Kylie Jenner's hair causes Instagram race row

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Kylie JennerImage source, AP

Kylie Jenner's been accused of "appropriating black culture" in a row on Instagram.

Hunger Games actress Amandla Stenberg made the claim after the reality star posted a picture of her hair in cornrows.

The 16-year-old argued Kylie wasn't using her fame to help black people.

She accused her of "directing attention towards wigs instead of police brutality or racism".

Kylie replied: "Mad if I don't, Mad if I do…. Go hang w Jaden or something." Amandla went to a prom with Jaden Smith in May.

More than 100,000 people have commented on the Instagram post, external

Several Instagram users have defended the 17-year-old though, with one saying: "Nothing wrong with wearing whatever hairstyle you want whatever race you are.

"How about calling out all the black women in the industry wearing blonde wigs and extensions all the time?"

Another said: "Imagine Taylor Swift wrote on Beyonce's photo saying it's a white woman's hairstyle and why doesn't she highlight white people's social issues, there would be uproar.

"White people don't get what they want by playing the victim."

But one critic argued: "It's not just a hairstyle. It's much deeper than that."

A second claimed: "The point is that her hairstyle she's wearing came from black culture.

"There's nothing wrong with that, except the fact that she does nothing to benefit the black community.

"The point is, don't take black culture because you think it's cool or cute but then be silent when racial issues come up."

Image source, AP

Earlier this year, Amandla released a video on cultural appropriation, asking: "What would America be like if we loved black people as much as black culture?"

In the film called Don't Cash Crop My Cornrows, she claims: "Appropriation occurs when a style leads to racist generalisations or stereotypes where it originated but is deemed as high-fashion, cool or funny when the privileged take it for themselves.

"Hip hop stems from a black struggle, it stems from jazz and blues, styles of music African-Americans created to retain humanity in the face of adversity.

"On a smaller scale but in a similar vein, braids and cornrows are not merely stylistic. They're necessary to keep black hair neat."

She also accused Iggy Azalea, Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry of "adopting black culture as a way of being edgy and gaining attention".

In April, Kylie Jenner was criticised for posting a photo on Instagram in which many users claimed she had "blacked up".

She said that wasn't her intention.

The photo was from a photoshoot with black light and neon lights.

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