Little Women actor Florence Pugh has apologised for all the time she has participated in cultural appropriation in the past after a fan called her out. She reflected on how she was ‘uneducated’ and ‘unread’ following the accusation. Pugh has regretted her acts such as wearing her hair in corn rows and braids. She issued a detailed three-page apology note in one of her Instagram posts on Saturday, after the #BlackLivesMatter movement gained momentum over the past few weeks.
The 24-year old actor’s note stated that the last four weeks had been “huge” as the world was trying to “make a change”, and she has been taking time to understand and acknowledge white privilege.
“I’m truly sorry to all of you that were offended for years or even just recently,” she apologised.
“The world is trying to make change and I’m learning a tidal wave of information that frankly, was always there but I was unaware of. I’ve tried my best to post, learn, pass what I’ve learnt on to others and of course, echo the voices of those who don’t have a platform to share their wisdom,” Pugh wrote in the beginning of her note.
The actor recalled the first time when she was educated on ‘cultural appropriation’ by her friend, Holly, when she had braided her hair in corn rows. “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,” Pugh wrote.
She then revealed another incident, when Pugh was just eight and befriended an Indian woman.
“She was excited to share her culture and I was excited to learn,” Pugh continued, “there wasn’t a summer where I didn’t henna my hands, feet, my family’s hands and feet – I was obsessed.” She noted how nobody cared about the origin when Henna soon became a trend and companies abused it for their business.
“Black, Indian, Native American and Asian cultures and religions are constantly used and abused every new shopping season,” she wrote.
Florence ended her statement saying that she was truly sorry for offending people for years.
