Latest news with #BuffaloSoldiers'
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Fans criticize Beyonce for shirt calling Native Americans 'the enemies of peace'
A T-shirt worn by Beyonce 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 US 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.' Images of the shirt and videos of the performance are also featured on Beyonce's website. As she prepares to return to the US for performances in her hometown this weekend, fans and Indigenous influencers took to social media to criticize Beyonce for framing Native Americans and Mexican revolutionaries as anything but the victims of American imperialism and promoting anti-Indigenous language. A publicist for Beyonce did not respond to requests for comment. The Buffalo Soldiers served in six military units created after the Civil War in 1866. They were comprised 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. As the quote on Beyoncé's shirt notes, they also fought numerous battles against Indigenous peoples as part of the US Army's campaign of violence and land theft during the country's westward expansion. Some historians say the moniker 'Buffalo Soldiers' was bestowed by the tribes who admired the bravery and tenacity of the fighters, but that might be more legend than fact. 'At the end of the day, we really don't have that kind of information,' said Cale Carter, director of exhibitions at the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum in Houston. Carter and other museum staff said that, only in the past few years, the museum made broader efforts to include more of the complexities of the battles the Buffalo Soldiers fought against Native Americans and Mexican revolutionaries and the role they played in the subjugation of Indigenous peoples. They, much like many other museums across the country, are hoping to add more nuance to the framing of American history and be more respectful of the ways they have caused harm to Indigenous communities . 'We romanticize the Western frontier,' he said. 'The early stories that talked about the Buffalo Soldiers were impacted by a lot of those factors. So you really didn't see a changing in that narrative until recently.' There has often been a lack of diverse voices discussing the way Buffalo Soldiers history is framed, said Michelle Tovar, the museum's director of education. The current political climate has put enormous pressure on schools, including those in Texas, to avoid honest discussions about American history, she said. 'Right now, in this area, we are getting push back from a lot of school districts in which we can't go and teach this history," Tovar said. "We are a museum where we can at least be a hub, where we can invite the community regardless of what districts say, invite them to learn it and do what we can do the outreach to continue to teach honest history.' Beyonce's recent album 'Act II: Cowboy Carter' has played on a kind of American iconography, which many see as her way of subverting the country music genre's adjacency to whiteness and reclaiming the cowboy aesthetic for Black Americans . Last year, she became the first Black woman ever to top Billboard's country music chart, and 'Cowboy Carter' won her the top prize at the 2025 Grammy Awards, album of the year . 'The Buffalo Soldiers play this major role in the Black ownership of the American West,' said Tad Stoermer, a historian and professor at Johns Hopkins University. 'In my view, (Beyonce is) well aware of the role that these images play. This is the 'Cowboy Carter' tour for crying out loud. The entire tour, the entire album, the entire piece is situated in this layered narrative.' But Stoermer also points out that the Buffalo Soldier have been framed in the American story in a way that also plays into the myths of American nationalism. As Beyonce's use of Buffalo Soldiers imagery implies, Black Americans also use their story to claim agency over their role in the creation of the country, said Alaina E. Roberts, a historian, author and professor at Pittsburgh University who studies the intersection of Black and Native American life from the Civil War to present day. 'That's the category in which she thought maybe she was coming into this conversation, but the Buffalo Soldiers are even a step above that because they were literally involved in not just the settlement of the West but of genocide in a sense,' she said. Several Native influencers, performers, and academics took to social media this week to criticize Beyonce or call the language on her shirt anti-Indigenous. 'Do you think Beyonce will apologize (or acknowledge) the shirt,' an Indigenous news and culture Instagram account with more than 130,000, asked in a post Thursday. Many of her critics, as well as fans, agree. A flood of social media posts called out the pop star for the historic framing on the shirt. '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. 'Which is that Black people too can engage in American nationalism," she said. "Black people too can profit from the atrocities of American empire. 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.' (AP)
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Fans criticize Beyoncé for shirt calling Native Americans ‘the enemies of peace'
As she prepares to return to the U.S. for performances in her hometown this weekend, fans and Indigenous influencers took to social media to criticize Beyoncé for framing Native Americans and Mexican revolutionaries as anything but the victims of American imperialism and promoting anti-Indigenous language. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up A publicist for Beyoncé did not respond to requests for comment. Advertisement Who were the Buffalo Soldiers? The Buffalo Soldiers served in six military units created after the Civil War in 1866. They were comprised 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. 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. Some historians say the moniker 'Buffalo Soldiers' was bestowed by the tribes who admired the bravery and tenacity of the fighters, but that might be more legend than fact. 'At the end of the day, we really don't have that kind of information,' said Cale Carter, director of exhibitions at the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum in Houston. Advertisement Carter and other museum staff said that, only in the past few years, the museum made broader efforts to include more of the complexities of the battles the Buffalo Soldiers fought against Native Americans and Mexican revolutionaries and the role they played in the subjugation of Indigenous peoples. They, much like many other museums across the country, are hoping to add more nuance to the framing of American history and be more respectful of the ways they have 'We romanticize the Western frontier,' he said. 'The early stories that talked about the Buffalo Soldiers were impacted by a lot of those factors. So you really didn't see a changing in that narrative until recently.' There has often been a lack of diverse voices discussing the way Buffalo Soldiers history is framed, said Michelle Tovar, the museum's director of education. The current political climate has put enormous pressure on schools, including those in Texas, to avoid honest discussions about American history, she said. 'Right now, in this area, we are getting push back from a lot of school districts in which we can't go and teach this history,' Tovar said. 'We are a museum where we can at least be a hub, where we can invite the community regardless of what districts say, invite them to learn it and do what we can do the outreach to continue to teach honest history.' Advertisement Historians scrutinize reclamation motive Beyoncé's recent album 'Act II: Cowboy Carter' has played on a kind of American iconography, which many see as her way of subverting the country music genre's adjacency to whiteness and 'The Buffalo Soldiers play this major role in the Black ownership of the American West,' said Tad Stoermer, a historian and professor at Johns Hopkins University. 'In my view, (Beyoncé is) well aware of the role that these images play. This is the 'Cowboy Carter' tour for crying out loud. The entire tour, the entire album, the entire piece is situated in this layered narrative.' But Stoermer also points out that the Buffalo Soldier have been framed in the American story in a way that also plays into the myths of American nationalism. As Beyoncé's use of Buffalo Soldiers imagery implies, Black Americans also use their story to claim agency over their role in the creation of the country, said Alaina E. Roberts, a historian, author and professor at Pittsburgh University who studies the intersection of Black and Native American life from the Civil War to present day. 'That's the category in which she thought maybe she was coming into this conversation, but the Buffalo Soldiers are even a step above that because they were literally involved in not just the settlement of the West but of genocide in a sense,' she said. Online backlash builds ahead of Houston shows Several Native influencers, performers, and academics took to social media this week to criticize Beyoncé or call the language on her shirt anti-Indigenous. 'Do you think Beyoncé will apologize (or acknowledge) the shirt,' an Indigenous news and culture Instagram account with more than 130,000, asked in a post Thursday. Advertisement Many of her critics, as well as fans, agree. A flood of social media posts called out the pop star for the historic framing on the shirt. '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. 'Which is that Black people too can engage in American nationalism,' she said. 'Black people too can profit from the atrocities of American empire. 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.'
