White TikToker Accused of Cultural Appropriation

March 03, 2022

In a now-deleted TikTok raising some eyebrows as the video is reposted to the app, creator @donnigalli shows off her new hairstyle, referring to them as “sticky bangs.” And though this might seem innocent, the hairstyle she is referring to is “laid edges” and is a hairstyle many attribute to women of color. In the video, the creator implies that she wants to make it a “trend” and will provide a tutorial if people were interested. The video went viral after Alli, who is @allicattt on TikTok, reposted it, with many people in the comments hoping it is satire.

According to Luxy Hair, “Baby hairs, also known as edges, are shorter hairs situated at the hairline region at the perimeter of textured hair. The art of laying baby hairs has become a ritualistic phenomenon that many Black and Brown women huddle close up to their mirror to perfect as a finishing touch to their hair looks.” Many were offended that the creator not only was sporting a hairstyle that many believe is out of her culture, but she was also trying to claim it was a new hairstyle that she invented when in reality they have dated all the way back to the 1920s. Celebrities have also been seen on runways with these hairstyles as well, including Zendaya and Alicia Keys. 

Many commenters on TikTok were hoping the video was satire or posted on purpose to cause outrage. Although the creator’s account is now deactivated, she did post an apology, which was also recorded and reposted to the app as well. Many creators were not pleased with the apology, as they did not believe it was an apology she actually meant. The creator read the apology and explained that she was uneducated about Black culture, which many people felt like it was an excuse that did not work anymore, as there are plenty of resources to learn about cultural appropriation.

https://www.tiktok.com/@k5elli/video/7070542200664329515?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id7043861003306944005

Overall, it seems like the creator deleted her account shortly after this, which many speculated was due to the criticism. However, many on TikTok were not convinced that this was not something that was done in order to earn attention, as the hairstyle has clearly been popular in recent years, and seems unbelievable that someone would not be aware of the laid edges hairstyle.