The 24-year-old actress posted a prolonged assertion to her Instagram account on Friday, letting her 1.5 million followers know that she is “ashamed” to look again at a few of her previous actions of cultural appropriation, which embrace getting henna tattoos and getting her hair braided into “corn rows.”
The “Little Ladies” star started her three-page apology by mentioning that the final 4 weeks have been “large” by way of understanding and acknowledging white privilege.
“The world is attempting to make change and I’m studying a tidal wave of knowledge that frankly, was at all times there however I used to be unaware of. I’ve tried my greatest to publish, study, cross what I’ve learnt on to others and naturally, echo the voices of those that don’t have a platform to share their knowledge,” her apology started.
Pugh wrote that her previous missteps have been first delivered to her consideration by a fan calling her out for a photograph she posted of herself when she was 17. Pugh referred to as the image an instance of “Rastafarian cultural appropriation.”
“I braided my hair and painted a beanie with the Jamaican flag colors and went to a good friend’s home, pleased with my Rastafarian creation. I then posted about it the following day with a caption that paraphrased the lyrics to Shaggy’s tune ‘Boombastic,’” she defined.
“I’m ashamed of so many issues in these few sentences,” Pugh admitted.
The actress mentioned it was “merciless” of her to overlook concerning the picture, mentioning that for eight years she had “no thought what number of have been offended.”
The actress mentioned that “rising up as white and privileged allowed me to get that far and never know,” including that she was initially “proud” of the braided coiffure.
In hindsight, Pugh referred to as her choices “uneducated” and in addition offered an instance of her childhood when she befriended an Indian girl who owned a store in her native Oxford, England, fitted with materials, jewellery, henna and extra. She credited this girl with educating her all concerning the tradition, of which she turned “obsessed.”
“There wasn’t a summer season the place I didn’t henna my arms, ft, my household’s arms and ft,” she wrote.
Pugh went on to put in writing that henna shortly turned a societal development, with main make-up manufacturers profiting off of their very own variations of henna units. On the time, Pugh mentioned she felt unhappy for her fellow Indian store proprietor good friend, noticing that the tradition was being “abused for revenue.” Pugh mentioned she is aware of now that she was responsible of the identical.
“And right here’s the issue: I really wasn’t being respectful in how I used to be utilizing it. I wore this tradition on my phrases solely, to events, at dinner. I too was disrespecting the great thing about the faith that had been taught to me these years in the past,” her assertion continued.
Pugh mentioned she is “actually sorry” to all who’ve been offended by her prior to now and current.
“I can not dismiss the actions I purchased into years in the past, however I consider that we who have been blind to such issues should acknowledge them and acknowledge them as our faults, our ignorance and our white privilege and I apologize profusely that it took this lengthy.”
Pugh’s apology was met with reward from many followers.
“as a black fan of yours, thanks for talking up and out. we see the actual homies such as you on the market, and that i admire your efforts immensely,” one fan wrote.
“Truthful play Florence,” one other commented, including: “it takes guts to confess your errors however study you should and go ahead.”
