The dominant culture in the United States is white. Everyone else composes subcultures. When the dominant culture decides to copy something from one of those subcultures but refuses to understand the ethnology, that is cultural appropriation. And that’s what is happening to the black culture in the United States.

Everyone seems to want to be “black” without really understanding what it means to be black.

Back in the 1980s, a white woman named of Bo Derek rocked some cornrows and “started” the hairstyle “Bo Derek Braids.” She has been referred to as a “hair icon” ever since. She took credit for something that dates back to ancient Egypt. Cornrows are symbolic for black hair. They keep the hair unknotted and promote hair growth -- they aren’t primarily a fashion statement.

Twerking is a dance that started in 1993 by Dj Jubilee and his song “Do the Jubilee All.” When the dance began it was deemed as “ghetto,” “inappropriat,e” and “black.” Since then, Miley Cyrus has twerked her way into the scene and has been named the originator of the dance, by America. Now the dance is acceptable in popular culture.

At the 2014 Grammys, Kendrick Lamar’s album “good kid m.A.A.d city” lost to Macklemore’s album “The Heist.” Macklemore understood that this was absolute nonsense and apologized to Kendrick after the ceremony.

Why? Because Macklemore understood why his album won. It wasn’t based on his rap flow, choice of beats or album story. Macklemore won because a group of old white men with no knowledge of rap decided his album was better.

Azealia Banks said it best in her interview about cultural appropriation with Hot 97, “all it says to white kids is: oh, yeah you're great, you're amazing, you can do whatever you put your mind to,” Banks said. “And it says to black kids: you don't have s**t. You don't own s**t, not even the s**t you created for yourself.” No matter what, black people who create their victories are undercut in America.

One of the biggest offenders of cultural appropriation is Kylie Jenner. Since she turned 17, Kylie has gotten lip injections which sparked the Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge. All of a sudden, full lips were in style and kids were sucking shot glasses to get them.
 
Meanwhile, the black girls in the corner continue to roll their eyes because they face heavy criticism for fuller lips. So, while fuller lips were praised on white women, a black model for MAC Cosmetics was subjected to bigotry; and comments like “nigga lips,” and “I thought this was Jay-Z” filled the Instagram page.

Kylie has also been seen sporting cornrows. Does she comment on the racism that black Americans have been subjected to? Never.

In the August 2015 edition of Allure Magazine, the entire book featured do-it-yourself hairstyles. They have a tutorial on achieving the perfect afro, but they opted for a white model. Meanwhile, a black student from Florida and was threatened with expulsion because her hair was seen as “unkempt.”

I am black American woman who wears an afro. I am told to straighten my hair on the daily, then a magazine has the audacity to hire a white woman to make my hair popular? Then a black girl gets sent home for an afro? Something is wrong here.

White people keep wearing black culture like a fashion statement while we are shamed for the texture of our hair, robbed of awards and watch as our history is bleached.

We are not a pumpkin spice latte that is served in the fall. We are here all year, and our issues are real. The racism that we are subjected to on a daily basis. My culture is not a costume, and it is offensive to treat it as such.