Melania Trump criticised for wearing ‘colonial’ pith helmet in Africa

First lady's choice of headwear 'a reflection of her outdated understanding' of continent

Melania Trump has been heavily criticised for wearing a white pith helmet in Africa, due to its association with colonial rule.

The first lady of the United States is currently visiting the continent as part of her first international solo trip since her husband became president.

While in the Nairobi National Park in Kenya, Ms Trump was filmed feeding baby elephants that had been raised in the park.

She opted to wear tan-coloured trousers, knee-length boots and white shirt, and accessorised with a pith helmet.

But as many people pointed out on social media, the pith helmet is heavily symbolic of colonial rule.

“That pith helmet you have carried was used by colonialists during the dark days. Doesn’t sit well with us Africans. Who advised you?” one person tweeted.

“Melania Trump wearing a pith helmet on her trip to Africa is more than a silly sartorial choice,” another person wrote.

“It’s a reflection of her outdated understanding of Africa.”

The pith helmet was frequently worn by European travellers and explorers visiting areas such as Africa, southeast Asia and the tropics in the late 19th Century.

Military personnel from countries such as Britain, France, Spain and Italy would wear the helmet while commanding colonial armies.

Elliot Ross, a doctoral candidate at Columbia University, explained the significance of the pith helmet.

“The pith helmet is sometimes used to denote a ‘frontier’ spirit of adventure and exploration, This is wrong,” he said.

“Their historical social role was to emblematise white fragility and anxieties, as well as blurring the distinction between white civilians and colonial police/army.

“Personally, I think the US First Lady’s decision to wear a pith helmet is appropriate.

“The regime she’s representing in Kenya is a white supremacist one whose policies and ideological grounding are a continuation of earlier forms of imperialism, represented by the pith helmet.”

Before feeding the baby elephants at the Nairobi national park, Ms Trump had to be pulled out of harm’s way by her bodyguard as one of them charged at her.