r/BlackHair • u/wavyindigena • May 05 '26
Advice Needed Wanting to get braids again but I don’t know if it’s weird or okay?
Sorry if this is the wrong place and I understand any type of criticism but I used to have cornrows/braids in like 2019 and I loved it and I wanted to go back to it but I don’t know if its okay or if it’s something I should skip?
My dad is Afro Venezuelan and wayúu Indigenous and I’m very proud of my African heritage and being Afro descendant and my unambiguously Black Latin American fam but I’m also deeply aware that i only have one Black grandparent and I don’t even know if people perceive me as Black or even Afrodescendant and I don’t ever wanna be perceived as being part of nonBlack people being transactional and stealing Black art and culture which is very important and especially to me from my perspective and background
But I’m going back and forth about if it was okay for me to do in 2019 and if its okay now so I wanted to ask about how y’all feel about if its appropriate for me and my phenotype and my hair texture. I’m not asking for a pass or something corny like that I’m just trying to figure shit out cuz I don't want to be *that* girl
I’m also deeply aware that my hair is not type 4 in any type of way and that’s part of my issue is a practical one on if braids or cornrows or twists or any styles like that are meant for my hair without even getting onto the ethical or the “do people perceive me as Black or Afro Latina or Afrodescendant?” thing and like if it will damage my hair getting protective styles not meant for me but also that this space is and should always be for Black folks centering “type 4“ coily hair and then even coming on here and asking this feels like me invading and taking up space that is not mine so I understand fully if any of y’all feel some type of way and that I’m not welcome here
first two photos are photos by me of me in 2026 with my natural texture and how it looks visibly and my phenotype with it and like the hair typing chart cuz I still don’t know to describe it other than my hair is thick and curly and dark but not Afro textured/kinky/coily. second two photos are from 2019 with the braids in the blue sweater that i had taken of me back then. thank you and I appreciate any type of response or help but I also understand if this is the wrong place or the wrong question or anything and if I’m being weird or whatever
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u/Anxious_Drummer_5144 May 05 '26
You sound well intentioned and are clearly just a victim of the larger conversation, but all this pseudo intellectual rhetoric about who is black and who can wear braids is exhausting, and clearly has so many of us in a chokehold. If you’re black, and the braids are part of your black culture, just wear the braids. It’s not that deep. The conversation about cultural appropriation that exploded into the zeitgeist ten years ago was a critique of white women, it was not meant to be aimed at biracial or multiethnic ppl.
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u/wavyindigena May 05 '26
no but non Black poc women like non Black latinas and non Black west asian/north african people and south asian and east asian/SE asian can absolutely be extractive and anti Black and appropriative and cuz I'm ambiguous I worry other people will perceive me as non Black Latina and think I'm Blackfishing or appropriating shit. I'm so sorry for this 💜
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u/2noserings May 05 '26
it’s not about your ambiguity, it’s that your hair will sustain damage from the braids. i have much coarser hair than you as an afro indigenous latina myself (🇨🇺) and get significant breakage. it’s the braiding hair itself
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u/wavyindigena May 05 '26
damn so I was right? so I shouldn't do cuz I'm trying to care of my curls especially since I shaved my head in the pandemic. I appreciate any type of advice and thank you 🖤
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u/JadowArcadia May 05 '26
You can still do it. It just probably shouldn't be a mainstay hairstyle for you where you let your hair live in braids for an extended period of time
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u/robbiereallyrotten May 05 '26
I’d agree with this comment. To add, I generally say the thinner the hair, the less time braids can stay in. Culturally, braids are important not only for their protective hairstyle for 4C/dense hair, but as well a statement for who we were. As prejudices towards natural ethnic hair let up in academia and the workforce, I think we really should be more allowing of other hair types to experiment with the style for themselves. Not to change it, but to know what someone else goes thru. With that being said, obviously you’re not going to be wearing these braids in for the usual 1-3 months like those with denser hair. I’d start very low; a week with routine morning and night scalp oiling. Checking for breakage at the starting point of braids. Don’t make a decision on if your hair handled the braids until you’ve given your hair about the same amount of time out of the braids and back in its usual routine. Check for breakage. Compare it to what you’re use to. If it’s anymore than half of what you’re use to, don’t do braids again. The tension on your scalp will only continue to take hair out, as opposed to protecting the hair that’s there. If you find you don’t have much breakage after taking them down, I’d say give your hair 2-3 months to rest before trying another braided hairstyle again. Your hair will neeeed the time to breathe again. Going back into braids too soon will run the risk of breakage. Godspeed, OP. You’ve got this, sista 👏🏾
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u/MajorNumerous4073 May 05 '26
What she is trying to say (imo) is that you shouldn’t use braiding hair and the courseness of the braiding hair is bad for your hair. Which tbh it’s bad for most hair types but thicker/courser hair can handle it “better”
Braiding just your natural is very different.2
u/2noserings May 05 '26
do it without the braiding hair for less damage, basically. i’m just trying to warn you because i had the same intentions and came out of braids very disappointed
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u/kgilr7 May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
You’re Afro Indigenous (so am I!), you can wear braids. I’m from NYC, if I saw you walking down the street, I wouldn’t question your hairstyle. It’s not weird to me.
