Nikita Dragun is being accused of being "anti-black" for wearing box braids

10 September 2019, 17:35

Nikita Dragun on Instagram. Picture: @nikita_dragun via Instagram

By Jazmin Duribe

"She's been problematic since the very first day. I'm tired of people not calling her out."

Nikita Dragun is receiving backlash for "cultural appropriation" after sharing a photo of herself wearing braids for New York Fashion Week. Now, you'd think she'd have learnt after being called out for putting a black man on a dog leash for the MTV Video Music Awards last month...or from Miss Kendall Jenner, who was hit with the same backlash when she decided to wear cornrows whilst out for dinner in Los Angeles. Evidently, not.

READ MORE: Kendall Jenner is being accused of "cultural appropriation" for wearing cornrows

Nikita shared photos of herself wearing super long, icy blonde box braids and a fur coat. The YouTuber addressed her hairstyle in an Instagram post, which read: "Verified i would just like to take this moment to show my love and appreciation for all the gorgeous black women in my life and also to those that follow me.

View this post on Instagram

i would just like to take this moment to show my love and appreciation for all the gorgeous black women in my life and also to those that follow me. i was inspired to do this box braid wig because i find it so beautiful. too often there’s a double standard when another person takes inspiration from black culture. suddenly it’s a new trend or it’s renamed to be something else. hearing stories of black women being sent home from school or work because of their braids is beyond disheartening. i will always use my platform to spread awareness and equality for all but especially for women! and that’s on period love 💞

A post shared by Mother of Draguns (@nikita_dragun) on Sep 7, 2019 at 6:00pm PDT

"I was inspired to do this box braid wig because i find it so beautiful. too often there’s a double standard when another person takes inspiration from black culture. suddenly it’s a new trend or it’s renamed to be something else. hearing stories of black women being sent home from school or work because of their braids is beyond disheartening. I will always use my platform to spread awareness and equality for all but especially for women! and that’s on period love [sic]."

To make matters worse, she hopped on her Instagram Story to further dig herself a hole and insist that she doesn't want to "disrespect" anyone but that braids are also in her Native American culture too.

"This is a protective hairstyle used to protect the hair," she said. "I would never want to offend anybody. Being part Native American, we also have and stuff like that."

Needless to say, that didn't stop the backlash from coming.

I know #Nikitadragun loves to be problematic and this is just yet another publicity stunt but please don’t try to mimic the black community for hype. Y’all bout tied of this Bitch yet? pic.twitter.com/lHGAKhnFLD
— I Enjoy Talkin Shit 🤷🏾‍♀️ (@MissErinYvette) September 6, 2019

Me supporting Nikita Dragun for her lewks and ps vs Seeing her post videos wearing a box braid wig pic.twitter.com/nBMjg2QEvG
— Kurahh (@Kara_Carter) September 6, 2019

we need to talk about nikita dragun because she’s been problematic since the very first day. she’s tweeted a bunch of racist shit and defended james charles’ racist and predatory behavior. now she’s pulling out this shit and i’m tired of people not calling her out bc she’s trans https://t.co/rnqSdqh0jd
— ceo of translesbianism (@diodyke) September 7, 2019

Nikita Dragun’s entire popularity and fame is based on stealing from black culture and wearing a hair style she has no business in wearing to “appreciate” black women is such a stupid argument. There’s other ways to empower minorities lol
— ˗ˏˋ dalina ˎˊ˗ (@justdalina) September 7, 2019

Nikita Dragun in them box braids pic.twitter.com/8qi9qelLN9
— mercury von stroke (@fentyxjimin) September 7, 2019

Nikita, I also have native ancestry (quite a bit), it doesn’t excuse you or permit you to wear box braids. Hair styles and looks can be significant for different cultures. Being Native American does not excuse blatant cultural appropriation. Do better, girl. #nikitadragun pic.twitter.com/fr3V2ZQfGb
— LadyLen (@ladybuglen77) September 7, 2019

so is no one going to talk about Nikita dragun with braids? lol here she goes again
— 🏹 (@koesumr) September 6, 2019

Nikita Dragun has long exposed herself as being anti black. And there is something even more anti black about the fact that you are willfully ignorant about how this hurts black women. PLUS her claim to Native American ancestry is based on blood quantum which is RACIST https://t.co/eyLZwDNKGa
— la mujer (@Iamujer_) September 7, 2019