Adele Gives Support to Thousands

Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Adele has been making headlines since 2011 with her first hit No.1 Billboard single “Rolling In the Deep”. The British born singer is most notable for her soulful voice and has sold millions of albums, which has lead Adele to international stardom with award-winning hits like “Set Fire To The Rain,” “Someone Like You”, and “Rumor Has It,.”

Rumor has it is Adele’s latest headline, which isn't from her artistic talents but instead is from Adele’s latest hairstyle. Jamaican Bantu knots. “Bantu” a broad term used to describe over 300 ethnic Southern African groups that speak the Bantu language, according to the (South African History Organization(SAHO). Colonists first discovered Bantu- speakers in the 16th century and by the 1960s. The Bantu people had replaced the term “native,” in official government usage, the “Bantu” held many emotive meanings as it was adopted and mainly used by South Africans during the Apartheid. As many Africans began to despise the “native” word that later became defined as “Black “until returning to its original meaning about the Bantu language.

According to Adele, she wore the Bantu knots as a tribute to Notting Hill’s Carnival, a celebration led by British West Indian people in Kensington, London. The traditional street fest has taken place every year since 1966. So, this year was no exception. The difference this year was the Grammy-award winning’s Adele’s caption “Happy what would be Notting Hill Carnival my beloved London” Instagram post.

Boy, did that spark headiness from “black twitter”. Leading to an excellent question about how far is too far, and when is cultural appreciation verse cultural appropriation okay? While the Oxford Dictionary has defined cultural appropriation as “The unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the practice, customs, or aesthetics of one social or ethnic group by members of another (typically dominant) community or society.” Cultural appreciation is defined as someone earnestly seeking to learn about or explore a different culture.

So, I ask, if a person dyes their hair blonde is that appreciation or appropriation? Or if an African American decided to wear a weave to make their hair appear to be straight, is that appropriation or appreciation? If a non-African American chose to wear their hair in corn rolls, then many African Americans would find that to be a sign of cultural disrespect. Yet, when an African American put a relaxer in their hair for the false perception of having naturally straight hair then somehow that is acceptable. The question posed is it only acceptable or unacceptable when there is a need to find fault in once differences, or is it easier to find uncommon ground?