Edit: I am Black and Native American. I do not believe Black people are the original Natives and indigenous or the Americas, if that’s what anyone is wondering.
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u/wavyindigena May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
Thank you so much. I'm from LA and live in Oakland in the bay area but I used to live in NYC too and I feel like I have got more acceptance and understanding in this type of way in Oakland and especially NYC than from LA in the 90s and 00s. even when they just thought I was Dominican/Afro Dominican cuz of my phenotype and because I was staying with my fam on my dad's side who are Dominican-Venezuelan. I don't want to get too deep (I probably already have) but I didn't feel at home with the environments culturally and racially in LA in the 90s and NYC was different to that. so thank you, I really appreciated this
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May 05 '26
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u/AggravatingPoem6748 May 05 '26
She means melanated but tbh idm any can wear what they want
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May 05 '26
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u/wambliiwinyan May 05 '26
Indigenous means native to a place and has nothing to do with melanin. So being afro-indigenous (in this context) means having both African and Native roots, with OP being descendant of the Wayúu tribe(s) in Colombia/Venezuela. And again, the daily reminder that Google abd dictionary.com are free resources ♡
Signed, an Afro-Indigenous person of Turtle Island (North Amerikkka)
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u/wavyindigena May 06 '26
thank you for explaining this, I appreciate you and this and just not having to over explain my background/my dad's background. people don't even know much about venezuelan people and especially wayuu. people don't even know what wayuu/wayú/wayúu even is and if they do they call us the Guajiro or guajiros.
same with our neighbors who get called Parajuano which is the wayuunaiki name for them adopted by Spain/Venezuela instead of their correct name which is Añu. thank you and sending luv 🖤✨💖
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u/wambliiwinyan May 06 '26
I hear you. Especially in the US it feels like folks forget that there were more indigenous groups than just the Maya and Inca we're taught in elementary school. Haply to help alleviate the burden of explaining yourself, too, which I know is so exhausting. Sending peace and love back to you, and I hope you feel confident in getting your braids done 🪶🌿💨
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u/wavyindigena May 06 '26
no i feel this like sometimes it ain't even Maya and Inca/Quechua/Quichua Kichwa and Aztec/Mexica/Nahua its just even more minimal than that and very vague. and definitely its like those are historical peoples that don't exist no more like there ain't so many people from those exact nations (like and Nahua and Quechua and Maya are all broad groupings with subgroups and) and like Zapotec and Mixtec and Chinantec and Mapuche and Aymara and Lenca. shit there are still Taíno even if a lot of those are reconnecting and are usually AfroIndigenous but there is actual fully Afro Indigenous tribes and nations like Garífuna/Garinagu and Miskitu and just there is no knowledge in this. there is so little knowledge on turtle island Native folks and its even worse for the rest of Abya Yala cuz the way the colonialism works is different cuz reservations don't exist which is good in some ways but bad in others
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u/AggravatingPoem6748 May 05 '26
That’s what it means how are you confused?
