Justin Bieber has been accused of cultural appropriation after having his hair done into dreadlocks.
The "Yummy" singer debuted his controversial new hairdo on Sunday in a series of photos on Instagram. While some fans praised Bieber for his new do, others criticized him for being racially insensitive.
For people of color, hair is not always about a fashion statement but has in the past been a point of discrimination. In 2020, a teen in Texas was suspended after refusing to cut off his locks and in 2019, a New Jersey high school wrestler had to cut off his dreads to avoid forfeiting a match, according to USA Today. The term dreadlocks holds a historically negative connotation and Bieber's fans were quick to point that out.
"This is cultural appropriation... I know you can do better," one Instagram user responded to a photo posted by Bieber.
"Dreads have heavy history to the AFRICAN community that was slaves to America. We were punished and tortured for our dreads, and still are to this day. So to see you wear them is a slap in the face," another wrote.
Other fans quickly jumped to defend Bieber.
"People truly need to get over something so little as a hair style. IT’S HAIR. Dreads have been around for FOREVER. It’s not just a culture thing, it’s not just a black person hair style though they do look the best with them," an Instagram user wrote.
"In a world screaming equality, let this man do what he wants with HIS hair," another replied.
The backlash comes several days after Bieber spoke candidly about how the pressure of fame and the scrutiny that ensues forced him to take drugs. In an interview with GQ, Bieber said he thought success was going to make him feel good but instead he ended up using drugs as a "numbing agent" to help him get through.
"There’s all these opinions. And in this industry, you’ve got people that unfortunately prey on people’s insecurities and use that to their benefit," he said.
"And so when that happens, obviously that makes you angry. And then you’re this young, angry person who had these big dreams, and then the world just jades you and makes you into this person that you don’t want to be. And then you wake up one day and your relationships are f***ed up and you’re unhappy and you have all this success in the world, but you’re just like: Well, what is this worth if I’m still feeling empty inside?"
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Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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