So...Designer, Marc Jacobs' fashion show received some heat because all the models were White and wearing multi-coloured dreadlocks. Everyone rolled their eyes, including me, because "oh god, again?!"
Then Marc responded in the Whitest way possible: with ignorance and arrogance dripping with the privilege of NOT knowing just how fucked up this society is for "women of colour"...in 2016.
I get that these conversations get tired...but racism never tires. So the people that fight against it aren't afforded the luxury that Marc is to not know wtf he's talking about:
“All who cry ‘cultural appropriation’ or whatever nonsense about any race or skin color wearing their hair in any particular style or manner — funny how you don’t criticize women of color for straightening their hair. I respect and am inspired by people and how they look. I don’t see color or race — I see people.”
Basically, he's "All Lives Matter"ing this one. Never a good idea, bruh.
1. "Not seeing race" is actually a form of racism.
2. The reasons no one criticizes WOC for straightening their hair...is because "they" are too busy making life hell for WOC who DON'T.
Here are 4 little Black girls in AFRICA. Who are being threatened with arrest for NOT straightening their hair. In 2016.
Here is a Black woman who got discharged from the military for NOT straightening their hair. In 2016.
Here is Vanessa Van Dyke, who was threatened with suspension from school for NOT straightening her hair. In 2016.
For the record: Cultural appropriation isn't bad because people are copying each others hairstyles. It's bad because we live in a society with a MASSIVE power imbalance (White Supremacy) and where Whiteness erases all forms of culture / value from anything else. Violently. In 2016.
Marc Jacobs...the reason why no one criticizes Black women for straightening their hair...is because they are being jailed, fired from their jobs & kicked out of school if they DON'T. In other words they are being FORCED to. In 2016.
The thing with privilege is it allows you to be blind. You don't have to wake up in the morning and "decide" to exercise your privilege. You have it whether you want it or not.
Indeed, this society often punishes White people that DON'T exercise their White Privilege.
I get MJ probably isn't a racist, but as a cis-White man, it's clear he doesn't have a clue just how bad it is for women of colour or why "dressing up" his models with hairstyles that get Black women and children punished in our society while glamourizing it for White women is wrong. It's even worse when you're so clueless you actually say something as dumb as "WOC don't get criticized for copying our hair"...when they are being persecuted if they don't.
Marc seems like one of those guys that also wonders why we don't have a White Entertainment Television. lol.
