Artist banned from Fridays For Future demo because of dreadlocks

Folk-pop singer Ronja Maltzahn had planned to set a “sign for peace and against discrimination” at a “Fridays For Future” demo in Hanover on Friday (March 25), but was now uninvited by the organizers at short notice.

Maltzahn’s appearance is “not justifiable”

The 27-year-old received the cancellation via social media, where she also shared the direct message in a post. According to the climate protection movement, Fridays For Future Hannover must “rely on an anti-colonial and anti-racist narrative, especially in this global strike”. However, this is not possible if the singer is wearing dreadlocks.

It was “not justifiable” to let Maltzahn on stage because, as a “white person” with dreadlocks, she would practice a “form of cultural appropriation”. In the message, Fridays For Future (FFF) Hannover explain: Dreadlocks were “used by white people in the days of slavery as a sign of oppression”.

An exchange is possible, a performance is not

The singer is allowed to perform on condition that her hairstyle is adjusted to the requirements by Friday. Otherwise, the activists could only offer Maltzahn to “go into an exchange” after the event. Finally, the organization apologizes for not having researched intensively enough when selecting the artists.

Ronja Maltzahn expresses disappointment on Instagram: “It’s a shame that we are excluded from it because of external characteristics”. She also refers to her values ​​and the intentions she is pursuing with her music: “Give cultural diversity a stage, appreciate and celebrate it, stand up for gender equality, mindfulness and tolerance”. In addition, she emphasizes that she hopes that this goal will resonate with her audience and “not the opposite”.

In the comments on the post, supporters of the singer express their outrage and express their sympathy. Others criticize the decision of FFF Hannover: “An event that stands for the fact that appearance and origin should be completely irrelevant, excludes such a loving artist because of her appearance.”

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