Adele thought she was posting a harmless photo reminiscing about the Notting Hill Carnival in her “beloved London.” Instead, it has ignited a serious debate on Twitter.
The old photo shared by the “Hello” singer sparked a bevy of reactions Sunday evening (Aug.30). Twitter immediately dropped witty jokes, memes and even discussed if Adele was guilty of cultural appropriation by rocking a Jamaican flag bikini top and Bantu knots. Monday (Aug.31), the picture is still being talked about, but now it’s a full-fledged debate going on between Africans, African Americans, and Jamaicans.
From what we gather, African Americans are defending themselves from Africans and Jamaicans who are supporting Adele. London has a large African and Caribbean population, and it should come as no surprise that there are people who didn’t see anything egregiously wrong with Adele’s look in the photo. African’s in particular, are calling out African Americans for trying to be the “gatekeepers” of all things Black. One tweet from Twitter user @TunnyKVG makes that argument stating:
“Sometimes the Black Americans get outraged over nothing. There’s nothing wrong with Adele wearing a Jamaican-flag bikini top & African Bantu Knots on her head. Africans love it. Jamaicans love it. So why are the AA pressed? Who made them the spokespeople for the black culture?”
African Americans counter that argument by being perplexed by the defense of a white woman immersing herself in Black culture. Twitter user @GROOVYChi clapped back, stating:
“not Africans completely disrespecting African Americans in the name of a white woman. Do y’all think before the police shoot they gonna b like “wait, they African!” and hold dey bullets????? we r all n!ggers so what is the need for the diaspora war.”
https://twitter.com/GROOVYCHl/status/1300503583675146240?s=20
Of course, there are those (like us) who feel this “debate” is unnecessary and a complete waste of time.
Meanwhile, Adele is somewhere just scrolling through the nonsense her picture started. You can peep more reactions in the gallery below.
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Photo: Instagram
1. Interesting
The thing that gets me, I haven’t seen many African Americans angry about Adele. It has all been jokes, so why Jamaicans and Africans are using this as an excuse to be Anti-Black American? The superiority complex is old and embarrassing.
— aviva (@thesogodly) August 31, 2020
2. Hmmmmmm
3. Insanely annoying
4. Well then
Africans that are shitting on African Americans to defend Adele from “wrong” assumptions of appropriation were the same ones that rallied behind African Americans to drag Beyoncé that is actually Black over the same wrong assumptions of appropriation. There is a term for this… pic.twitter.com/ChsaxW0qgk
— Ólayinka (@OlayKnowless) August 31, 2020
5. Bingo
Africans, Jamaicans, African Americans – We're being murdered, exploited, and abused around the world. Let's not use our energy to attack each other over a British woman's hairdo.
— Jessica (J.A.M.) Aiwuyor (@JAMAiwuyor) August 31, 2020
6. Bruh
7. Seriously
8.
Bruh this whole adele situation got Africans and Jamaicans bashing and attacking African Americans for making jokes y’all protecting her like she one of y’all pic.twitter.com/ccqsYjgjbZ
— X (@SpectrumSlum) August 31, 2020
9.
African Americans will not be the voice of Africans.
It will not happen.
— Ochiagha (@ronaldnzimora) August 31, 2020
10.
Dear Black Americans, y’all are not the the spokesmen for the black race, ethnically, Adele outfit and hairstyle is none of your business…pay attention to the shitt y’all got going on in the US #Adele pic.twitter.com/LryoKcfsDy
— zoë moon (@moonfuckedd) August 31, 2020
Adele’s Photo Sparks Unnecessary Debate Between Africans, African-Americans & Jamaicans was originally published on hiphopwired.com