The Post That Started It All

In her Snapchat post, Kim K referred to her braids as “Bo Derek braids.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BehHUATBWf_/

BO WEST pic.twitter.com/jCA5Odyu5D

— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) January 29, 2018

That’s when all hell broke lose across social media…

https://twitter.com/awaken_queen/status/957955925414903808

https://twitter.com/Teenagenature/status/957818533848772608

At this point … they know what they’re doing. They know it’s wrong . They don’t live under a rock. And btw @KimKardashian , they’re called Fulani braids . https://t.co/yIIZ9eF1Ya

— Á (@_a_pearl) January 29, 2018

Then Kim K. only added fuel to the fire when she posted what appeared to be a defiant response to the backlash…

https://www.instagram.com/p/BejjFTSlmDk/

Quite frankly, I didn’t give a damn when I heard about this, because the first question that popped into my mind was, ‘Well, is Mrs. Kardashian-West doing anything new that she wasn’t already doing?’ Since there was no new news there, I didn’t feel it was anything worth wasting your time ILOSM fam.’ But lo and behold, there is something to speak on now…

Bo Derek Defends Kim K.

Bo Derek has just resurfaced to defend Kim Kardashian and their right to claim the African inspired hairdo. Why is this newsworthy? Because in the 70’s and 80’s, when Bo Derek “introduced” pop culture to the hairstyle that Africans and African Americans- including 70’s/80’s R&B singer, Patrice Rushen- had already been rockin’ for centuries, there was no social media to shed light on that fact. So now that Bo has spoken out on the matter decades later, I thought it’d be pretty interesting to finally hear her thoughts on this one.

After reading the many comments accusing Kim of cultural appropriation, Bo Derek tweeted in her defense, using a reference to Egyptian African Queen Nefertari, whom she mistakenly referred to as “Queen Nofretari”:

Hey! It’s just a hairstyle that I wore in the movie “10” @KimKardashian calls it the Bo Derek because she copied my pattern of braids. I copied it from Ann-Margret’s backup singer from her Vegas Sho. And we all copied Queen Nofretari. I hope Her Royal Highness is flattered. pic.twitter.com/UuQkh8VKOi

— Bo Derek (@boderek) January 31, 2018

Of course Bo, too, received backlash from many, for diminishing the bigger picture. That is, for centuries, people of color have been robbed of their culture, without receiving their just due. Therefore, the topic of hair may seem extremely minuscule in the mainstream sense, understandably so…but it is a very sensitive topic among many within African American culture.

pic.twitter.com/uWGDSuWmLj

— Bottom Belly (@MalikaNgozi) February 1, 2018

https://twitter.com/Dannihack1/status/959099376189755393

https://twitter.com/iwastetimez/status/959036437319561217

https://twitter.com/divachronicles_/status/959038015782965248

CORNROWS! “Rocking my cornrows.” Many other women rocked that exact pattern before you did and Kim knows it. No better then coco renaming her braids to the “cocoswoop” or Kim’s “boxerbraids” CORNROWS dang… like Every. Single. Time. And that sarcasm was unnecessary.

— P (@mizwulee) February 1, 2018

https://twitter.com/vnyvsh/status/959128736481333252

I haven’t heard a word from her in years lol why she open her mouth for THIS

— Bottom Belly (@MalikaNgozi) February 1, 2018

My advice to any non-African or African-American person having difficulty grasping the sensitivity of this braided hairdo topic: Please do not judge something you may be misinformed of, because the level of insensitivity that could cause, varies from person to person. Rather, simply ask and try to understand the centuries of pain, anger, and injustice of others that such a sensitive topic, like this, is birthed from. The more open, honest discussions we ALL have among races, cultures, etc., the better understanding we’ll have of each other’s plights and/or ignorance.

The post 70s Actress Bo Derek Resurfaces To Defend Kim K.’s Braids From Racial Backlash & Many React appeared first on I Love Old School Music.