The group contends that white people can wear dreadlocks because of their privilege, while a black person "would see themselves refused access to job opportunities or to spaces (housing, schools contests, sporting events, etc.)."

I wonder how much evidence they have that these black people were denied because of their hair. I would venture to say, "little to none."

Once white people adopt a style, it becomes mainstreamed and accepted by everyone because it is no longer unfamiliar, exotic, or otherwise “scary.”

Mainstreamed signals acceptance. I know that certain styles have been deemed “unprofessional” that are particularly well-suited for African hair. Once many professionals are wearing those styles, they will be accepted as professional.

Look at tattoos. Now that everyone has them, unless they are on the face, extreme, or involve hate messages, they are not an issue for most jobs.

The way to end discrimination is to embrace diversity.

PS. There are white people with kinky hair that can benefit from embracing a range of styles. My dad has kinky hair. In the 70’s, he was freed from getting a haircut every 10 days so that he could keep his flat-too flat. He embraced the fro. We should all be able to embrace our unique look.

I’ll admit that I have tried to embrace the idea of cultural appropriation but I have always felt that this is just what people do naturally. They pick up on what is around them - language, fashion, etc. I go back to the idea that imitation is the highest form of flattery.

By excluded anything of African culture, we are cutting those of African heritage off from financial success. We can’t buy African-inspired fashion, or listen to Black comedians or music lest some aspect creep into our language and persona.

Haven't certain Orthodox Jewish sects been wearing dreadlocks for ages? What if the club were to ban blacks who wear dreadlocks as being insensitive to the suffering of the jewish minority through the ages.

Running "Soirée d'humour engagée" through Google Translate results in "Evening of humor engaged." Fans of irony should take note.

Statues of Spartan hoplites from ancient Greece show them wearing dreadlocks. Native Americans wore dreadlocks. Locked hair was a feature of many cultures throughout history and around the world.

Isn't the definition of cultural appropriation stealing something that is someone else's and claiming it for your own, and only your own?

It's just a hairstyle, people. And a ridiculous one at that. It's not a sign of oppression or privilege. It's not a cultural marker. It's a hairstyle.

When a white male does it, it is automatically wrong, doesn't matter what it is, doesn't have to make sense. Y'all should understand that by now.

Not just that -- the very existence of white men is immoral. Everyone knows that.

My understanding is that any human hair will go into dreads given sufficient time and treatment. Also, there are certain types of hair that are prone to forming dreads more easily due to their structure and curl--it's hardly just an attribute of people with heritage from Africa.

The people banning the guy have no knowledge of ancient greeks wearing dreds and probably believe that Cleopatra was Egyptian (she was greek). If you want to be offended there is an infinity of opportunities.
I think dreds on anyone make you look homeless...but hey so what. No one asked me.
Maybe white people should stop buying rap and hiphop. They might sing along and that would be terrible appropriation.
The whole appropriation thing is so nuts. Is there some office you can go to and get a permit for hairstyles or clothing or food? Should it be illegal for restaurant cooks to make any but their own ethnic food? What about people of mixed racial background? What do they do? arghhh

The group argues that cultural appropriation is when "a person from a dominant culture appropriates the symbols, clothing or even the hairstyles of persons from a historically dominated culture."

I think it's pretty slick the way they've got it set up so that they can use my culture all they like, and that's OK, but if *I* do it, that's an offense that demands punishment.

In my culture we teach children about this thing called "sharing". It is a fundamental part of my society, but it can be really hard to teach kids, because it's not natural. Selfishness is natural.

It may be that these people never got socialized, (kids can't socialize themselves), or maybe they come from some non-western society that has non western values.

Me, I'm going to stick with the values of my society while I'm here. If I ever go visit their land I'll watch out for the bad-think hairstyles.

A new controversy over cultural appropriation has arisen in Montreal, resulting this time in a white comedian being barred from two comedy shows because he has dreadlocks, a hairstyle associated with black culture.

A spokeswoman for the The Coop les Récoltes bar and solidarity co-operative said (in English, Spanish, Chinese, and sign...all at the same time!), "This isn't just a get-whitey thing. We'd also bar any black comedian who wears polo shirts."

This is what you get when you don't teach your children how to be an adult and they have literally nothing worthwhile to DO: everything is an affront.

It makes me want to point out to such people Edison and Tesla were white men, and so were this country's founders, so you can damned well go live in a mud hut for all I care.

> when you don't teach your children

This is a couple years old, but covers much of this decade's stupidities. (Specifically, it came out before Haidt & Lukinoff were clued in to the terrible damage done to moist young minds by social media.)

It includes a terrific appraisal of who really benefits from the explosion of snowflakery.

You'll never guess.

I know white people whose dreadlocks were an impediment to employment. Most people who would object to dreadlocks on an employee would object more to them on a white person because they'd see it more as an act of rebellion.

Isn't it cultural appropriation for people in a third world country to use electricity?

The rules are simple, really.

If we copy them, we're guilty of cultural appropriation.

If they copy us, we're guilty of cultural imperialism.

Boi-oi-oi-oing!!!