Kylie Jenner, you did NOT wake up like this …
However, with the way style and trends have come to the forefront in White mainstream culture, such as Marie Claire’s decades late revelation of cornrows and declaration that Kendall Jenner invented the style or the “new” obsession with Timberland boots, which have been a popular staple in Black culture for years, yeah, we can see why you’d think that.
One celebrity in particular continues to call-out cultural appropriation offenders. In April, Hunger Games star and Disney Channel actress, Amandla Stenberg, went viral with a video addressed to Katy Perry, Madonna, Fergie, Iggy Azalea and many more for using aspects of Black culture for entertainment purposes and to perpetuate stereotypes.
Coming for round two, the youth activist caught wind of Kylie’s cornrowed image and claim that she “woke up like disss” and took the opportunity to inform the youngest Jenner sibling of why her “trendy” look was simply not okay.
According to US Weekly, Stenberg’s comment read:
“When u appropriate black features and culture but fail to use ur position of power to help black Americans by directing attention towards ur wigs instead of police brutality or racism #whitegirlsdoitbetter.”
To which Jenner had a snarky reply:
“Mad if I do… mad if I don’t. Go hang w Jaden or something.”
The last half of the comment was in reference to the 16-year-old being escorted by Jaden Smith to prom in the Spring.
Stenberg’s point raises a good question: Why it is okay to admire the features, styles and behaviors of a specific race/culture, to take on their appearance, flaunt it across music, videos and social media, but then grow silent – verbally and visually – in the wake of the adversity said culture endures?
A line must be drawn.
Putting the situation in check mate, the vocal youth added this message to her Instagram:
