Latest news with #BlackArmyUnits
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Beyoncé criticized for shirt calling Native Americans 'enemies of peace'
The Brief A shirt worn by Beyoncé during a performance in Paris has fueled backlash for language about Native Americans. The shirt, worn during a Juneteenth performance and featured on her website, has also sparked discussions about how Americans remember their history. A Buffalo Soldiers T-shirt worn by Beyoncé and featured on her website has sparked criticism for calling Native Americans "the enemies of peace." The shirt, worn during a Juneteenth performance on the "Cowboy Carter" tour in Paris, has also fueled discussions over how Americans remember their history. What we know The T-shirt featured images of the Buffalo Soldiers, who belonged to Black U.S. Army units active during the late 1800s and early 1900s. On the back was a lengthy description of the soldiers that included "their antagonists were the enemies of peace, order and settlement: warring Indians, bandits, cattle thieves, murderous gunmen, bootleggers, trespassers, and Mexican revolutionaries." RELATED: Brandy and Monica announce 'The Boy Is Mine' Tour What we don't know It's unclear what Beyoncé's response is to the backlash. Her spokesperson didn't respond to a comment request from The Associated Press. The backstory The Buffalo Soldiers served in six military units created after the Civil War in 1866. They were comprised of formerly enslaved men, freemen, and Black Civil War soldiers and fought in hundreds of conflicts — including in the Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II — until they were disbanded in 1951. RELATED: Diddy Trial: Prosecutors drop kidnapping, arson, and certain sex trafficking charges As the quote on Beyoncé's shirt notes, they also fought numerous battles against Indigenous peoples as part of the U.S. Army's campaign of violence and land theft during the country's westward expansion. What they're saying Fans and Indigenous influencers took to social media to criticize Beyoncé for wearing a shirt that frames Native Americans and Mexican revolutionaries as anything but the victims of American imperialism and for promoting anti-Indigenous language. "The Buffalo Soldiers are an interesting historical moment to look at. But we have to be honest about what they did, especially in their operations against Indigenous Americans and Mexicans," said Chisom Okorafor, who posts on TikTok under the handle @confirmedsomaya. Okorafor said there is no "progressive" way to reclaim America's history of empire building in the West, and that Beyoncé's use of Western symbolism sends a problematic message: "That Black people, too, can engage in American nationalism." "Black people, too, can profit from the atrocities of (the) American empire," she said. "It is a message that tells you to abandon immigrants, Indigenous people, and people who live outside of the United States. It is a message that tells you not only is it a virtue to have been born in this country, but the longer your line extends in this country, the more virtuous you are." The Source This report includes information from The Associated Press.
Washington Post
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Fans criticize Beyoncé for shirt calling Native Americans 'the enemies of peace'
A T-shirt worn by Beyoncé during a Juneteenth performance on her 'Cowboy Carter' tour has sparked a discussion over how Americans frame their history and caused a wave of criticism for the Houston-born superstar. The T-shirt worn during a concert in Paris featured images of the Buffalo Soldiers, who belonged to Black U.S. Army units active during the late 1800s and early 1900s. On the back was a lengthy description of the soldiers that included 'Their antagonists were the enemies of peace, order and settlement: warring Indians, bandits, cattle thieves, murderous gunmen, bootleggers, trespassers, and Mexican revolutionaries.'