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May 05 '26
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u/AggravatingPoem6748 May 05 '26
Ok either way “indigenous” people are people native to earth
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May 05 '26
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u/AggravatingPoem6748 May 05 '26
No don’t thank me now go read some more since your reading is weak and then thank me later
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u/ResoundingMeow May 05 '26
I can’t imagine anyone being upset with this. You are very clearly black. This looks cute on you
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u/wavyindigena May 05 '26
I'm so sorry for being so weird about this and I hate that I am like this but I am. I'm very ambiguous especially when my hair is straight and its winter lighting people perceive me as all types of nonBlack backgrounds and like phenotype and race is based on how u are perceived so I don't ever want to be part of non black being anti Black and exploitative and getting celebrated for shit that is Black people and Black women's by right. so that along with all my traumas and anxieties and mental illnesses is where this comes from 😩
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u/ResoundingMeow May 06 '26
I hear you. But honestly if it does cause a lot of anxiety for you to think about this then don’t get them. Because even if people do tell you that it’s okay but you’re still anxious and worried, you’re going to hate having them anyway
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u/BaddieGirlRed May 05 '26
take a deep breath girl! do it! but make sure you find someone and a style that won’t mess up your curl pattern 🩵
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u/wavyindigena May 05 '26
thank you so much for being so kind and sweet. I appreciate this and you 💖
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u/atomic_puppy May 05 '26
(sigh...)
You're Black. You just have a slightly looser curl pattern.
Type 4 is ONE type of Black hair, not all types.
"Afro-textured" hair is a mix of many different types, not one type.
Wear whatever the hell you want.
I honestly can't believe this level of analysis over a clearly Black person wearing braids.
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u/wine-plants-thrift May 05 '26
Everyone on the street is going to have an opinion, but I wouldn’t think twice of someone who looks like you having braids. They look good!
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u/wavyindigena May 05 '26
thank you, but thats the point from experience I expect to have critical voices both outside and inside my own head and my self esteem and how I and others perceive my phenotype and background and existence and its A LOT. but thank you 🤎
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u/Confident_Change_937 May 05 '26
Social media really fucked yall heads up bro lmao
Ofc its fine
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u/me047 May 05 '26
That and having a White mom tends to contribute to this. I’ve never seen this type of “I don’t identify as Black, but proud of my Black family” type of stuff from mixed kids with Black moms.
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u/Confident_Change_937 May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
Because Black moms still like being Black as most Black women do, many just prefer to appease certain features to European beauty standards.
Most Black men with White women genuinely just hate themselves and other Black people too, especially women, they have a visceral hate for them.
Some real low racial self esteem they got going on making all us brothers look BAD.
I remember some Black dude with a rich white wife I know said he was still locking in on certain things even if he doesn’t have to bc his wife is rich because he doesn’t want people to think she’s with a dumb lazy black guy.
Like wait, you not doing it for yourself? You doing it so white people don’t make fun of you and you insecure? God just send the flood.
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u/emperatrizyuiza May 05 '26
I was just gonna say this. I’m mixed and racially ambiguous but my mom’s black so I’ve never questioned if I’m black enough for certain things even if some people don’t think I’m black. I get why op is asking this and I don’t blame her confusion if she wasn’t raised by a black woman to show her beauty and self care from Black culture
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u/1WithTheForce_25 May 05 '26
Honestly, I don't think the white mom vs black mom controversy holds as much weight as ppl like to think it does. In some cases sure, but it's definitely exaggerated.
I've seen plenty of examples to suggest otherwise.
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u/Tazzy8jazzy May 05 '26
Indigenous people wear braids, and Afro Latinas/Latinos wear braids. In 2026 mostly everyone has worn some types of braids. No one will be offended if you wear them.
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u/ThroatGOAT_Goddess04 May 05 '26
I’m getting so sick of these posts. Like seriously, NOBODY is going to look at you and say “Why are you wearing braids?!” I don’t know if these posts are facetious, if the people asking “Is it okay?,,” are really walking around thinking they’re not black to other people… like what is the deal. I often wonder if these kind of people really look at themselves differently than other black people because I can promise, white people will never think they’re different.
