Katy Perry Acknowledges Mistakes She Made Concerning Cultural Appropriation
Katy Perry Address Cultural Appropriation
Katy Perry is making headlines for her recent comments about cultural appropriation and why she doesn’t identify as a feminist. The “I Kissed A Girl” singer comes clean about her mistakes, admitting,
I’ve made several mistakes, even in the “This Is How We Do” video, how I wore my hair and having a hard conversation with one of my empowering angels, Cleo… about what does it mean and why can’t I wear my hair that way. What is the history behind wearing the hair that way? And she told me about the power in black women’s hair and how beautiful it is and the struggle.
She continues,
I listened and I heard and I didn’t know. I wont even understand some of those things because of who I am. I will never understand. But, I can educate myself and that’s what I’m trying to do. Even in my intention to appreciate Japanese culture, I did it wrong. With performance and I didn’t know that I did it wrong until I heard people saying I did it wrong. Sometimes that’s what it takes. It takes someone to say, out of compassion…out of love. Hey! This is where the origin is, you know? Do you understand? Not just um — clap back you know? It’s hard to hear the clap back sometimes and your ego just wants to turn from them. I have been so grateful to have great teachers and great friends who hold me accountable. Even when I said that I wasn’t a feminist because I didn’t know what that meant. You know, someone pulled me to the side, in a quiet space and didn’t shame me. Didn’t judge me. My friend Shannon, she just says “I love you and I just want to show you the Webster’s definition in the dictionary of what it is to be a feminist and it’s just a quality.”
When asked if she is a feminist, she responds,
Yes! Yes sir I am, I am a feminist and I think it’s a beautiful thing to want equality for all females, for all women.
By –@CandraMechelle