Beyoncé’s recent performance on her “Cowboy Carter” tour has sparked a heated debate over how Americans frame their history. The Houston-born superstar wore a T-shirt during the concert that featured images of the Buffalo Soldiers, Black U.S. Army units active in the late 1800s and early 1900s. On the back of the shirt 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.”
Fans and Indigenous influencers took to social media to criticize Beyoncé for wearing the shirt, which frames Native Americans and Mexican revolutionaries as anything but the victims of American imperialism. Historians say that the moniker “Buffalo Soldiers” was likely bestowed by the tribes who admired the bravery of the fighters, but its true meaning is still debated.
The Buffalo Soldiers served in six military units created after the Civil War in 1866 and 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. Historians argue that the shirt’s language perpetuates anti-Indigenous sentiment and ignores the complexities of the Buffalo Soldiers’ role in American history.
Beyoncé’s use of the Buffalo Soldiers imagery is seen by some as a way to reclaim American iconography for Black Americans, but others argue that it perpetuates myths of American nationalism. Critics point out that the shirt’s language plays into these myths, implying that Black Americans can engage in and profit from American nationalism without acknowledging its problematic implications.
As Beyoncé prepares to return to the U.S. for performances in her hometown this weekend, fans and Indigenous influencers continue to call for an apology or acknowledgement of the shirt’s problematic language. The controversy highlights the ongoing need for nuanced discussions about American history and the importance of framing it in a way that is respectful to all communities involved.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/beyonce-buffalo-soldiers-controversy-9308cd020d6cabc8ec8ceac6057d8f0d