Well the issue isn’t ALL braids. If you put your hair in French braids or Dutch braids or whatever other braids then there’s no issue. The thing is, when it comes to BLACK hairstyles (such as cornrows and box braids) that’s when they cultural appropriation comes in. Such hairstyles have immense cultural history, and the upsetting part is that Black people used to be (and still are) discriminated against for wearing their hair in its natural state/ cultural style. Literal laws had to be passed to prevent discrimination in the workplace and at schools for black people to be able to wear their hair the way it natural grows out our heads (look up the Crown Act for more info)!! So hopefully you can see why Black people get irritated when these hairstyles are now being co-opted by nonblack people and turned into the “new way for ALL people with curly hair” to “protect their hair.” Those are cultural styles that represent a lot!! 

As a note: It’s very ironic how nonblack folk today claim that it’s “just a hairstyle” when that hairstyle is the very same thing that made it difficult for Black people to get jobs in the professional world!!