UPDATE to AIO to my black friend’s reaction to me getting braids?

I had to delete the original post because I accidentally left her username visible and people started messaging her from Reddit, and that is not acceptable.

I just want to say thank you to everyone that replied with their perspectives. I didn’t realise getting braids would cause such reactions, as I’ve had braids before, this is not my first time getting them and I’ve not received any hate for it prior. Which is irrelevant anyways, because we are talking about the current situation at hand. I want to clear up the fact that I am not white as a lot of people assumed I was, and I also do not live in America. I am from Bangladesh originally and I live in the UK. I’m no stranger to racism and oppression, I am brown and I come from a third world country which is dominantly Muslim. Whilst living in the UK, for being brown, I have been spat at on the street, been called a skank, and a Paki by another patient WHILST I was admitted in hospital prior to my cancer diagnosis, also had a glass thrown at me. These are just a few examples that come to mind straight away but this is not a comparison to black people. If anything, I am more drawn to their culture because in some sense I can relate. I got these braids not only because I love the style but also because I am comfortable embracing their culture. As my future husband is black, I feel it is important for me to adapt in his culture because he has truly done the same for me. We come from two different parts of the world but we want to be united and we are; so we do blend the cultures together. I mean we are literally planning on getting married and spending our lives together, his culture to me is just as important as mine.

I am not trying to be black in any sense or mock them in anyway or make fun of them. I wouldn’t get the hair if that was the point. I am Bengali and that I always will be. But I came from a good place. As for people saying I will damage my hair even further, the truth is I will go bald again soon as I’m preparing for a bone marrow transplant. Prior to which they will give me high doses of chemo which will make my hair fall out again anyways. So I wanted to enjoy the hair that had grown in the last few months while I still had it. And yes, I did consult with my dr about this before. She said it was okay. My friend will not be coming to my birthday after someone messaged her about the Reddit post, but her decision. She was also going to be my bridesmaid at my wedding but I guess that won’t happen either. I also admit that I did say some things that were insensitive for which I did apologise to my friend.

I’ve added pics of the braids and the the picture I posted on instagram. Anyways, thank you all for your replies. Peace out ❤️