Are We Addicted to White Validation? The Truth About Black Spending & Trends

We all know that Black culture sets the trends. From music to fashion, slang to beauty, our influence is undeniable. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: despite knowing we are THE culture, many of us are still subconsciously waiting for white approval before something feels “luxury,” “valid,” or “worth investing in.”

The Hidden Cycle of Seeking Validation

We’ve been conditioned for generations to believe that our own isn’t enough—our businesses, our trends, even our beauty. This conditioning plays out in ways we don’t always recognize:

• A Black-owned brand sells the same product as a mainstream company, but we hesitate to buy until it’s widely accepted.

• White influencers pick up something Black people have been doing for years, and suddenly it’s the new “must-have.”

• We’ll pay top dollar for designer brands that don’t cater to us, while questioning the prices of Black-owned businesses.

We might not think of it as seeking validation, but it is. Because if we truly believed our culture was enough, we wouldn’t need white participation to see its value.

How This Plays Out for Black Women

Black women, in particular, feel this pressure deeply. Our beauty, fashion, and lifestyle choices are constantly scrutinized—and often co-opted.

• The Stanley Cup trend? Black women have always valued stylish, practical drinkware, but the trend exploded only when white women made it mainstream.

• Dress styles and aesthetics—from “clean girl” to “mob wife”—often have roots in Black fashion, but don’t get mainstream recognition until non-Black influencers push them.

• Hair trends—protective styles like braids and locs were once deemed “unprofessional,” but suddenly they’re trendy when adopted by others.
  
  We keep making the world richer by investing in trends that weren’t even made for us while ignoring our own.

  The Aha Moment: Breaking the Cycle

  It’s not just about what we buy—it’s about what we believe deserves value. Until we unlearn the need for outside validation, we’ll keep making others rich off our own culture.

  So how do we change this?
  ✔ Recognize our influence—we don’t need approval to validate what we already know is dope.
  ✔ Invest in our own—support Black-owned brands, businesses, and creators without hesitation.
  ✔ Question what we chase—are we following trends we truly love, or are we still looking for acceptance?

  “The power is in our hands. We shape culture—let’s make sure we profit from it, too.”