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[Herb.]

The Internet Is Unhappy With This Allure Spread



Allure is catching some serious flak for a spread in its August issue that began circling the Internet today, reports BuzzFeed. The story displays several '70s-inspired hairstyles, from bowl cuts to long bangs, but the magazine is getting heat for its choice to use a white model to show off the "loose Afro."

You (Yes, You) Can Have An Afro is the title of the story that instructs readers with straight hair on how they can achieve the look. While I don't think the story was meant to be insulting, I do think the editors' intentions were misguided. It is meant to highlight the style, sure, but why not use a Black model with straight hair to illustrate it? (There were zero models of color in the story to begin with.) What about using it as a way to speak to readers who wear their hair in a 'fro daily? Since the story focuses on the '70s, a time when Black women wore their hair naturally as a symbol of pride, at least Allure could have mentioned the history behind the style.

The magazine has issued a statement surrounding the backlash: "The Afro has a rich cultural and aesthetic history. In this story, we show women using different hairstyles as...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."

We could wax poetic about the dangers of cultural appropriation (and, trust us, we have), but we'll let the internet speak to this one.

http://www.refinery29.com/2015/08/91760/allure-magazine-afro-controversy#.s88znt:Q14O

[Nine]

That's an afro?

[Sinpool]

f

I don't even understand why having a damn afro is considered a political statement when it's the damn hair that grows out of somebodies head.

[Herb.]

That's an afro?

It's afro styled.

An afro style doesn't always have to be tightly coiled. (or "kinky")
This is the tea that Rachel Dolezal was trying to give. It's afro, but its a looser curl.
I would have assumed she was a black woman with mixed heritage or something.

[Young]

Beautiful

[Annie]

I wonder what's going to happen once the white girls start using "Runway curls"

[Sinpool]

I don't think people would be as upset if it weren't for the fact that everything is already Europeanized and if something is finally goes against the European standard they always have to use a white person just to let the girls know Europe is still the default.

[Annie]

[Herb.]

f

I don't even understand why having a damn afro is considered a political statement when it's the damn hair that grows out of somebodies head.

I'm kinda on the same page with you.

I got this from a hair forum I frequent, the black women there were not feeling this mess at all.
But I feel at the end of the day, it's a hairstyle.

But I can empathize with how they may see it. Like, you take so much from our community, can we at least have our hair?

[Nine]

That's an afro?

It's afro styled.

An afro style doesn't always have to be tightly coiled.
This is the tea that Rachel Dolezal was trying to give. It's afro, but its a looser curl.
I would have assumed she was a black woman with mixed heritage or something.

ohhhhh k

she still looks like a cracker to me

[Herb.]

That's an afro?

It's afro styled.

An afro style doesn't always have to be tightly coiled.
This is the tea that Rachel Dolezal was trying to give. It's afro, but its a looser curl.
I would have assumed she was a black woman with mixed heritage or something.

ohhhhh k

she still looks like a cracker to me

ojpiho8ug7y8f6td5rs4ueay3

[Sinpool]

f

I don't even understand why having a damn afro is considered a political statement when it's the damn hair that grows out of somebodies head.

I'm kinda on the same page with you.

I got this from a hair forum I frequent, the black women there were not feeling this mess at all.
But I feel at the end of the day, it's a hairstyle.

But I can empathize with how they may see it. Like, you take so much from our community, can we at least have our hair?

No I agree with the ones who are upset. It's just crazy to me that letting your hair grow naturally is such a political statement that is causes such an uproar. You don't see the other races who grow straight and silky debating until the world ends about growing their hair naturally.

[yummy]

ggvb

am sorry but this is so trivial. I totally get the argument about cultural appropriation and all that jazz but I think there are more pressing issues than some white girl rocking some cornrows or a poor attempt at an afro.

[SUPREME]

yes GODway curls

[Herb.]

f

I don't even understand why having a damn afro is considered a political statement when it's the damn hair that grows out of somebodies head.

I'm kinda on the same page with you.

I got this from a hair forum I frequent, the black women there were not feeling this mess at all.
But I feel at the end of the day, it's a hairstyle.

But I can empathize with how they may see it. Like, you take so much from our community, can we at least have our hair?

No I agree with the ones who are upset. It's just crazy to me that letting your hair grow naturally is such a political statement that is causes such an uproar. You don't see the other races who grow straight and silky debating until the world ends about growing their hair naturally.

Yeah.

For a black woman growing her natural hair, it's automatically "oh! against the grain! she must be a bitch mad at the world! stay away from her  "!!!!


And black men feel as if they have no option but to dredlock their hair or cut it all off to a fade. No such thing as growing a tightly coiled afro in the workplace. Taboo! is he a thug he's mad at the man! everyone take cover!



There's ONE guy at my job who has his hair in a tightly coiled natural afro. And I just love looking at it. I wanna touch it tbh.  I love seeing that. And A LOT more of our black women are transitioning to natural hairstyles - ditching the hotcombs, creamy crack and weaves.

But I agree. it's sad that people assume things about someone just based on a damn hairstyle.