It seems that white women around the world are putting on makeup to imitate Canadian model Winnie Harlow’s vitiligo. Vitiligo is a chronic skin condition that can cause the loss of skin color in patches all over the face and body. With the recent instances of cultural appropriation from Kylie Jenner to Allure Magazine many people on social media weren’t happy seeing another example of people attempting to emulate a Black woman’s features.

https://twitter.com/BLVCKMATTERS/status/635193944922439681

The model’s own point of view however, is that the imitation is a sign of love and appreciation for her beauty. Read her words below:

My response to this is probably not what a lot of people want but here it goes: every time someone wants fuller lips, or a bigger bum, or curly hair, or braids does Not mean our culture is being stolen. Have you ever stop to realize these things used to be ridiculed and now they’re loved and lusted over. No one wants to “steal” our look here. We’ve just stood so confidently in our own nappy hair and du-rags and big asses (or in this case, my skin) that now those who don’t have it love and lust after it. Just because a black girl wears blue contacts and long weave doesn’t mean she wants to be white and just because a white girl wears braids and gets lip injection doesn’t mean she wants to be black. The amount of mixed races in this world is living proof that we don’t want to be each other we’ve just gained a national love for each other. Why can’t we embrace that feeling of love? Why do we have to make it a hate crime? In a time when so much negative is happening, please don’t accuse those who are showing love and appreciation, of being hateful. It is very clear to me when someone is showing love and I appreciate these people recreating, loving and broadcasting something to the world that once upon a time I cried myself to sleep over #1LOVE 💋 (via instagram)

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What do you think? Is this an example of cultural appropriation or is our community over reacting?

Let us know in the comments below.

vitiligo

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