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Allure Magazine Encourages White Women To Wear Afros Using White Model, Twitter Erupts In Response

By Niki Cruz
Published on: 06:02 PST, Aug 4, 2015

Straight off the heels of the Rachel Dolezal controversy, Allure decided it would be a-okay if they encouraged white women to wear their hair in an Afro style in a how-to tutorial that subtly shades Black culture.

According to E!, in the August, 2015, issue, the magazine uses a white model-actress, Marissa Neitling, to demonstrate how white women can have their own Afro-look.

Although it goes without saying, this might be offensive to African Americans, as the Afro was worn in the 1970s as a way to express freedom and empowerment during a time where Black people were forming significant groups like the Black Panther Party (formed in 1966) to rise up against discrimination in America.

Allure states that, “An Afro is not an introvert’s hairstyle.” Then the magazine shows a how-to tutorial for its perplexing headline, “You (Yes, You) Can Have an Afro, Even If You Have Straight Hair.”

This article and the use of white actress sporting an Afro has sparked outrage all across Twitter. Here’s just a few responses from Twitter taking down Allure.

Allure, of course, caught wind of this and decided to respond. Instead of apologizing for offending, they took a stand and said their intention was to inspire creativity. Allure told Fox411 as follows.

“The Afro has a rich cultural and aesthetic history. In this story, we show women using different hairstyles as an 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.”

What do you think about Allure’s decision to feature an afro on a caucasian woman?

[Image via Allure]

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