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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 and transitioned 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 was willing to listen and speak directly with anyone who was genuinely confused or concerned.”
In a photo taken at Burning Man, Carnes is seen from behind, donning a wild, “Mad Max”-style outfit while behind the wheel of a doorless, roofless Ford truck.
“I’m always a little weird when I get back from Burning Man,” the post’s caption reads.
“Please give me a minute to re-integrate into the default world, ty.”
BROS proudly announced on Instagram Sept. 14 that they were welcoming Carnes — who also goes by the moniker “AWOL” — as executive director.
“BROS is excited for the new stories about to unfold under AWOL’s leadership as she supports us in our 7,000 year mission of incredible rock theater,” the group said.
Just two days later, BROS completely changed course, declaring on Instagram that they were “taking action” after the controversial video showing Carnes’ cornrows was posted.
“We regret removing the video without an explanation and take responsibility for the confusion that [it] caused,” the organization posted, adding, “more importantly, we are taking action.”
Cat Litten, the marketing and communications representative for BROS, told The Banner: “Right now, our leadership and community are entirely focused on doing the necessary internal work of improving the overall experience for our community and edicated volunteers for now and the future.”
