Zendaya Coleman’s career is on fire right now, she is the new face of Cover Girl and she will have a role in the new Spiderman movie, so there are a ton of things any interviewer could talk to her about on any given day.
However, in an interview with Lauren Levinson of Popsugar, they wanted to talk about cultural appropriation and when is it okay for celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Katy Perry to wear traditionally ‘black’ styles.
“Do you have any advice — and I could be wrong here — for how celebrities like Kim Kardashian or Katy Perry can wear a style that’s been traditionally black one? Is there ever an appropriate way to do that? Or is it better just stay away from those looks?”
Reading the commentary on the article I agree with many of the opinions that, with so much to talk about that is a heavy question for the 19 yr old. One could assume that it was an attempt to trip her up but Zendaya answered brilliantly:
“I don’t know. I really don’t know. I would be careful, I would definitely be careful. I don’t know if there is an appropriate way — that’s not something I can answer.
My girl Amandla [Stenberg], who is super dope, brought up another problem. She wished society loved black people as much as they love black culture. That’s the truth.
The credit gets taken away from us when we make certain statements or when we do certain things. That is the frustration. People want to be around for the positives and the things that we bring as far as culture, but they don’t want to be around when we have problems or when we’re getting shot in the streets.
You know what I’m saying? You have to be there for the whole experience. You can’t just decide when you want to be a part of our culture.”
Well then, there you have it! If ever you are confused about appropriation, there is your answer in a nutshell. Great job Zendaya!
I like that answer! Because it’s so true.