Baltimore Rock Opera Society boots white boss after she sports cornrows at Burning Man

A Baltimore opera group ousted its recently hired white executive director after she sparked an uproar for sporting cornrows at Burning Man.The Baltimore Rock Opera Society (BROS) canned Kelly Carnes on Sept.23 after a video posted to social media showed her with the new hairdo at an organizational event, according to an email sent to volunteers and obtained by The Baltimore Banner.Carnes said she styled her hair in cornrows as a form of protection from the elements at Burning Man — a nine day festival in the Nevada desert.

But her appearance raised concerns of cultural appropriation.Carnes confirmed her sacking to The Banner on Wednesday, saying she was stunned that an organization claiming to celebrate creative freedom would suddenly police her personal appearance.“I believe the circumstances surrounding my termination raise serious questions about discrimination, governance, and whether the values BROS presents publicly are actually extended to the people it employs,” she wrote. “I am exploring those issues with counsel,” she said.The leadership change was decided upon after an extensive meeting on Sept.22.Before the meeting, the board of BROS posted a message to its social media accounts that addressed the controversy “regarding a video circulated on social media showing our new Executive Director, who is white, wearing cornrows” an event.Carnes said she braided her hair as a “protective style” against the dusty elements at Burning Man and kept the look for the BROS function shortly after, according to the outlet.

The video of the BROS event was taken down from social media.The look featured cornrows, which are typically associated with black culture, along the top transition into long braids and extensions, Carnes explained.“That is the same context I shared with BROS when concerns about my appearance were raised,” Carnes wrote in an email to The Banner, emphasizing that she was open to addressing concerns. “I was also clear that I w...