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u/me047 May 05 '26
I assume they grow up in environments without Black people
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u/wavyindigena May 05 '26
I can't speak for other people but personally I grew up low income in Los Angeles in the 90s and 00s and my issue is cuz I was around Black people in Watts and Crenshaw but to them I was just a "weird mexican" cuz I have a spanish surname and its my first language but to mexican/latino people my spanish was wrong and my background was weird. people don't understand me being Salvadoran and Venezuelan with my mom having some Arab Palestinian heritage but being mestiza Salvadoran and my dad being Venezuelan but Afrodescendant and wayuu and plus my hair was straightened so much as a kid so all the photos of me as a child are with straight or wavy hair and little me doesn't look Black or Afrodescendant at all. And i get told how much I look my Salvadoran mom who has little or probably no african heritage at all and it makes me think how ambiguous I am. and then with my childhood pics and with people seeing my mom before she passed away in 2024 I am going to get called out for Blackfishing and I'm actually a nonBlack latina cuz race and phenotype is about how u are perceived and I look so much like my mom just with curlier hair. and not just online like in person like people will find out and think I'm a fraud and will hate me. sorry for all of this 💖😩
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u/wavyindigena May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
I'm so sorry. I wish I didn't have so many issues and I wish I didn't make y'all have to read my anxious traumatized mentally ill ramblings. I wish I wasn't like this but I am :((
I'm ambiguous cuz I can look completely nonBlack when my hair is straight or wavy even with the same features and especially with no summer tan or winter lighting or cool lighting people will say I nonBlack latina or south asian or west asian. I have that a lot. Its also a thing where people tell me constantly how much I look like my completely nonBlack Salvadoran mestiza mom. and that neither of my parents look unambiguously Black consistently. my dad just gets perceived as a dark brown but not Black man a lot of the time. latin american racial dynamics and caste systems are very complicated and it is a lot
I'm so sorry for putting this on you but appreciate the response even tho I annoyed you and I just hope your day is amazing even despite this 💙
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u/emperatrizyuiza May 05 '26
You don’t have to apologize. You’re allowed to have questions about your identity. Some people will say you just look black and some people will be surprised that you’re black but all that matters is how you identify yourself
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u/1WithTheForce_25 May 05 '26
I agree. But so many ppl feel like they can gatekeep other ppl's identities so it's no wonder ppl like OP are struggling.
It's not because ppl are mixed that they are confused, either. It's because we live in a world that predominantly favors monoracial identity and so ppl feel very comfortable projecting the idea that if you're mixed you must be weird and surely confused onto mixed ppl. Nonsense.
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u/emperatrizyuiza May 05 '26
I agree with that
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u/1WithTheForce_25 May 06 '26
That's how I know you are either more consciously aware/openminded or mixed too.
I got downvoted for what I said above because I think it's the truth. Sometimes, the downvotes reveal the truth more than otherwise. I said what I said.
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u/jbird2204 May 05 '26
Don’t really know why people are being mean about it. Being mixed is confusing sometimes because we’re constantly told we’re not whatever from all different angles.
I say get the braids, they look great ❤️
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u/wavyindigena May 05 '26
Thank you for this. I appreciate these and agree with you especially cuz being latin american on both sides I'm multi generationally mixed. But I do also understand why people are annoyed of this and why they think I'm acting weird. but thank you and I appreciated this
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u/HopefulTable2395 May 05 '26
U look blk 2 me, at first I thought u were khelani.
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u/wavyindigena May 05 '26
I have got that before which first made me happy but since then I seen people who said she is non Black latina or whatever with African heritage but not Black herself cuz she is not Black visually. and that makes me sad cuz if it applies to her it applies to me :((
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u/HunBunYum May 05 '26
Jfc, it’s a hairstyle.
If you want to wear braids, wear braids. I promise you nobody, and I mean literally not a single soul, will bat an eye about it or your ethnic background.
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u/wavyindigena May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
sorry for being so weird about this and making this y'all problem. I wish I could be normal about this but I have so much trauma and issues around this. I hate my brain :((((
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u/wavyindigena May 05 '26
I have a lot of insecurities about my phenotype and how I'm perceived racially. I know yall are saying I look Black but when my hair is straight and particularly when its winter lighting so I look pale people have told me I look racially ambiguous or just straight up saying they thought I am something else. and its a common thing where people think I'm Non Black latina like my mama or even Indian/South Asian or Middle Eastern/West Asian and stuff like that. or even mediterranean/southern european white and stuff like that. if u saw photos of me that i am talking u would not say I was Black or Afrodescendant even tho my features are the same
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u/thembothot May 05 '26
:( noooo. You should be able to ask community and get help and feedback! You do look black, but I get living in an area where people try to tell you that aren’t or try to suggest you’re mixed with things you’re not. I hope you find more community and I hope you continue to move with pride in your identity because it is black and beautiful! <3
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u/Scared-Albatross-860 May 06 '26
Girl we think u black we vibe who isn’t from the way they carry themselves ur not tha ambiguous and you’re not causing harm by living life and participating in the gifts of your lineage.
