What started as a simple magazine hair tutorial has quickly turned into an online debacle about gender and race.
In the August 2015 issue of Allure, the magazine features a piece on how to achieve the perfect afro — aimed specifically at women who have naturally straight hair. The story is called "You (Yes You) Can Have An Afro."
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The main photo shows white actress Marissa Neitling (from TNT's The Last Ship) sporting an "afro."
Naturally, the story is a tad confusing, as afro hairstyles are widely considered to be a cultural touchstone for black women and an important part of their identity. So why is there a story specifically instructing white women on how to achieve this look?
The story is part of a larger piece about 1970s-inspired hairdos. Women of color are noticeably absent from all of the photos, despite the fact that they pioneered the iconic 70s hairstyle as a "cultural embodiment of freedom of expression."
Many found the photo and the topic of the piece to be extremely misguided, even if its intentions were pure.
“I don't think that Allure necessarily meant to cause any harm or be insulting. I believe in the editor's mind, it was actually a celebration, but that naïveté is really a major problem associated with cultural appropriation," Allison McGevna, editor of HelloBeautiful.com, told Fox News. “Black female features are not simply a beauty trend. While celebrating an Afro hairstyle, which is absolutely something to celebrate, they should have used an actual Black woman, instead of painting freckles on a white woman's skin and curling her hair so that she looks more ethnic.”
The Internet was in outrage over the piece, with many women shaking their heads in collective disgust over the perceived cultural appropriation.
@Allure_magazine do you care to state why you have an article on how non- black women can get an "Afro"? Do you have ANY POC working there?— Ms. Maralison (@maralison84) August 1, 2015
So @Allure_magazine thinks the Afro is a new hairstyle for European hair. Smdh pic.twitter.com/jRuMEOMTLC— Duchess of Bklyn (@IamJavone) August 2, 2015
This is an Afro. Not....this. @Allure_magazine pic.twitter.com/hkdsMdNG1t— Brandy with a Y (@BtSquared2) August 2, 2015
When Allure does an article telling white women how to get an afro after being dismissive of black hair for decades. pic.twitter.com/ErSKJu8ber— SNIPES! (@ChocnessMonsta) August 3, 2015
What a missed opportunity by @Allure_magazine to actually talk about afro hair...to girls who actually have it. pic.twitter.com/qO6kOLoUDW— Eileen ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (@MissWhoeverUR) August 3, 2015
That Allure/Afro foolishness is a great example of how you can work in beauty & know literally nothing about black hair. Literally nothing.— Cora Harrington (@lingerie_addict) August 4, 2015
@Allure_magazine How are you going to have an article on Afro's and not mention the origins of the style? #afro— C Slattery (@Legs_for_days) August 2, 2015
Don't worry, though. Adam Baldwin says he's perfectly fine with it, as being a white dude makes him perfectly qualified to weigh in on the issue!
I miss my afro, @MarissaNeitling @Allure_magazine! Repeat: To hell with the #TwitterInquisition! pic.twitter.com/zQgYrrJSBR— Adam Baldwin (@AdamBaldwin) August 4, 2015