Everyone is talking about Emma Watson’s new baby bangs, but the focus should be on the book she’s holding

Today Emma Watson took to Instagram with a selfie to display her fiercest look yet: her wokeness. The 27-year-old Harry Potter actress shared a photo of herself holding the book Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by British journalist Reni Eddo-Lodge.

Watson has spoken extensively about her views on gender equality and activism in the past, and she was appointed the United Nations Women Goodwill Ambassador in July 2014. And while Emma Watson was garnering headlines on the internet today, it was for her…new bangs. Do a quick Emma Watson Google search, and the first results will be her bangs.

Really…? Okay.

Yes, they’re adorable! She looks great. But perhaps the fact that her adorable bangs are the ultimate takeaway from her post reinforces a larger issue at hand. In her photo, she captioned:

“Have you had a chance to pick up a copy of @oursharedshelfJan/Feb book choice, Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by @renieddolodge ?! #oursharedshelf”

Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, which originally came to life in a blog post by Eddo-Lodge, examines how race relations are discussed by individuals unaffected by racism — intertwining ideas of white privilege, black history, and intersectional feminism. See the Instagram here:

It’s been a tumultuous time for race relations in the U.S., with the resurgence of white supremacists in Charlottesville, police brutality and the cultivation of the Black Lives Matter movement, and political atrocities in the form of unconstitutional travel bans. So when a public figure like Watson tries to springboard the conversation but is met with commentary on her cute new bangs — it’s a bit of a slap in the face. A stub of a toe on a bed frame. A paper cut soaked in lemonade.

Perhaps the next biggest beauty trend of 2018 should be social justice.