Adele's picture of herself celebrating Carnival has divided fans

Adele shared a rare picture of herself this weekend while celebrating the annual Carnival event in Notting Hill, but the singer’s hairstyle and clothing for the event has left fans divided. While some are applauding the Grammy winner for honouring the festival’s Caribbean roots, others are accusing Adele of cultural appropriation.In the picture shared by Adele on her Instagram page, the singer is wearing a Jamaican flag bikini top and has her hair styled in Bantu knots. “Happy what would be Notting Hill Carnival my beloved London,” wrote Adele.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Happy what would be Notting Hill Carnival my beloved London ????

A post shared by Adele (@adele) on Aug 30, 2020 at 3:17pm PDT

Several of Adele’s famous friends complimented the musician on her Carnival attire, including British supermodel Naomi Campbell, who posted heart emojis. Actor Zoe Saldana also complimented Adele, writing “You look right at home guurrrl.” Westworld star Tessa Thompson left a fire emoji on the image, while comedian Chelsea Handler added “Oh yeah, baby!”Not everyone was a fan of Adele’s look, with the singer being accused of wearing a hairstyle that has often resulted in discrimination against Black women. “This is unacceptable. Why are you normalizing cultural appropriation on such a massive platform,” wrote one follower. “So disappointed to see this, especially with everything that’s going on. I strongly advise you to educate yourself and check your white privilege. And to clarify what I’m referring to, it’s the appropriation of a hairstyle which does not belong to white people. It is not yours to wear.”“Please take a moment to stop and educate yourself. Today, thru out the world, kids are not allowed to go to school because they have dreadlocks, bantu knots, braids.” wrote another follower. “Today, all throughout the world, Black men and women are denied jobs and opportunities for having hairstyles like bantu knots, dreadlocks, braids, etc. Throughout history, Black women were literally unable to enter shops, obtain jobs, etc. unless their hair was straightened. We were literally unable to function in society with our natural hair. For those of you who don’t know, the battle with Black people and the appropriation of our hair has been long and full of struggle. And with the increased racial tensions going on right now, I have to ask, why? Of all times, with everything going on, why did Adele, a smart, young, educated woman such as herself, post this obviously cultural appropriated outfit/look while tensions are so especially high.”“I understand this is for Carnival but sis could’ve just put on her Jamaica bikini and called it a day, the Bantu Knots were unnecessary and are problematic,” wrote another follower. “Black people are penalized worldwide for everything we do with our hair, you can enjoy our cultures, you can appreciate our cultures without having to appropriate things that are important for our representation as black people and specifically as black women.”Others wrote that they would have preferred Adele to use her platform to promote artists of Caribbean descent. “We can agree to disagree on whether this was cultural appropriation (personally I think it is) But MORE IMPORTANTLY, she could have used this an opportunity to highlight actual Black Jamaican people and Jamaican beauty! Not her own. This was a self-absorbed and tone deaf move,” wrote one follower.Many followers argued that Adele’s look was acceptable in the U.K., especially since the singer grew up in Tottenham, which has a large Jamaican population.Earlier this month, actors Gabrielle Union, Keke Palmer and Uzo Aduba came together to film a video about discrimination they have faced based on their hair. The actors made the video in support of The Crown (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) Act, which prohibits race-based hair discrimination in workplaces and schools. The legislation is currently in effect in seven states, with the actors pushing to extend its reach to all 50 US states.The first Notting Hill Carnival took place in 1966 as a way to improve race relations in the U.K. The event has continued to grow and attracts more than 2 million visitors each year. The in-person festival was canceled this year and reimagined as a virtual event, featuring pre-recorded performances and interviews by entertainers and guides on how virtual attendees could cook traditional Caribbean food in their own home.Executive Director Matthew Phillip said that hosting the Carnival this year and celebrating Black culture, even in a virtual capacity, was more important than ever. “For more than 50 years carnival has been a statement that Black Lives Matter. That’s normal practice for us, it’s not something that we’re just jumping on now because of the current global climate and what’s going on. Carnival has been making these statements for 50 years,” Phillip told The Guardian. “Yes, we say Black Lives Matter, but it’s about promoting unity and inclusion. That’s why it was set up in the first place, to bring different communities together from different backgrounds as well as celebrating our heritage, which dates back to slavery.”[video_embed id='2021429']BEFORE YOU GO: Explore Quebec’s Black culture and history by visiting these destinations[/video_embed]