Can you believe one of the biggest stars in the world, Beyoncé, might not know what she’s wearing? At her Paris concert during the global tour promoting her album “Cowboy Carter,” Beyoncé rocked a shirt that set off a firestorm of outrage and shock among fans and Native American communities. The shirt featured symbols and text about the Buffalo Soldiers — units that fought in the US Civil War and also against Native Americans, who on the shirt are labeled as enemies, bandits, cattle thieves, and killers. Is this just a careless fashion choice or something way worse?
The Buffalo Soldiers, known as Black cowboys, were units made up of former slaves and white soldiers who served in several wars, including the US Civil War. But their history is dark and controversial because they fought against Native Americans, which the shirt frames as a battle against “enemies.” This label sparked fury because it paints Native Americans as villains rather than victims of American imperialism and genocide.
Last year, Beyoncé became the first Black woman to top the country music charts in Billboard magazine, and her new album “Cowboy Carter” is seen by many as an attempt to reclaim the cowboy aesthetic for Black culture — a genre traditionally dominated by white artists. Yet this shirt casts a shadow over her work and reminds us of painful historical truths that shouldn’t be forgotten or glossed over.
Fans, musicians, and scholars from Native American communities took to social media to express their disappointment and condemnation, wondering how one of the biggest stars could miss the problematic nature of the symbols she wore. Is this just a fashion faux pas or a sign of deeper ignorance and disrespect toward history and cultures?
In a world increasingly focused on justice and truth, incidents like this can’t go unchallenged. Beyoncé earned a prestigious Grammy for her album, but will she be able to handle this backlash? Or will her career be marked by this scandal as well?
Got a hot take or a snarky comment? Drop it below — because apparently, even the biggest stars aren’t immune to fashion disasters that blow up the internet!
