The Thing about Candace Owens...

Richard Graves, MA American History 05/06/2025

Political commentator Candace Owens has become the subject of significant controversy following her departure from The Daily Wire. Her exit was reportedly precipitated by allegations that she espoused rhetoric deemed antisemitic (Lacy, 2024; Darcy, 2024). Notably, in the weeks leading up to her severance from the conservative media outlet, Owens began to engage more intentionally with Black media outlets and podcast platforms, suggesting an effort to reach a broader segment of the Black American public.

Historically, the position of Black conservatism in the United States has been fraught with complexity. Many Black Americans who identify as conservative often face pejorative labels such as “sellout” or “self-hating,” reflective of a longstanding perception that to align with political conservatism is to be antithetical to collective Black interests (Reed, 2002). However, the challenges Owens faces transcend mere ideological divergence. A primary source of her alienation from large swaths of the Black community is the tone and orientation of her messaging. Owens frequently constructs narratives about Black people, yet these messages are predominantly communicated to, and for, a white conservative audience. This rhetorical strategy has arguably contributed to her disconnection from the very community to which she claims allegiance.

Despite limited engagements with Black media in the past—including her September 14, 2019 appearance on Revolt TV alongside Clifford "T.I." Harris and Michael "Killer Mike" Render—Owens had generally not prioritized direct communication with Black audiences. As a Black conservative, I initially found resonance with some of her critiques, particularly regarding the Democratic Party’s policy record in predominantly Black urban centers such as Chicago, Baltimore, and Detroit—cities that continue to grapple with systemic issues despite decades of liberal governance (Alexander, 2020; Loury, 2008). Her emphasis on the importance of family stability and concern over the high prevalence of single-parent households within the Black community also reflects issues long debated among sociologists and policy scholars (Murray, 1984; Wilson, 1987).

What appears markedly different in her recent media appearances—such as those on the Joe Budden Network (March 15, 2024) and The Breakfast Club (March 21, 2024)—is a shift in tone. Owens adopted a more conciliatory and earnest approach, seeking to redefine herself as an advocate for the Black American community. If genuine, this pivot could offer an opportunity for bridge-building between ideological camps. After all, both Black liberals and conservatives are fundamentally invested in the flourishing of Black communities across the United States. However, this opportunity is contingent on Owens demonstrating intellectual consistency and integrity.

To that end, a critical failure in Owens’s record has been her refusal to acknowledge manifestations of anti-Black racism on the American political right. One illustrative moment occurred during her testimony at the April 9, 2019, Congressional hearing on hate crimes and white nationalism. There, Owens asserted that the “Southern strategy”—a documented political tactic used to shift Southern white voters from the Democratic to the Republican Party—was a myth (C-SPAN, 2019). Her denial of this strategy, which is supported by a substantial body of political science literature, undermines her credibility and impedes her capacity to act as a bridge between conservative ideology and Black political interests.

The Southern Strategy, developed in the wake of the Civil Rights Movement, was a calculated effort by Republican operatives to exploit racial anxieties among white voters in the South. Though the shift did not yield immediate electoral dominance for Republicans in the region, its long-term impact became apparent during Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign, which saw a significant consolidation of Southern white support under the GOP banner (Phillips, 1969; Lassiter, 2006; Kruse, 2019). Political commentator Larry Elder, much like Owens, has also forwarded revisionist claims that deny the veracity of this historical phenomenon, echoing the assertions of conservative filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza (Elder, 2016). Such positions, however, are not only historically inaccurate but also functionally dismissive of the lived realities of Black Americans during the era in question.

Scholars such as Joseph Crespino (2007) and Matthew Lassiter (2006) have documented how Republican strategists, including figures like Lee Atwater, explicitly acknowledged the use of coded racial language to win over disaffected white voters. While contemporary revisionists argue that the South's political realignment was purely ideological, ample evidence suggests that appeals to racial resentment were a central component of the GOP’s electoral strategy throughout the late 20th century (Haney López, 2014).

To move forward in good faith, Black conservatives like Owens must confront not only the shortcomings of liberal policy but also the racialized strategies historically employed by the political right. Intellectual honesty demands a consistent critique of racial injustice, irrespective of its partisan origin. If Owens is to cultivate genuine trust within the broader Black community, her rhetoric must not merely be about Black people—it must be accountable to us.

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Works Cited:

Alexander, M. (2020). The new Jim Crow: Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness (10th anniversary ed.). The New Press.

C-SPAN. (2019, April 9). Congressional hearing on hate crimes and white nationalism. https://www.c-span.org/video/?459352-1/hearing-hate-crimes-white-nationalism

Crespino, J. (2007). In search of another country: Mississippi and the conservative counterrevolution. Princeton University Press.

Darcy, O. (2024, March 22). Candace Owens exits The Daily Wire amid antisemitism controversy. CNN. https://www.cnn.com

Elder, L. (2016, September). The Southern Strategy is a liberal lie [Facebook post]. https://www.facebook.com/larryelder

Haney López, I. (2014). Dog whistle politics: How coded racial appeals have reinvented racism and wrecked the middle class. Oxford University Press.

Kruse, K. M. (2019). White flight: Atlanta and the making of modern conservatism. Princeton University Press.

Lacy, A. (2024, March 20). Candace Owens and The Daily Wire part ways after months of controversy. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com

Lassiter, M. D. (2006). The silent majority: Suburban politics in the Sunbelt South. Princeton University Press.

Loury, G. C. (2008). Race, Incarceration, and American Values. MIT Press.

Murray, C. (1984). Losing ground: American social policy, 1950–1980. Basic Books.

Phillips, K. (1969). The Emerging Republican Majority. Arlington House.

Reed, A. (2002). Class notes: Posing as politics and other thoughts on the American scene. New Press.

Wilson, W. J. (1987). The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, the Underclass, and Public Policy. University of Chicago Press.