White people with braids is a broad topic because braiding itself is not exclusive to any one race. People with European, African, Asian, Indigenous American and other backgrounds have braided hair in different ways for centuries. The important distinction is between braiding as a general hair technique and particular braided hairstyles that have strong cultural associations.
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White people and traditional braids
People of European ancestry have a long history of wearing braids. Archaeological evidence shows braided hairstyles in ancient Europe, while braiding was also practiced among ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Later European populations, including Celtic, Germanic, Slavic and Scandinavian peoples, also used various forms of braiding. (Wikipedia)
The popular image of Viking braids, however, deserves a little caution. Modern television has strongly influenced what people imagine Viking hairstyles looked like. There is evidence that Scandinavian people wore braided hair, particularly women, but the elaborate, tightly constructed “Viking” hairstyles commonly seen in modern entertainment are not necessarily historically accurate representations. (Netflix)
For a white person today, styles such as these can therefore have a straightforward European or general hairstyling context:
- French braids
- Dutch braids
- Three-strand plaits
- Crown braids
- Milkmaid braids
- Fishtail braids
- Waterfall braids
- Two side braids
- Braided ponytails
- Loosely braided long hair
- Some Scandinavian-inspired braids
White people wearing cornrows and box braids
This is where the conversation becomes more complicated.
Cornrows, box braids, twists and many other highly recognizable braided styles have deep African histories. Cornrows, for example, have been documented in African contexts for thousands of years, including ancient depictions associated with regions of the Sahara and Horn of Africa. African hairstyles have historically communicated things such as age, kinship, social position, marital status and community identity. (Wikipedia)
That history is different from simply saying that “Black people invented braids.” Braiding itself is much older and geographically broader than that. The distinction matters because a French braid and a traditional African cornrow are not interchangeable simply because both involve crossing strands of hair.
Box braids are another example. Modern box braids are strongly associated with African and African-diaspora hair culture, although braided hairstyles have existed in many ancient societies. (Wikipedia)
Is it wrong for a white person to wear braids?
It depends heavily on which type of braid is being discussed.
A white person wearing a French braid, Dutch braid or ordinary three-strand plait is generally participating in a hairstyle with a long history that crosses numerous cultures.
A white person wearing cornrows or a hairstyle strongly associated with a particular African community raises a different cultural question. Some people regard this as cultural appropriation, particularly when a hairstyle that has historically been stigmatized on Black people is treated as fashionable when worn by someone who does not face the same consequences. Others distinguish between appreciation and appropriation based on factors such as context, whether the style is being presented as something newly invented, and whether the wearer acknowledges its cultural history.
There is also an important historical dimension in the United States. Black hair and hairstyles have faced discrimination, including workplace and school restrictions, which is part of why discussions about non-Black people adopting particular Black hairstyles can carry more weight than a simple question of whether someone is “allowed” to braid their hair.
Photo credits: Getty Images, Prose