The accusations come after the singer posted a photo to Instagram celebrating what would have been the day of the Notting Hill Carnival.
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In the photo captioned 'happy what would be Notting Hill Carnival my beloved London', Adele was sporting a Jamaican flag bikini and Bantu knots which struck a chord with many of her followers.
After the Hello singer posted the photo many of her viewers were quick to question Adele's outfit and accuse the star of cultural appropriation.
The accusation does not come lightly and is characterised as people adopting elements of a culture that isn't their own without respecting customs and often for some kind of gain. It is a highly controversial practice and is made even more offensive when someone from a dominant culture appropriates a minority culture.
One person commented on the post to call out Adele:
No sis.... we love you but don't appropriate people's culture.
Another person jumped on the bandwagon:
This hair is totally unnecessary. Stop appropriating Black culture. Bantu knots are not for you. Period.
A third wrote:
Unfollowing tonight. Please note that I'm from London. While it may appear cute to some, to show this type of appreciation, it's not. Many Black and Latina ladies have been denied/fired from jobs and young children sent home from school with hairstyles like this. This has happened in the UK, the US and other countries abroad. I'm not a fan
But, despite multiple fans calling out Adele, many people also stood up to her choice of outfit:
This week in dumb-f*ckery - Americans took it upon themselves to collectively be outraged ON BEHALF of Jamaicans & Africans, because @Adele wore a Jamaican-flag bikini top & African Bantu Knots on her head. @Adele, thank you for representing the Bantu culture. Love, Africans.
Another commenter added:
As a Jamaican I approve the entire look.
The post comes as a nod to London's Notting Hill Carnival, a festival which celebrates cultural diversity. However, this year the event was sadly cancelled due to the coronavirus.
