Adele's Bantu Knots Spark Backlash, Some Black Brits Come To Her Defense

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Adele sparked a lot of social media chatter Monday morning for a polarizing photo she posted over the weekend. The British pop star posted a picture to Instagram of herself wearing a bikini top with a Jamaican flag printed on it and she was also sporting some Bantu knots for her hairdo. Adele captioned the photo, “Happy what would be Notting Hill Carnival my beloved London” along with emojis of the Jamaican and British flag.

Adele immediately received pushback for her look, considering she’s a white woman wearing a traditionally Black hairstyle. The Jamaican bikini didn’t help matters either, but for the most part, people were upset about the Bantu knots. Many people accused Adele of cultural appropriation considering she can get praised or promoted for such a hairstyle due to her whiteness while Black people risk being overshadowed.

“Twice this weekend I have seen people do backflips to defend white women in Bantu Knots,” tweeted celebrity drag queen The Vixen. “If you spent the whole summer posting #blacklivesmatter and don’t see the problem here, you were lying the whole time.” https://twitter.com/TheVixensworld/status/1300359771304923136 “What made Adele think she would post that and it be okay. Now my fav is being draggedddd,” wrote Twitter user @MojoPotatoo. Some of the commentary was less critical and more ridiculing, with folks imagining a Jamaican Adele. “Streets saying Adele dropping a reggae album before Rihanna,” wrote Twitter user @vloneshaz. https://twitter.com/vloneshaz/status/1300201962412150785?s=12 “Adele’s outfit was really ugly and I wish that was the discussion,” wrote another Twitter user @ginandtectonica. https://twitter.com/ginandtectonica/status/1300441495565209603 Despite the jokes and the criticism, some people seemed to approve of the 32 year old’s outfit and hairdo. In Adele’s comment section on Instagram, British model Naomi Campbell shared some hearts and Jamaican flag emojis.

Actress Zoe Saldana wrote, “You look right at home guurrrl”

Meanwhile, “Creed” star Tessa Thompson shared a fire emoji.

Some people even tried to defend Adele based on where she grew up. The songstress spent her early years in Tottenham, London, which has a significant Afro-Caribbean community. Certain fans argued that the culture of her environment probably rubbed off on her. “The thing is you can tell Adele actually grew up around Black people and is respectful that’s why no one’s too mad,” wrote Twitter user @jasebyjason. “It’s like your white friend you grew up with that you need to pattern once in a blue moon, not the same as Pandora from Hertfordshire gentrifying Notting Hill.” When Black Americans downplayed Adele growing up around Black people, this started a whole new Twitter debate on what it’s like to grow up as a Black person in England vs. Black in America — or what it’s like to grow up Jamaican or African vs. Black American. “Americans really need to mind their business on this lol,” continued @jasebyjason in response to writer Evelyn Woodson tweeting that she’s “never seen Adele with many black people before.” “In london white and black working class people share space and grow up in the same blocks,” added @jasebyjason. “My next door neighbours are white.”

Adele’s look was definitely the debate to start the week. Check out more responses below.