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Here’s How Blac Chyna’s Bantu Knots Got People Magazine In Trouble

Don't get it twisted.

For those who are unaware (i.e. someone responsible for a now-deleted tweet at People Magazine) Bantu knots have been sported traditionally by women of African descent for centuries, particularly popularized by the Zulu tribe (who are also said to have originated the hairstyle). 

In a recent post, People Magazine chose to talk about Blac Chyna’s recent hairstyle change, citing Björk for inspiring the braided look. 

The small, coiled buns are sprinkled throughout one’s head and while Björk has rocked the hairstyle in the past, it by no means was a product of her own creativity, which is why People Magazine got themselves in trouble throughout social media.

The problematic wording led to People deciding to delete the tweet but, for some reason, the company left the headline the same in their original headline. Calling Chyna’s new ‘do a “cool new hairstyle reminiscent of Björk in the ‘90s” resulted in a feeding frenzy on Twitter, with people calling out the outlet for not doing their cultural history homework and for disregarding the hairstyle’s African origin. 

This is not the first time that Björk has been credited for the unique hairstyle, with a similar conversation and outrage happening last year when Marc Jacobs representatives referred to the Bantu knots as “mini buns.”

Celebrities such as Lauryn Hill, Rihanna and Crazy Eyes (a character on Orange Is The New Black) have rocked Bantu knots in recent years, with Blac Chynna being the latest to proudly wear the beautifully-crafted braids utilizing her natural hair. 

(Photo: Tom Briglia/WireImage)

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