Following a recent spring break trip to Jamaica, Scottsdale resident Hailey Dunning found herself very confused at her black friend Jamila’s indifference toward her new cornrow hairstyle.
“She’s really into doing crazy awesome things with her braids,” said Hailey. “So I figured she’d be excited that I tried them too. I don’t get why she’s so unimpressed?”
“A Jamaican woman came up to me on the beach of the all-inclusive resort I was staying at and offered to braid my hair,” said Hailey. “She was a little sketchy looking, but I let her do my braids and she even put these little shells on the end of them, I looked like a real Jamaican!”
Hailey went on to explain her confusion.
“The Jamaican lady told me her family and others used to have homes on the land where the resort was located, so I tipped her an extra dollar,” she added.
“I know Hailey wants me to be enthused about her cornrows, but I honestly think the whole thing is pretty wack,” said Jamila. “She actively disrespects plenty of aspects of blackness, saying she’s not into ‘loud’ styles or ‘angry’ rap music but she thinks I would be happy that she got braids? I’m never gonna be okay with her personally benefiting from the ‘cool” parts of black culture and deriding the rest.”
“Plus, she looks like Bo Derek in the 70s, and that’s not a good look,” she added.
But Hailey still doesn’t see the bigger picture.
“I don’t understand at all why she’s not being supportive of me,” said Hailey. “She’s had more ridiculous hair than this, and I’ve had her back.”
“Maybe she’s just jealous that I look like Bo Derek in the 70s,” Hailey added.
