Photo: Getty Images
A white TikToker who brands herself an "elegance and etiquette coach" is under fire for calling Black women's hairstyles "not elegant." In a now-deleted video, amira.bessette deemed Afro puffs, Bantu knots, and other Afro-textured styles as "not elegant," while calling other hairstyles, such long, wavy hair, acceptable.
Several TikTok users were quick to screen-record or capture her original TikTok, making the rounds on social media and generating much backlash against the influencer. According to Yahoo! News, Amira claimed she was "trying to be inclusive" with her video. Critics, however, pointed out that she wouldn't be apologizing in a comment under the original video.
“You owe the Black community an apology expeditiously,” TikToker @big.meech_, a white woman, said in response to Amira’s video.”I don’t know, maybe, our definitions of inclusivity are different because when I’m trying to be inclusive, I don’t perpetuate harm to the community I’m trying to include.”
“She intentionally chose photos of Black women to [antagonize] us,” one person commented. “She ain’t slick. Nothing ‘inclusive’ about what she did.”
Another wrote, "I’m a Black woman, and I was literally DENIED JOBS for wearing my natural hair out. I had to slick my hair down into a bun to get a job."
Black women's hair is 2.5 times more likely to be seen as unprofessional, stoking bias from the interview process and into the workplace, according to a 2023 CROWN research study commissioned by LinkedIn and Dove. Researchers also found that Black women with curly, coily, or textured hair are more likely to experience microaggressions than Black women with straighter hair.
Amira eventually apologized for her original video in a stitch captured by TikToker XrizzTina:
“I apologize for a video I made calling Bantu Knots not elegant. My intention was to be inclusive in my elegance content; however, I went about it the wrong way. My [impact] was harmful as I was ignorant on the topic of Afro-textured hair. I’m grateful to all kind Black women who took their time to educate me on the topic."
Many social media users called her apology "half-hearted," saying she only did so to appease her followers and salvage her reputation.
"Half-hearted inclusivity and apologies always go hand in hand," XrizzTina said. "Let’s do better and if you’re not going to do your best, let’s not do it at all."
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.