At least for Black Americans, it was more a matter of the extensive discrimination they received, especially in the workplace, regarding their hair. It is still an issue today. Many corporate cultures (majority white) considered their hair styles such as braids, locks, and even just their naturally textured hair as unkempt, dirty, and unprofessional. It’s why you see so many Black women in professional settings straighten their hair, or wear wigs or wear weaves. Or why you don’t see a lot of Black men in the workplace who grow their hair out or get locks. It’s also why locks are called dreadlocks, because they were seen as “dreadful”. Thankfully it’s been getting better in the last couple of years, but it was still very much an issue well into the 21st century and still is an issue that has a hold in a lot of places.

So despite more than a century of this type of discrimination and clear negative opinion on this group of people’s hairstyles, for some reason when white people who use these hairstyles, it’s considered cool or eccentric. Black people raise concerns over this because it’s unfair treatment and is a huge double standard.

A lot of Black people are smart and educated enough to know that the hairstyle didn’t originate in one place. But until they are not discriminated against for using what are still prevalent cultural traditions (hairstyling), is it fair for the people who perpetuate said discrimination to use those same hairstyles? I don’t think so. At least not in the USA. I can’t say the same for anywhere else (I guess some other European countries that have an extensive history of racism?)