In a lengthy Instagram post, Florence Pugh has acknowledged her white privilege and apologised for any offence caused.
We spoke about this on today’s episode of It’s Been A Big Day For…
Recently, social media has become somewhat of a place full of PR disasters. Those who have done problematic things are suddenly being held accountable and what do you know, every few posts is another Notes-App apology. But while Florence Pugh hasn’t been “cancelled” by the Internet yet, she’s being proactive and apologising for actions she’s done in the past.
The Little Women actress has named three instances that she deems she should apologise for in a lengthy, proactive, Instagram post.
Florence Pugh says that she first became aware of her cultural appropriation after learning the history behind cornrows. In reflecting on a conversation with a friend at the age of 18, Florence Pugh discusses the first time she became aware of “cultural appropriation” after she donned the hairstyle.
“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 do it, it’s only then perceived as cool,” Florence Pugh said. The actress also detailed how she initially felt “defensive” but now realises that was her “white fragility coming out.”
Also in the post, Florence Pugh reflects on her previous use of Henna for body art. Even though Florence Pugh was aware that Henna (known as mehndi on the Indian subcontinent) became a fashionable trend, she initially felt that cultural appropriation didn’t apply to her as she had been taught Henna by an Indian woman. But, upon reflection, Florence Pugh understands why that is wrong, saying: “I wore this culture on my terms only, to parties, at dinner… I too was disrespecting the beauty of the religion that had been taught to me those years ago.”
Florence Pugh also apologised for appropriating Rastafarian culture. She said, “I was 17. I braided my hair and painted a beanie with the Jamaican flag colours and went to a friend’s house; proud of my Rastafarian creation. I then posted about it the next day with a caption that paraphrased the lyrics to Shaggy’s song ‘Bombastic’.”
“I am ashamed of so many things in those few sentences… Growing up as white and privileged allowed me to get that far and not know… I was uneducated. I was unread.”
All-in-all, she’s ashamed of her actions and she’s proactively apologising, saying: “I cannot dismiss the I actions I bought into years ago, but I believe that we who were blind to such things must acknowledge them and recognise them as our faults, our ignorance and our white privilege and I apologise profusely that it took this long.”
While we shouldn’t put Florence Pugh on this pedestal for doing what she’s done, it’s important that we recognise that she’s has done is good and also what so many celebrities have failed to do, which is the bare minimum.
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