Over the weekend, Alabama Barker turned heads and stirred conversation after posting a series of new photos on Instagram for her 2.2 million followers. The influencer and model posed in a sleek black satin dress outside a home, but what caught the most attention was her hip-length, half-braided blonde hairstyle — a striking departure from her usual looks.
She also shared a close-up video, showcasing the intricate styling, which quickly sparked discussion across social media.
While some praised the look, others accused her of cultural appropriation and “blackfishing” — a term used when non-Black individuals adopt Black aesthetics without embracing the culture or struggles that come with it.
Here’s what the internet had to say:
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@_nyabea: “It’s cute asf, it’s just not supposed to be in her head.”
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@freedomnaps: “Everybody wants to be black 😂😂😂 but they don’t want the problems that come with being black 🙃”
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@thecheriee_amour: “They wanna be us til it time to be us or stand with us 😒”
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@unkn0wngr1: “The way I see it, Black woman is the BLUEPRINT of BEAUTY! Let them copy our style cuz can’t nothing ever beat the ORIGINAL 💎”
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@ihearttexoticc: “She not gon b used to her hair falling out after this style 🙈”
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@jj7ckie: “Who gon be the white girls ..”
Still, not everyone was critical:
As the debate rages on, one thing is clear: style inspiration doesn’t come without responsibility — especially when it walks the tightrope between admiration and appropriation.
