It can be hard to fathom why stars do the things they do. Sometimes it seems like they want to stir up a ruckus. Beyonce did just that when she sported a t-shirt recently bearing a message that riled some of her fans. Per dailymail.co.uk, the Cowboy Carter singer wore a t-shirt featuring the Buffalo Soldiers on the Paris visit of her tour for her country LP. The Buffalo Soldiers were "some of the first African Americans to serve in the US military," per the outlet. So what was the contentious issue? It seems that they fought alongside the Europeans who were opposing Native Americans.
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Text On Beyonce's T-Shirt Took Many Aback
On top of that, the back of the t-shirt is as troubling to some as the front. Per the outlet via ONTD, there is text on it that reads in part: "Their antagonists were the enemies of peace, order and settlement: warring Indians, bandits, cattle thieves, murderous gunmen, bootleggers, trespassers, and Mexican revolutionaries."
Beyonce's Aghast Fans Voiced Their Wrath Online
Many angry commenters let fly on Reddit. They expressed their shock and ire at Beyonce's seeming lack of awareness of the powerful implications of what she wore.
Wrote one person, "As an Indigenous person, it's disheartening to see Beyoncé wearing a Buffalo Soldier shirt. These soldiers played a direct role in the forced removal, violence, and suppression of Native peoples. I respect her impact, but this choice hurts, a lot. Black and Indigenous history deserves more understanding and care. We need to lift each other up."
Opined another, "Never expect billionaires to side with anyone but themselves. Not all skinfolk are kinfolk."
A third weighed in with this. "What on earth was her stylist or PR team thinking...."
Someone else tried to take a slightly softer approach to Bey's fashion faux pas. "Not an excuse, but gonna assume she didn't read any further than Buffalo Soldier. I'd wager many Black Americans are unaware of what happened. Highly unlikely she holds any antagonistic views towards Natives considering her mother has Louisiana Creole heritage. 'Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.'"
