The crowd came ready for a show — but no one expected this. Beyoncé, the queen of country-pop, took the stage during her Cowboy Carter tour wearing a shirt that quickly lit up social media — and not in a good way.
The shirt read “Enemies of Peace” and featured an image of the Buffalo Soldiers, the all-Black army units formed after the Civil War. But it was the words that followed that sparked outrage: “warring Indians, bandits, cattle thieves, murderous gunmen, bootleggers, trespassers, and Mexican revolutionaries.”
Fans froze mid-cheer. Photos spread across the internet like wildfire. What started as shock turned into a storm of criticism.
Why People Are Upset
The shirt, worn during a Juneteenth show in Paris, angered Indigenous activists and Mexican communities. Many say it paints Native Americans and Mexican revolutionaries — groups that fought for their lands and rights — as villains in the story of westward expansion.
A TikTok video by creator @confirmedsomaya broke it down: “We have to be honest about what the Buffalo Soldiers did, especially in their fights against Indigenous people and Mexicans.” The clip went viral, as more voices joined in, asking: Will Beyoncé say something about this?
The irony stings, critics say. Beyoncé has been praised for reclaiming cowboy culture for Black artists. But with this shirt, they argue, she’s telling only part of the story — and leaving out the bloody truth of how Native lands were taken.
The Complicated History of the Buffalo Soldiers
The Buffalo Soldiers were formed in 1866, made up of Black men — many former slaves or Civil War veterans. They’re remembered for their bravery and service. But they also followed orders that pushed Native tribes off their lands.
“It’s complicated,” said Cale Carter of the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum in Houston. “These were men fighting racism, but they also carried out orders that harmed Indigenous communities. We can’t ignore that.”
A Divided Response
Some fans say Beyoncé probably didn’t mean harm — that she was honoring Black history, not erasing others. But many argue that good intentions aren’t enough when history gets rewritten.
“That shirt tells you the myth of American empire is alive and well,” said historian Tad Stoermer of Johns Hopkins. “It paints Native people and Mexican fighters as enemies of peace. That’s just not true.”
So far, Beyoncé’s team has stayed silent. The shirt is still visible on her website in tour photos and fan posts. It’s unclear if it’s official merch or just a custom outfit.
What’s Next?
Fans and activists are calling for an apology — or at least an acknowledgment. Some want the shirt removed from all official sites.
Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album made history, helping to open doors for Black artists in country music. But as one critic put it: “If you want to reclaim cowboy culture, you also have to face the hard truths that come with it.”
For now, the debate is louder than any encore.
