According to British media personality Piers Morgan, Beyoncé featured in a Levi's ad wearing a two-piece jean fit with platinum blonde hair, is a case of cultural appropriation. He claimed she was trying to mimic Marilyn Monroe, born as Norma Jeane Mortenson. Of course, this is ironic given the model in question famously dyed her hair to achieve that blonde bombshell look — she originally had light brown hair. It's also peculiar to see Marilyn Monroe used as an example because of her political leanings. Historian Lois Banner described her as having a "populist vision of equality for all classes." She befriended Ella Fitzgerald, the queen of jazz, and in a show of support, contacted the owner of the Mocambo nightclub in West Hollywood. This opened the door for her to secure bookings at larger venues. As a result of these efforts, Marilyn wouldn't likely approve of Piers Morgan using her image in this way. Despite her personal views on racial equality, her image has become popularized in some circles, for all the wrong reasons. However, to the main point of this article, Beyoncé is not guilty of cultural appropriation.
First, there is no valid claim that she was trying to copy someone else's style, let alone their culture. Sure, Monroe can be seen wearing platinum blonde hair in many photos, but donning a full blue jean fit bedazzled with diamond-like glam, as Beyoncé did in some scenes, is not exclusive to white women. Indeed, it's been popularized in the black community. Furthermore, while the trait is rare, some Black people are born with naturally blonde hair. When Piers Morgan claimed he was "very disappointed to see Beyoncé culturally appropriating Marilyn Monroe," he was emphasizing her race, claiming her blackness disqualified her from having blonde hair, or choosing to don a lightened style. But the irony wasn't lost on many that he pointed to an example of a white woman who dyed her hair as the epitome of authenticity.
Also, this criticism is rooted in a false premise that any group is capable of cultural appropriation. However, that's not how this works. Cultural appropriation occurs when members of a dominant group adopt elements of a marginalized group's culture without considering its significance within that community. They often mock something meaningful to that group. There is no evidence that Beyoncé dyed her hair with the intent to mock others. She has worn this style for over twenty years, making it a signature part of her brand. Beyoncé has previously expressed pride in her identity as a Black woman, not an affinity for whiteness. People are entitled to dislike her hair color, but claiming she is guilty of cultural appropriation is simply inaccurate. Coming from a British, white man, that critique is especially absurd. If you're looking for a real example of cultural appropriation, look no further than white Americans dressing up in Indigenous regalia as Halloween costumes—that's the real deal.
Black people enslaved under colonial rule were prohibited from speaking their original African languages, and in most cases, from reading and writing. They were put in a position where they had to adopt elements of European culture, their languages, religious practices, and traditions just to survive. Given this historical context, it's rather short-sighted that any White man would accuse a Black American and others living throughout the diaspora of cultural appropriation. Chattel slavery forced Black people to adopt elements of European culture. How can anyone credibly accuse them of co-opting something that was shoved down their throats for generations?
In America, many enslaved African people mixed with Europeans during the chattel slavery era. This wasn't typically consensual, as historians have recorded high instances of rape and exploitation, but in the case of Beyoncé's Louisiana Creole ancestry, it reportedly was a love match. Her great-great-great-grandmother was an enslaved woman named Joséphine Célestine Lacy, born during the 1800s. She married Joseph Lacey, a successful White merchant. While children born to enslaved mothers were automatically considered slaves, their daughter, Celestine "Tine" Lacey, became free. She was liberated by a white farm worker with whom she had children, Eloi Rene Rosmand Broussard. While the Confederacy prohibited abolition, he argued "their arrangement predated Louisiana's secession from the union," and was legally binding as a result. Her ancestry exposes the fallacy of biological race.
It's sad, but racism persists in the international community, so much so that there's an effort to "other" Black people, to cast them as perpetual outsiders. We saw this in the response to Beyoncé releasing an award-winning country album, when some in the industry were hesitant to embrace her project. Since she was Black, many felt her songs didn't belong in the country genre. Despite enslaved Africans playing a critical role in the development of the guitar, a key instrument that gives the genre its sound, some believe White people have exclusive rights to this kind of music, the same way Piers Morgan thinks blonde hair is a color only to be worn by White women. His comment seems to be driven by an exclusionary worldview, one that deems some more worthy of self-expression than others.
Some seem to forget that there is no such thing as American culture without Black people. Our ancestors were enslaved here before the colonies joined as one nation, as early as 1526 in Spanish-controlled colonies and 1619 in British-controlled colonies. Indeed, there are many White Americans who descend from immigrants who travelled here after this became a nation. The only reason they see themselves as more worthy culture bearers is because of racism. While Beyoncé has made some cultural faux pas in my opinion, such as wearing the yellow Tiffany diamond with ties to the mine in Kimberley, South Africa known for human rights abuses, praising the Buffalo Soldiers without considering their role in displacing Indigenous people, or parading the American flag around while avoiding critical discussions about the harm this nation has perpetuated, she is not guilty of cultural appropriation. Indeed, her heritage reveals someone who has just as much of a right to celebrate African and Black culture as she does American culture more broadly. If she wants to wear blonde hair, she has every right to do so.
The country's third president, Thomas Jefferson, once claimed Black people were incapable of artistic expression. He said, "misery is often the parent of the most affecting touches in poetry. Among the blacks is misery enough, God knows, but no poetry." Of course, this wasn't true, but Jefferson was parroting a legitimizing myth. Enslavement stripped them of their original languages, their right to read and write — this is what temporarily strained their artistic expression, not their capacity, as he racistly implied. Black Americans created the musical genres of jazz, blues, soul, funk, gospel, hip-hop, and became influential in country and rock-and-roll. They've written books of poetry and prose, and created art of every kind. Today, Black Americans are some of the most critically acclaimed, brilliant artists, far removed from the racist myths promoted in the past.
As members of the dominant racial group in America, white people are not victims of cultural appropriation. A Black woman wearing blonde hair isn't a "gotcha" moment for anyone who knows the true meaning of the term. While some will surely claim these discussions don't matter, that there are more pressing things happening in the world right now than Piers Morgan criticizing yet another Black woman for simply existing. But it matters that white people are progressively employing false equivalencies as a cover for their racism. When Black girls wear natural hairstyles, they are more likely to face suspension from school, and Black women who embrace these styles are less likely to be hired for positions. When white girls and women try to adopt these styles, this is real cultural appropriation we should be talking about. They're making light of the discrimination Black people endure when they celebrate their culture. On the other hand, women of all races and cultures lighten their hair. It's not something exclusive to white women, or even American women, for that matter. Marilyn Monroe and Beyoncé both dyed their hair. The fact that Piers Morgan is only accusing one of cultural appropriation exposes the truth — this isn't about authenticity, it's an effort to pressure a Black woman to change her style, to appease their white fragility. Needless to say, they shouldn't hold their breath expecting a Black woman to cave to their racist critique.
This post originally appeared on Medium and is edited and republished with author's permission. Read more of Allison Gaines' work on Medium.