Hell, hath no fury than the woke left finding a new celebrity to cancel. Beyoncé’s shirt honoring the Buffalo Soldiers sparked a viral backlash—but most people don’t even know who the Buffalo Soldiers were. In this episode, Dr. Phil explores the history: Black regiments fighting on the Western frontier, their role in U.S. expansion, and the moral complexity of African American soldiers tasked with displacing Native people. Before you cancel, learn the real story.

What To Know: Buffalo Soldiers was the nickname given to African American cavalry and infantry regiments formed after the Civil War in 1866. The term is believed to have been coined by Native American tribes who fought them, possibly referencing their hair texture resembling a buffalo’s fur and their fierce fighting spirit.

The soldiers served mainly on the Western frontier, building roads, protecting settlers, and engaging in military campaigns against Indigenous peoples. Units included the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments and the 24th and 25th Infantry Regiments.

12th Cavalry: While the 12th Cavalry was not an all-Black regiment (like the 9th and 10th), it was active during overlapping time periods and campaigns in the West, and occasionally fought alongside or against units involving African American troops. Many people conflate these regiments because they operated in similar territories during the Indian Wars.

Facts: Approximately 180,000 Black soldiers served in the Union Army during the Civil War. Buffalo Soldiers represented about 20% of all U.S. cavalry forces on the frontier between 1866 and 1890. They earned 18 Medals of Honor in the late 19th century. Despite their service, they faced segregation, poor supplies, and systemic racism.

Context with Native Americans: The tragic paradox: Black soldiers, themselves oppressed, were tasked with enforcing policies that dispossessed Native people. Many Buffalo Soldiers held complex views about their role, often caught between survival, duty, and conscience. The U.S. military campaigns were part of larger policies of westward expansion and Manifest Destiny.

What Do You Think?
*Is it fair to judge historic figures by modern standards?
*Can oppressed groups also act as instruments of oppression?
*What does this tell us about identity, power, and survival in American history?
*How can understanding this history reshape the conversation about Beyoncé’s shirt?
*Does reducing this history to a social media meme dishonor everyone involved?

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