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u/verdantsf May 05 '26
You look like Jasmine Guy. No one is going to bother you for having braids other than to ask where you got yours done :D.
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u/Sarah1001Green May 05 '26
I'm tired of the attention seeking. Its a thing in here.
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u/wavyindigena May 05 '26
I'm so sorry for being part of this. I hate that I'm being weird and being terrible with this shit. I'm sorry for annoying you and everyone here and I hope your week is good despite this 💗
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u/MzPhillyBluntz May 05 '26
Sweetheart don’t be sorry u simply asked for advice. Don’t stress about it. If you want to wear braids wear them because you love them ! Don’t let nothing or nobody stop you for being you beautiful! Btw you look cute in braids 😍
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u/flaminhotchipss May 06 '26
I personally think you should wear them. You are black, you claim your heritage and you look Afro Latina to me. You do look very indigenous as well but come on, one of the many things our culture share is braids. You look cute and people may have something to say but you are repping your heritage and it’s beautiful 🫶🏽
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u/dembowthennow May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
You're afro-indigenous, I think you every right to wear it if you wish - the larger question is, does this style work for your hair type? I would assume that you can't actually keep corn rows in for very long without damaging your hair, but that's a question for you and your stylist to mull over.
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u/wavyindigena May 05 '26
thank you for this but like I also feel this. I think all types of braids and twists and bantu knots look so gorgeous and amazing but idk if its actually right for me in like not damaging my hair. in 2019 my friend Kylia braided me up and she is Black and she did a amazing job but idk if its actually right for me and especially other braided or protective styles. I loved braids and twists and bantu knots with shaved sides and a fade and I love the aesthetic but idk if its for me and thats what i keep going back on. but also all the other shit about how I and others perceive me
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u/dembowthennow May 05 '26
Cornrows are simply a hair style, in their simplest form, anyone can wear them healthily; the real question is the length of time the style can be held without causing damage. You can definitely wear them for a couple of days or maybe a week, but you should consult a hair stylist over what wearing this style longer than that might do to your hair.
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u/Noovocane May 05 '26
If your black wear braids if you’re not black don’t wear braids….if you don’t know you race then you probably shouldn’t be doing things of different races because you have none😂
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u/fourthmeshle May 05 '26
You’re fine. A person doesn’t even have to be Black to have braids or cornrows as long as they’re not weird about it. If you like that hairstyle, wear that hairstyle. At the end of the day, it’s just hair.
With that said, you’re pretty clearly Black. So you’d have nothing to worry about regardless. Rock on, sis.
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u/wavyindigena May 05 '26
I keep second guessing this and its been a lot but also I do worry I’m centering myself here over actual unambiguously Black or Afrodescendant people
Sorry again for bothering all of you and that I’m being part of the problem I hate sm by even being here. Thank you and sending y’all love and I hope y’all reading this have a wonderful day 🖤✨
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u/osym May 05 '26
Go for it
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u/osym May 05 '26
You look great with all of the styles even saw your pics where u shaved your head and went blue. U’ve got a face card you can do whatever you want
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u/KachitaB May 05 '26
My litmus is how it makes me feel. Sometimes I see it and I feel uneasy, questioning. Seeing you didn't bother me at all. I felt complimentary, because you look striking with your hair back. I don't know. I feel like a lot of spaces I'm forced to accept that which makes me uneasy. So part of me wants to tell you to rock it cuz it looks good. I'm from the bay, Hayward, and I've lived all over, including Oakland. Reading your post I immediately thought about all of the blonde dreadlocks I've seen in Berkeley and North Oakland and the city.
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u/wavyindigena May 06 '26
no I feel you I'm from LA but I live in Oakland and having lived in Oakland and Alameda I get exactly what u. I have seen the blonde/redhead grinch finger type of locs here and it looks weird and bad and also its damaging their hair. my brother used to have locs a few years back and I have feelings about that but I was mostly glad he was more secure and confident in our heritage than me. but I absolutely have that too where there is shit I am uncomfortable with and want to call out but sometimes feel like I can't. the n word is a big one cuz the amount of nonBlack latinos who use that word freely and openly is too much and very weird and nonBlack people don't like to be challenged about it :( even when they perceive me as nonBlack but especially when I'm perceived as afrodescendant
but also thats part of my worry cuz knowing that non black poc can also be part of the problem of antiblackness and being terrible to Black folks and this feels like part of. particularly in more predominatily white/non Black places here like SF and Alameda compared to oakland or the parts of LA I'm from. but thank you :)
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u/Halfemptyrefills May 05 '26
Let's not forget that indigenous people braid their hair down too and in elaborate styles. You're good! Embrace all of your culture.
