Florence Pugh says she’s ‘truly sorry’ for appropriating other cultures after admitting to wearing her hair in ‘corn rows’ at age 18: ‘To see change I must be part of the change’
Florence Pugh has offered a heartfelt apology for appropriating other cultures in the past, in a lengthy statement she posted on social media.
Confessing ignorance for her actions, the Little Women star, 24, admitted she was ‘uneducated’ and ‘unread’ in the years before she finally realized how she had disrespected cultures and religions.
But now, after four weeks of protests, marches and rallies in support of Black Lives Matter across the world following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the Academy Award-nominated actress explained how she’s learning ‘a tidal wave of information’ and that ‘to see change I must be part of the change.’
Humbled: Florence Pugh, 24, apologized for appropriating cultures in a heartfelt and lengthy statement on social media on Friday
Pugh said she first heard of the term cultural appropriation during an in-depth conversation with a friend when she was 18 after she had styled her hair into corn rows.
During that chat, the gal pal told her that the corn row style had been banned at her school because of cultural appropriation.
‘She began to explain to me what cultural appropriation was, the history and heartbreak over how when Black girls do it they’re mocked and judged, but when white girls for it, it’s only then perceived as cool,’ the British born star wrote.
‘It was true. I could see how Black culture was being so obviously exploited.
Pugh went on to reveal how she became defensive and confused about the issue, and confessed it was all a result of ‘white fragility coming out, plain and simple.’
Owning it: The Little Women star admitted she was ‘uneducated’ and ‘unread’ in the years before she finally realized how she had disrespected cultures and religions
Moment of clarity: Pugh said she first heard of the term cultural appropriation during an in-depth conversation with a friend when she was 18 after she had styled her hair into corn rows
The Oxfordshire, England native also opened up about her henna phase after she was taught about the history behind it through an Indian shop owner when she was 8-years-old.
It wasn’t until bindis [colored dots worn on the center of the forehead by Hindus and Jains] and henna [a paste associated with positive spirits and good luck] became a trend in 2017 that she realized how reimagined versions, and those that consumed them, didn’t care about the origin and subsequently abused the culture in the name of profit.
‘I felt embarrassed. I felt sadness for the small family-run Indian shops all over the country, seeing their culture and religion cheapened everywhere,’ she admitted.
‘I thought because I was taught about it differently, I was an exception… I actually wasn’t being respectful in how I was using it.’
Open book: The British born star shared how she ‘felt embarrassed’ for being caught up in the henna and bindis trend, which she called reimagined versions that disrespected cultures and religions; she also took responsibility for culturally appropriating Rastafarian culture
Push also addressed the fan that called her out on Instagram for appropriating the Rastafarian culture.
When she was 17, she braided her hair and painted a hat in the colors of the Jamaican flag and then paid a visit to a friend’s house, proud of her creation. The then teenager followed that up by paraphrasing lyrics to Shaggy’s song Boombastic in the caption of her post.
‘At the time I honestly did not think that I was doing anything wrong. Growing up as White and privileged allowed me to get that far and not know,’ she wrote.
‘I am truly sorry to all of you that were offended for years or even just recently.’
Humbled, she concluded her statement by taking full responsibility for her actions.
‘I cannot dismiss the I actions I bought into years ago, bit I believe that we who were bling to such things must acknowledge them and recognize them as our faults, our ignorance and our White privilege and I apologise profusely that it took this long.’
Apology: The Oscar-nominated actress concluded that she was ‘truly sorry to all of you that were offended for years or even just recently’