"If you are born black, and you don't accept your natural status as a victim, then the validity of your blackness is immediately called into question."
-Candace Owens
Who is Candace Owens?
The Azealia Banks of politics? The next Vice President of the United States?...Watch out Kamala! The polarizing, doe-eyed hot 32 year-old political firebrand has made a name for herself in politics. Five years in the game and she has her own show (make that two), is on a first-name basis with former US Presidents and is a New York Times best-selling author.
Her book "Blackout": How Black Americans Can Make Their Second Escape From The Democratic Plantations, is pretty good and a thorough read. The book touches her formative years in Connecticut and her ideology on different topics like faith, family, and racism. This won't be a circle jerk about how great she is. Nope; this post is an analysis of her impact in culture and politics. Two spheres which rarely collide, much less coexist.
Firstly, her superior command of the English language and refreshing voracity render her arguments convincing. Especially since conservatives tend not to stand up for themselves. Secondly, critics dismiss her by claiming she's not ADOS, omitting to mention she's half ADOS via her granddad. Or calling her a "college dropout.” Speaking of college dropouts, she seemed to inspire a very popular and contrarian one.... Kanye West.
Cultural Impact
Kanye West epitomizes the word culture. Kanye West tweeting "I like the way Candace Owens thinks" broke the Internet. Seven words that traversed the Twitter-verse for months on end. Even those who dislike her keep her name in their mouth to this day calling her names like "bedwench,” "grifter" etc. But, we all grift. There's nothing wrong with it! The cringeworthy grown Black men who hate on Candace are everything wrong with our community. My secondhand embarrassment for these eunuchs break the Richter scale. They are everything that's wrong with the Black community!
These are the same ones who refuse to help younger Black men in their field or even lend a listening ear. Nor do they look out for the younger ones coming up behind them nor give advice. They don't practice what they preach about uplifting their community. These eunuchs are the worst. Belee-Dat!
Reflections
In my limited interactions with Candace Owens, she seemed like a straightforward and friendly girl. At her Blexit launch in October 2018, she ranted to me and the attendees standing next to me. We met eyes, then later shared a hug while standing atop chairs and exchanged a few niceties. "Guys we need to stop this shit!" she said (voting for the "Democrat Party" without concessions) to us.
By the way, Candace, it's "Democratic Party," not "Democrat Party." Imagine the influence that someone of Kanye West's caliber could have had on the Black community's politics had not their political relationship gone awry. Surprisingly, Candace herself has a story of humble beginnings like many people in the Black community. She began her life $150,000 in student loan debt! After leaving college, Candace went on to earn a six-figure salary in private equity where she became Vice President of the firm.
However, today she's a whole self-made millionaire! Candace Owens' life story is admirable from an objective point of view. Like those of the Black conservative pioneers before her. In almost every speech, she namedrops Black conservatives and Republicans like Dr. Ben Carson, Justice Clarence Thomas, or Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. But, what about other unsung Black conservatives like Colin Powell and Star Parker?
I digress....She's the real MVP. We'll let Cardi B's WAP be the runner-up.
The Formula Decoded
Candace Owens' success is attributable to her shock value, beauty, and her youth. She's young enough to relate to the younger generation but old enough to be taken seriously by her politico peers. It's 50% looks, 30% shock value, and 20% information. Candace's shtick to say what everyone else is thinking has made her very popular with right-wingers. People tend to listen to what an attractive woman has to say more readily than an unattractive one or boring man.
Black conservatives are by no means new. However, Black conservatives still remain an anomaly. It's still more common than uncommon to meet Black people who subscribe to Critical Race Theory, groupthink, and stuck in the humdrum of living their lives as a color. So reductive!
Critical Race Theory has been getting a lot of attention lately. Specifically in Loudon County, Virginia where the school board has been under fire for teaching it and pornographic literature.
I believe voices like Candace Owens have been responsible for pulling the curtain back on the wiles of the public school system. No doubt Candace Owens is the most visible Black conservative out there and has been a trailblazer in the movement. She has helped to normalize the fact that Black people have an actual choice when we vote. Not just automatically checking the ballot for whoever has a "D" beside their name. I'm not sure to completely credit her for Trump's rise to 12% Black turnout in 2020. Black people have been waking up on our own too!
In Conclusion
Although black blogs like The Grio, Lipstick Alley, or The Daily Beast do hit pieces on her out the gazoo, (from everything about her split ends to her sex life) haters never deter Candace and that's commendable. Not everyone can handle being in the limelight and being scrutinized by people who don't even know them. I cannot judge how genuine her intentions are in liberating the Black community from victimhood and odious liberal policies because I do not own that barometer nor am I privy to her innermost thoughts. But what I do know is that she'll be around for a long time. Even after the November election defeat of Donald Trump.