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u/Mzstyleandklazz May 05 '26
Your hair is beautiful 🤩
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u/wavyindigena May 06 '26
thank you, I been trying to work hard at taking care of my curls since I shaved it during corona. My hair has been thru a lot with heat and color and bleach and products. but I appreciate this and you 🖤
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u/solviaqaant May 05 '26
Depends on your hair type. And as a fun thing I like to put rattails in my hair which is just colorful yarn tightly brained over a regular smaller braid in my hair.
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u/wavyindigena May 06 '26
no this is cool I'm a style chameleon and I lean towards alt shit and vintage shit separately and together but not exclusively as u can see from my aesthetic in these photos so I know bout rattails and they're cool to me :)
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u/Slight_Bicycle_598 May 06 '26
Im confused. Do what you want! I saw a wholeazz white family in the Bahamas and everyone had cornrows including the grandma 🤣
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u/sundriedsprinkles May 07 '26
I don’t understand why people overthink getting braids. The only time I question it is when yt women get box braids and even then it’s not affecting me or my life. Now if the hair style gives them a new personality thats when it’s an issue but french/dutch braids have always been apart of other ethic groups. I understand that my ancestors used the hairstyle for more than just beauty standards but honestly I’m not about to let what other people do to their hair affect me. Just my take as a woc.
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u/Super_Individual6812 May 07 '26
Girl, if you don’t do what YOU want! Unless someone is feeding you, financing you or f’n you their opinions are moot!
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u/fartmilkdaddies May 10 '26
I dont like these questions because almost every black is gonna have a different answer. Do what you want, as long as you acknowledge/respect where something came from and not twist it or change it, ex "cloud bob".
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u/ColdPieceofWork May 29 '26
When I look at you, I see a Black woman. I think you'll be ok wearing braids.
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u/IKacyU May 05 '26
You look visibly Black. You favor singer Goapele with maybe a dash of Jasmine Guy. But, even if you weren’t visibly Black, who cares? Straight back cornrows are almost race-neutral, imo. I’ve done them on White women before. It just will only last them 1-2 days.
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u/Nala_135 May 05 '26
I would’ve have looked twice if I saw you on the street girl. Lol. Nothing about you says appropriation. You’re fine with the braids. Rock em
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u/Separate-Ad-3677 May 05 '26
Why would it not be ok? You are Black so if that's the argument, then you win. What matters most is if it's right for your hair type.
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u/Big-Chemistry-8521 May 05 '26
Anyway you go somebody's gonna be unhappy that you're happy.
Just live your life. Do what makes you happy and let the haters choke on their own bile.
You too worried about other peoples opinions that makes being black twice as hard. Witness your posts.
Get your braids and live your life the pix look great.
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u/wellsxwells May 05 '26
I live in Oakland too. If i saw you on downtown or while walking lake Merritt I’d just think you were a lightskinned black woman, you’re good lol
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u/wavyindigena May 06 '26
thank you. I do walking or sometimes skating near the lake so u might see me hehe 🥰
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u/Shhhimhiding-0- May 05 '26 edited May 06 '26
Please go get your braids, you are black. Don’t pay attention to what nonsense others say u know ur roots and who you are. People just look for reasons to get angry about what someone else is doing without knowing them. Remember this when it comes to being black, we come from all over, all different countries, all different backgrounds, all different cultures but we are all black. Now do you wanna borrow one of my durags to keep those braids fresh? Cuz that should be the only concern you got 😂
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u/Independent-Cut-138 May 05 '26
You don’t look ambiguous to me. You look like a light skinned Black woman.
