Justin Bieber Faces Cultural Appropriation Accusations After Showing Off Dreadlocks

Justin Bieber’s new hairstyle has garnered a less than impressed reaction from fans once again. The pop superstar is facing cultural appropriation accusations after changing his outgrown haircut.

It has been quite some time since Justin Bieber has been in the news for something controversial until now. The ‘Holy’ singer recently shared an image of himself sporting a hairstyle that has fans unimpressed.

Bieber’s hairstyle that many fans called him out for this week has tainted Bieber’s new clean image. Read more to see how Justin Bieber’s new hairstyle landed the pop star and husband into hot water.

The Birth Of The Locks

It all started at the peak of Justin Bieber’s spiraling stage, which is one of the reasons why many are confused. The ‘Sorry’ singer first sported platinum blonde dreadlocks in 2016 at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.

Unsurprisingly, fans were appalled at the new hairstyle that black men and women traditionally wear. Many fans were quick to call Bieber out for cultural appropriation, but the then 22-year-old decided not to take accountability.

Instead, Bieber posted a strange video on Instagram captioned, “Being weird is fun’ if u r not weird I don’t like you”. Although he didn’t address the issue beyond this video, Justin shaved his head shortly after.

Round Two

Five years later, fans got confirmation that Justin has learned nothing as he is sporting the hairstyle again. The not-so-sorry vocalist shared a picture of his new hairdo while on vacation with his wife, Hailey Bieber.

Fans and critics shared their unapproving opinions in the comments under his picture and on Twitter. Some Twitter users even called for the star to put more effort into educating himself as a black lives ally.

Many critics also brought up the fact that Justin recently used an MLK soundbite in his album. They criticized Justin for using the clip to gain relevance for supporting black lives but not following through with his actions.

Why It Is Cultural Appropriation

Many Justin Bieber fan pages have come to the star’s defense, claiming that it was just hair, thus harmless. Unfortunately, those people don’t understand how black hair has been politicized over the centuries.

“The privilege of being able to wear locs sans scrutiny, while simultaneously not needing to know anything about their history is what pisses Black folks off,”

Says Josie Pickens

Getty Images

When black people wear their natural hair out or in dreadlocks, they are often met with disapproval. A year before Justin’s locs, Zendaya was criticized for wearing the traditionally black hairstyle at the Oscars.

Zendaya’s incident is a direct example of how black culture is weaponized unless it’s for a white person’s benefit. Bieber doesn’t acknowledge or stand up for the black community when he wears dreadlocks, making it appropriation.