimKardashian #culturalvul pic.twitter.com/aIF4NzJ9rw
— Roses (@Teenagenature) January 29, 2018
first of all, fuck you @KimKardashian for wearing cornrows and calling them “Boderrick braids”. second of call fuck you again for crediting the creation of “boderrick braids” to a white woman who was culturally appropriating cornrows to begin with.
— Queen (@poeticsoulinme) January 29, 2018
“Oh no these are boxer braids”
“Oh these are Bo Derek braids”
Anything to avoid dealing with admitting she’s inspired by Black women.
Erasure is real.
— Kelechi Okafor (@kelechnekoff) January 29, 2018
The main problem with Kim appropriating styles like Fulani braids and cornrows is that these styles have been worn by indigenous people from Africa and the Caribbean since ancient times — and yet, when white women wear them, they usually do so to be “edgy” or as part of a trend, all while refusing to use their platforms to speak up on behalf of the communities they’re appropriating from.
As much as we love them, we hope 2018 will finally be the year the Kardashian fam gets the message: cultural appropriation is never okay — especially when you wield influence over millions of fans.