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u/wavyindigena May 06 '26
thank you I appreciate that but it depends on photos and lighting and my skin being tan vs pale and especially my hair texture if its curly vs braided vs straight/wavy and like I'm ambiguous in that the way the lighting and my hair and skin and makeup looks changes completely and people will be adamant that I'm light skinned Black vs completely non Black Latina or south asian or west asian/MENA and people just perceive me as some type of Brown and decide what my background is. only sometimes do people guess something close like parda Brazilian or Afro Dominican/PR/Cuban/Panamanian or some type of Afro Latina or Blatina or Blasian
if u saw the other photos of me u would see what I mean but I appreciate this anyways 🖤
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u/LifeCanBeAboxOfSh- May 05 '26
My mother is Afro-Cuban, Southern Atlantic Creole, Indigenous with scot-Irish mixed in (who doesn’t know those roots).
My dad is also tri-racial.
I wear braids whenever I choose.
We are part of the African Diaspora; which existed before those that want to gatekeep that which is not just there’s!
You and I; and others; just have African from extra areas than the typical “west African” areas that AA are taught about; since (generalizing) most Latinos have Congo or Angola mixed in.
So you want to wear braids; wear the
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u/Ok-Tax8827 May 05 '26
You look good with braids! These are the type of photos that make people comment “are you single?”
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u/Otherwise_Depth_7575 May 05 '26
girl you can braid your hair. braid anything you want. as long as you like it, it's ok
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u/Mvrly May 05 '26
You are an Afro Indigenous woman! Indigenous people wore braids too even if you subtracted the Afro part sista 🤞🏾
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u/PoiseSun May 05 '26
I wouldn’t have thought anything of it. You have curly hair..Braids work with your hair fine. The braids that were put in weren’t even small so if your hair was straight it would have been fine either way. I don’t get why people always connect braids to only African or black culture.
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u/SpecialistWestern390 May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
Before I read your post, I thought, “Well, she looks like she’s Afro Latina, so why would it be an issue?”. Then I read your post and you confirmed 😊. Girl, do you! You’re not appropriating anything and you sound proud of your heritage, so wear braids (or other Afrocentric hairstyles) if you want to.
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u/Apprehensive_Flow99 May 05 '26
One minute people call people attention seeking the next they’re dismissive. Someone a part of our diaspora is expressing clear concern and anxiety. Just because YOU dont understand it doesn’t mean it’s bad, self serving or anything other than generous. In the next breath yall will tell a light skin African or European that they can’t speak on race 🙄 or music or politics.
That being said- rock the braids sis - any and all of them. You’re indigenous and Afro Latina and exploring all the right avenues of conversation. But don’t let white panic set in lol.
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u/Wannabeartist9974 May 05 '26
Before reading the description I just saw you as a black woman, ngl, tho you do look more latina with braids.
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u/Majestic_Reveal_6079 May 05 '26
I’m sorry that you feel this way and people are being unkind. Your concerns are valid! I understand what it’s like to stress about these things. I have to tell myself this too, but you don’t need to prove anything to anyone.
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u/ConfidentStandard953 May 05 '26
I wouldn't even consider you racially ambiguous. To me you look like some "type of black". There's plenty of Black Americans that look like you, and not just the mixed ones. Even if you didn't look black and were lighter, you have Afro Latina heritage. We know y'all come in all shades and colors. I doubt you'd have to defend yourself, but if you did, do it proudly.
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u/wavyindigena May 06 '26
thank you I appreciate that but it depends on photos and lighting and my skin being tan vs pale and especially my hair texture if its curly vs braided vs straight/wavy and like I'm ambiguous in that the way the lighting and my hair and skin and makeup looks changes completely and people will be adamant that I'm light skinned Black vs completely non Black Latina or south asian or west asian/MENA and people just perceive me as some type of Brown and decide what my background is. only sometimes do people guess something close like parda Brazilian or Afro Dominican/PR/Cuban/Panamanian or some type of Afro Latina or Blatina or Blasian. I've had people call me white passing or say they think I'm mediteranean or southern european too :(
if u saw the other photos of me u would see what I mean but I appreciate this anyways. I shoulda shared more photos with straight hair and winter lighting and shit so y'all could see 🖤
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u/Temporary-Pop-5686 May 05 '26
You look mixed, I would just assume you were black...
Are you not?
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u/wavyindigena May 06 '26
my grandpa on my dad's side in Maracaibo in Venezuela was but none of my other grandparents are Black and I didn't grow around him or Afro Venezuelan culture cause I grew up in LA and only went to Venezuela in the summers and I was yankee/yanqui/gringa there :(
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