A single T-shirt choice during Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour in Paris turned fans against the 43-year-old star.
After her opening performance in the French capital, social media erupted with accusations that her outfit “glorified” a “genocide.” “That shirt… someone on your team dropped the ball,” one fan commented.
The backlash centered on a T-shirt tied to Black soldiers from the post-Civil War era, which some deemed offensive.
The controversial garment featured “Buffalo Soldiers” text, honoring the all-Black U.S. military regiments formed after the Civil War.
Its design included an image of horse-riding soldiers and a detailed back message about their role in history. However, fans criticized Beyoncé for seemingly endorsing a group tied to Native American displacement, labeling the choice “tone deaf.”
Several paragraphs on the T-shirt’s back outlined the Buffalo Soldiers’ legacy in African American history.
Yet, one excerpt drew ire for describing “warring Indians, bandits, and Mexican revolutionaries” as “enemies of peace.” Critics argued this framing celebrated the violent colonization of Native Americans, sparking heated online debates.
“CANCELLED,” one fan declared online. “That shirt is just wrong,” another echoed
. “Beyoncé’s team needs historians,” one comment read, slamming the shirt as “embarrassing” for glorifying a complex and painful history. “Not every Black historical moment is worth celebrating,” a user noted, urging more nuance.
The Buffalo Soldiers, while celebrated as pioneering Black servicemen, have a fraught legacy. Formed post-Civil War, these regiments aided U.S. westward expansion, fighting in the Indian Wars and displacing Native tribes. The Smithsonian notes that limited information at the time may have obscured the full brutality of U.S. policies from the soldiers.
The irony stings: Black soldiers, themselves marginalized by the government, contributed to Native American suffering.
Some tension may have stemmed from Native tribes’ occasional support for the Confederacy, complicating relations. Still, fans felt the T-shirt lacked the nuance needed for such a sensitive topic.
On her final Paris show on June 22, Beyoncé surprised fans by bringing out Jay-Z to perform hits like Crazy In Love and Drunk In Love.
Cardi B, in a western-themed outfit with lambskin and vintage hoof-like heels, also attended. Later, Jay-Z was spotted wearing the same Cowboy Carter tour T-shirt, fueling further online criticism.