Instead of celebrating Juneteenth, Candace Owens took to Twitter to mock the new federal holiday.
The conservative podcast host mocked the celebration that honors the day Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to over 200,000 enslaved African Americans who were still in bondage in Galveston, Texas, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.
“Juneteenth is still ghetto and made up,” Owens tweeted. “Hope everyone enjoys it!”
Owens has been critical of the holiday since President Joe Biden signed the bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday in 2021, Newsweek reports. She described it as “emotional programming for Black people that choose to opt into the perpetual victim mentality.”
“Juneteenth is soooo lame,” she tweeted on June 17, 2021.
“Democrats really need to stop trying to repackage segregation. I’ll be celebrating July 4th and July 4th only. I’m American.”
Some Twitter users took the time to explain why Owens should be uplifting the holiday instead of putting it down. Professor and host Marc Lamont Hill reminded her that most holidays are made up, and schooled her on her beloved “Independence Day.”
“ALL holidays are made up. You honor July 4th, which commemorates “independence” despite the fact that Black people were still enslaved,” Hill tweeted. “You celebrate Thanksgiving, which whitewashes indigenous genocide. Yet you’re bothered by Juneteenth, which celebrates Black freedom? Why?”
Others just laughed at her:
“You’re a joke, and no one’s laughing,” @Mansa_Godson said.
Comedian Terrance Williams just sent several laughing emojis. Another user renamed her “Klandace Owens.”
Owens’ attempts to put a damper on the holiday fell on deaf ears as there were numerous celebrations held across the country. Cities such Charlotte, Philadelphia, New York and of course, Galveston had parades, cookouts, block parties and more.·