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“Happy what would the Notting Hill Carnival be, my beloved London,” the singer wrote in reference to the event that celebrates the British Afro-Caribbean community in the capital every summer, canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Adele’s post amassed more than 5 million “likes” online and generated front-page headlines in British tabloids on Tuesday.
“It’s just one step too far … You’re trying too hard, sister,” said Rheana Petgrave, 25, a creative professional in London with Jamaican roots.
“Carnival is something so special … It’s one of our informal ties to the island,” said Petgrave, also known as “Yardie Hijabi,” who told NBC News that she found the photo “offensive” and that Adele should have used your platform more wisely.
Anthony Taylor, 29, a Chicago drag artist known as “The Vixen” agrees that Adele’s post was problematic.
“He’s deaf to say the least,” Taylor told NBC News.
“These occasions when non-black people choose to wear things or imitate a culture that has been mocked in so many ways throughout history, disregards the value of our past.”
Black Americans wearing Bantu knots are often an “attempt to reconnect with a heritage that was stolen from us by whites,” he said. Adding, “seeing white people wearing that heritage feels very insulting.”
“We are still embarrassed to this day by our hairstyles and our features,” he added.
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Adele and her record company did not respond to NBC News’ request for comment.
The debate has sparked more discussions about what black culture means in Britain, the United States, and countries in Africa.
In Lagos, Nigeria, Franklyne Ikediasor, 33, a marketing manager, said the conversation was being driven by black Americans appearing as “guardians” of black culture, resulting in backlash online.
“Because of how imperial the United States is … you end up exporting American political issues around the world,” he said. He added that there was sometimes a “disconnect” between blacks in Africa and elsewhere, but agreed he was “disappointed” by the singer’s post.
“Adele is everyone’s darling, I have her album,” he said.
“It feeds off the larger conversation, as a white person you want to participate in Blackness but not bear the brunt of Blackness,” he added.
The post comes at a time when identity and race are at the forefront of public discourse after police killings of African Americans this summer sparked Black Lives Matter protests on both sides of the Atlantic.
Many black celebrities, including model Naomi Campbell and actress Zoe Saldana, supported Adele, underscoring that she was showing appreciation for black culture.
Adele herself appeared to laugh at the attention, posting on Tuesday in Jamaican Patois: “Wah Gwaan! Yow gyal, you look good enuh,” in the comment section of another music publication.
British legislator David Lammy, who represents Tottenham the diverse area of London that Adele grew up in also dismissed criticism.
“This hoax totally misses the spirit of the Notting Hill Carnival,” he wrote on Twitter. “Adele was born and raised in Tottenham. She does it more than most. Thank you Adele. Forget about the Haters.”
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