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
‘Cancel Beyoncé' trends as controversial shirt triggers fan outrage after Cowboy Carter Tour—Here's why
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Shirt Reignites Debate Over Buffalo Soldiers' Role in Indian Wars Fans Decry 'Oversight' and Accuse Star of Romanticizing Violence Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Pattern of Controversial Decisions? Past Criticisms Resurface Calls for Accountability, Not Cancellation FAQs Why is Beyoncé facing backlash after her Paris concert? What specifically about the shirt caused controversy? Global music icon Beyoncé is facing significant backlash following her appearance at the Paris leg of her 'Cowboy Carter' world tour, where she was photographed wearing a shirt depicting the Buffalo Soldiers , a controversial symbol in American 43-year-old pop star's wardrobe choice has sparked criticism across social media platforms, particularly among her progressive fans, who have denounced the imagery and accompanying text on the shirt as historically insensitive and offensive to Indigenous communities, as mentioned in a report by shirt in question features a tribute to the Buffalo Soldiers, a group of African American troops who served in the U.S. military post-Civil War. While often remembered for their resilience and service in a segregated military, these soldiers also played a direct role in the Indian Wars—a series of violent campaigns aimed at suppressing Native American tribes during westward drew heightened scrutiny was the back of the shirt, which contained a passage referencing Native Americans, Mexican revolutionaries, and others as 'enemies of peace, order and settlement.' The inclusion of such language prompted an immediate and emotional response fans took to social media to express disappointment in what they described as a 'massive oversight.' One user commented, 'Even with that context, I think it's a poor quote to use. It's not okay to insult Indigenous people in order to celebrate Black military history.'Another wrote, 'Not everything in Black history needs to be turned into a fashion statement,' pointing to the deep trauma associated with the Buffalo Soldiers' deployment during colonial is not the first time Beyoncé has faced criticism for perceived cultural insensitivity. Critics have drawn attention to her 2023 performance in Dubai, a country where LGBTQ+ rights are heavily restricted, and questioned her alignment with progressive causes given such associations.'This is the same artist who took millions for a private show in a country where it's illegal to be gay and then turned around and branded her tour as a queer celebration,' one user some social media users have called for Beyoncé to be 'canceled,' others have emphasized the need for accountability and historical awareness.'I love her music, but she's not above criticism,' a user remarked. 'Selling merch that calls Indigenous people 'enemies of peace' is just wrong. Someone should have vetted that.'At the time of this report, Beyoncé or her team has not issued a public statement in response to the is under fire for wearing a shirt featuring the Buffalo Soldiers—a group of African American soldiers who also participated in the Indian Wars. The backlash stems from historical sensitivities, especially among Indigenous communities, due to the role these soldiers played in the violent suppression of Native American back of the shirt included a passage labeling Native Americans, Mexican revolutionaries, and others as 'enemies of peace, order, and settlement.' Many fans found this language offensive and historically insensitive, especially in the context of American colonial expansion and Indigenous displacement.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Library of Congress to visit four Kansas cities with history, resources on educational tour
The 9th Cavalry Regiment of 'Buffalo Soldiers' was among those founded after the Civil War. (Library of Congress) TOPEKA — The world's largest library partnered with the Kansas State Department of Education to embark on a tour through four cities with demonstrations on local history and community events. Educators from the Library of Congress are scheduled to visit public libraries and museums in Hutchinson and Scott City in February and Girard and Lawrence in April. In those cities, educators will host workshops for teachers and school librarians and free events open to the public. Those events will include sessions on genealogy, veterans' history, agricultural history, old newspaper records, transportation and creative works from the New Deal. 'The Library of Congress is truly a library for all,' said Carla Hayden, the librarian of Congress, in a Thursday news release. 'Holding more than 178 million items in its collections, the Library offers perhaps the most comprehensive collection of human knowledge ever assembled in one place.' The library's goal is to show rural educators and community members the vast primary sources available in the library's free, digitized collections. 'This important learning initiative showcases the ways people can experience the depth and breadth of what the library collects, preserves and makes available, all from their own communities,' Hayden said.
