PROVIDENCE — Candace Owens, a conservative political commentator, praised President Donald Trump and discussed her theories about what she called the Democratic Party’s “brainwashing” of black Americans during a talk at a Rhode Island Young Republicans event Saturday night.
“The key to saving America and saving Western civilization is waking up black America,” said Owens, sparking applause from the mostly white audience of about 150 people at the Rhode Island Convention Center. “There’s no group of people that has been more lied to, more abused and more used by the Democrat Party.”
Owens, who is black, said she believes that the Democratic Party pushes a narrative about racism in America to curry favor within the black community. Owens founded an organization called “Blexit” based on this premise, and says her goal is to show people of color that they are not victims of systemic racism.
“[Democrats] treat minorities like puppies that need rescuing,” she said. “They don’t know what to make of a black American who says, ‘Oh no, I’m not oppressed.’”
James Vincent, president of the Providence branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said Owens’ claim that racism is not an issue in America is false. Vincent did not attend the talk but said he is familiar with her commentary.
“I think her comments are outrageous,” he said. “I think that institutional racism of course exists, and there’s no reason for blacks to feel like they have not been victimized by institutional racism.”
Owens, who gained notoriety as a YouTube vlogger, has appeared as a commentator on Fox News and gives talks around the country, including at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference. Her appearance at the University of Louisiana Lafayette last week drew student protesters.
Owens also testified at a congressional hearing on white supremacy on Friday, where she said that “white supremacy and white nationalism is ranked nowhere near the top of the issues that are facing black America.” The Department of Homeland Security named violence by white supremacists as a major threat to the nation in a new counterterrorism strategy it released Friday.
Owens on Saturday called the Democrats at the congressional hearing “elitists down to their bones” and said they did not ask her questions during the hearing.
She said the word “racist” is too often used erroneously, and asked the audience if there was anyone in the room who had not been accused of being racist, sexist, homophobic or bigoted at one point or another. No one raised their hand.
“I’ve been collecting them like Pokémon,” she said of the terms. “Try being called a black white supremacist.”
Micholas Credle, 38, of Portsmouth, who attended the talk, said he agreed with some of Owens’ points about the way the Democratic Party treats black voters like himself.
“They use a lot of fear tactics with African Americans; ‘If you vote Republican, this will happen to you,’” he said.
Though he said he is a registered Democrat, he said he cares about many different issues and enjoyed hearing Owens’ point of view.
“I think her views are amazing, actually. I love debate,” he said. “I love to hear different points of thought. … I definitely would encourage a conversation about some things.”
But Vincent said he feels that Owens’ rhetoric serves to suppress the experiences of many black people in America and undermine the work being done to combat racism.
“Unfortunately, too many white folks point to her and say, ‘Why can’t all black folks be like her?’” he said. “It gives them this feeling that [they] shouldn’t be guilty about racism [because], ‘Look at Candace! It’s OK.'”
He went on to say, “If people feel victimized by institutional racism, that’s OK because it’s real.”
