Kim Kardashian Attempts to Slam Cultural Appropriation Criticism With Throwback Photo

Is Kim Kardashian attempting to quiet claims of cultural appropriation? The 38-year-old reality star posted a throwback photo this week showing her crimped hair after Twitter users called her out for the look last week.

Keeping Up With the Kardashians fans will remember the controversy surrounding the Fulani braids she wore to last summer’s MTV Movie Awards; at the time, many people took issue with her rocking the hairstyle that originated in Africa, saying it is a distinctive black hairstyle and that she took advantage of her privilege by wearing the braids.

Similar claims surfaced earlier this month when the mom of three was seen sporting long, textured ponytail extensions that look just like the Yaki braiding hair commonly found in beauty supply stores and that black women have been wearing for years.

After Vogue wrote that Kardashian was “bringing crimped hair back in a big way,” many Twitter users clapped back, mentioning black women like Beyonce, Rihanna and Janet Jackson who have also been wearing the hairstyle.

“She did what????” one Twitter user wrote, sharing photos of Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Beyonce and Jackson.

Another wrote, “you sure?” alongside a photo of Beyonce with the hairstyle.

Following that, fans wondered if a recent post Kardashian shared to her Instagram was an attempt to pivot and claim that she’s been wearing the hairstyle since she was a young girl.

In a photo, in which she sat on her grandfather’s lap as a child, wearing an oversized bow on her crimped hair, she wrote: “My mom would crimp my hair all the time! I still have the same crimper machine and used it just recently.”

The captioned backfired in a way, causing Instagram users to take to the comments section of the post to point out what she was doing.

“She clearly is thinking of us if she felt the need to post this with the caption saying she’s been doing this,” one user wrote.

Another added, “Twitter dragged her for wearing kanekalon hair, and called her out for appropriating black culture, its not a coincident miss Kim posted this with the caption stating she’s been doing his.”

“She’s really tryna justify that hair she wore, on god, i’m crying,” someone else wrote.

“She trying to explain she been trying to look black but not be a black woman,” another said.

What do you think of the controversy? Share your thoughts in the comments below.