Health and beauty retailer Clicks has come under fire for posting racially insensitive images of different hair types, labelling black people’s hair as “dry, damaged, frizzy and dull” and white people’s hair as “normal”.
Currently trending at number one on the Twitter trends list for all the wrong reasons, the retailer has had to issue an abrupt apology.
CLICKS ISSUES AN APOLOGY FOR HAIR COMMENTS:
According to Twitter, Clicks has issued two apologies, which nobody seems to be accepting.A Twitter user, which raised the issue with the retailer directly, received a response saying; “Hi, thank you for bringing this to our attention. We apologise for the offence this has caused. We have removed the images and will ensure that this does not happen again.”
The Twitter user who retweeted the dismal apology, said: “I must say their initial apology made me even angrier! So they were not aware that those pictures are offensive? Someone had to “bring it to their attention”? How? In 2020?”
Clicks later issued another apology, which it has pinned to its timeline.
“We would like to issue an unequivocal apology. We have removed the images which go against everything we believe in. We do not condone racism and we are strong advocates of natural hair. We are deeply sorry and will put in place stricter measures on our website,” it said.
In roughly two hours, there have been over 1 000 comments. Twitter users and customers have since replied to their apology with images of cut-up Clicks membership cards.
A Twitter user responded saying; “Apology not accepted. Who died and made the other hair fine and normal. Who made the decision that our hair is dull and damaged. Clicks, I’m not fine. Why must we always be made to feel like we are not worthy? Why are we always undermined? Who said the other people are better?”
RACIALLY INSENSITIVE IMAGES RELEASED ONLINE
According to Clicks, the images have been removed but that didn’t stop Mzansi from taking screenshots.The images making the rounds on social media depict various images of white women’s hair and black women’s hair. The only problem is that the images have been labelled as what constitutes good hair and what constitutes problematic hair.
We would like to issue an unequivocal apology. We have removed the images which go against everything we believe in. We do not condone racism and we are strong advocates of natural hair. We are deeply sorry and will put in place stricter measures on our website.— Clicks (@Clicks_SA) September 4, 2020
Racism is violence! This Clicks add is a violation of human right and dignity of black people. It is the reason white supremacy persists to this day. It is the basis of the racial humiliation black people experience at the hands/eyes of whites. #RacismIsViolence pic.twitter.com/jojZvJvuLh— Mbuyiseni Ndlozi (@MbuyiseniNdlozi) September 4, 2020
The images, which were released by Clicks, labelled white women’s hair as “normal,” while it labelled black women’s hair as “frizzy, dull and damaged”.
Social media activist Tumi Sole took was having none of it.
“Clicks, you’re issuing out fake apologies! Which agency did you use? What was the brief? Did this get authorised by your Exco? Why is Black Hair considered damaged & dry?”
Source: www.thesouthafrican.com
