Candace Owens, Twitter screenshot, @CornbreadMafia!AllSoul
Across the country, Americans recently celebrated the federal holiday of Juneteenth, which happens on June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery in the U.S. Well, it seems Black conservative pundit Candace Owens took offense at the holiday, which was given federal holiday status in 2021, and mocked Juneteenth on social media.
“Juneteenth is still ghetto and made up. Hope everyone enjoys it!” Owens tweeted on June 19.
Juneteenth marks the day Union soldiers delivered the news of freedom to 250,000 slaves in Galveston, Texas, at the end of the Civil War. This was two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
But Owens, like other critics of the holiday, says the Fourth of July, which commemorates when Americans declared independence from Britain, should be the only holiday celebrating independence in the U.S., Newsweek reported.
This latest tweet wasn’t the first time Owens spoke out against Juneteenth. After President Joe Biden gave the day federal status, she put out a series of tweets in which she described Juneteenth as “emotional programming for Black people that choose to opt in to the perpetual victim mentality.”
“Juneteenth is soooo lame. Democrats really need to stop trying to repackage segregation. I’ll be celebrating July 4th and July 4th only. I’m American,” Owens wrote.
Owens’ most recent complaints about Juneteenth sparked backlash.
Outspoken hip-hop artist Azealia Banks blasted Owens on social media. Banks said to Owens, “You’re really picking on old Black people [for] weird, white internet users, for their entertainment,” The Wrap reported.
To Owens’ remarks that “Juneteenth is soooo lame,” Banks seemed to try to school the Black Republican.
“According to this logic, on July 4, 1776, you would still be enslaved,” Banks wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post. “Most likely on the verge of starvation due to all of America’s food supply having been prioritized for the war, while you hand sew American flags and struggle to wet nurse some depressed 24-year-old white widow’s sickly child until your nipples are chapped and dry.”
The scathing post described Owens being whipped and forced to sleep “on a bed bug infested pile of hay in a 6×4 cabin you share with 4 other slaves.” Banks, known for controversial outbursts, also said she fantasized about Owens being lynched. Banks then wrote, “Tread lightly sis.”
She also added, “You’re really picking on old Black people [for] weird, white internet users, for their entertainment. Is that what it means to be a Black conservative? That’s not what it means to be a Black conservative, that you just poke fun at Black people. Bitch, that’s not it.”
But Banks is not the only one to slam Owens over Juneteenth. Others took to Twitter to respond to Owens.
“This young Black Woman explains the definition of a “c*on” perfectly. The #SunkenPlace Tim Scott’s and Candace Owen’s in Trump’s orbit are DANGEROUS to the rest of the Black Community. #juneteenth,” tweeted Ishimaru Kaito. Republican presidential candidate Tim Scott, like Owens, does not believe in celebrating Juneteenth.
“Candace Owen’s Juneteenth tweet only further proves 2 VERY important things: 1) Teaching history ACCURATELY is increasingly more important than it ever has been. 2) Everyone simply doesn’t deserve or need a public platform. Our country needs to learn to silence the stupid,” tweeted The Archang3l.
Some called out the lack of respect Owens has for Black history, including the celebration of Black History Month (BHM).
“There’s nothing wrong with being a black conservative, the problem with many of them is that they dont have any core fundamental values. Their entire actions and “beliefs” are built on the reaction of black liberals.its like they just intend to object everything blk liberals do,” tweeted Gem.
Gem added, “That candace Owen’s tweet about Juneteenth and opposition to BHM is what made me realise. Who cares if AA celebrate Juneteenth and BHM? How does that hurt you? How does the celebration emancipation of enslaved people and black excellence trigger you that much??”
Candace Owens, Twitter screenshot, @CornbreadMafia!AllSoul
