Florence Pugh Has Apologised For Cultural Appropriation

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Florence Pugh (@florencepugh) on Jun 17, 2019 at 2:52pm PDT

Florence Pugh has apologised for appropriating different cultures when she was a teenager, admitting that she was completely uneducated on the subject.

Since the death of George Floyd and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, many public figures have come under fire for their previous actions, highlighting the deeply engrained racism within society. After facing some backlash, many stars have publicly released statements apologising for their behaviour and promising to do better.

Among those is Florence Pugh, who shared a lengthy statement where she reflected on all of the times that she was guilty of cultural appropriation.

Florence says that like so many others she has spent the last month educating herself and is now publicly calling herself out on her own actions.

“One part I have identified in my own actions is cultural appropriation, which came to my attention when a fan last year pointed out a picture of me I had posted back when I was 17.”

The picture Florence is referring to is one where she has her hair in cornrow braids, tight braids that originate from African culture.

In her statement, Florence points out the moment she realised that her actions were wrong, explaining that a friend taught her about cultural appropriation.

“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” she said.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Florence Pugh (@florencepugh) on Jun 26, 2020 at 10:58am PDT

In her statement, Florence also goes on to be critical of other past actions, including a time when she enjoyed painting her body with henna.

Explaining that an Indian woman in a local shop taught her about the tradition when she was 8-years-old, Florence went on to henna herself and her friends as a hobby, without respecting the culture that comes with it.

“I thought because I was taught about it different, I was an exception,” she added.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Florence Pugh (@florencepugh) on Aug 18, 2015 at 11:36am PDT

“And here’s the problem: I actually wasn’t being respectful in how I was using it. I wore this culture on my own terms only, to parties, at dinner. I too was disrespecting the beauty of the religion that had been taught to me those years ago.”

You can read the full statement here.

• #BlackLivesMatter
• Cultural Appropriation
• Florence Pugh