Azealia Banks responds to Candace Owens’ Juneteenth criticism

 “Juneteenth is soooo lame,” tweeted Owens

Azealia Banks is not impressed by Candace Owens’ Juneteenth comments.

Many across the country are celebrating the news of Juneteenth becoming a national holiday, but not Owens. She took to Twitter to blast the holiday but Banks was not having it and quickly shot back on Friday.

“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,” tweeted Owens.

Candace Owens is seen on the set of “Candace” on May 17, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. The show will air on Tuesday, May 18, 2021. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

Juneteenth originated in Galveston, Texas where more than 200,000 enslaved Black people were told, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, that they were free. That was months before the 13th amendment was put in place to officially eradicate slavery, as reported by theGrio.

Banks shot back to Owens with “Tread lightly sis.”

But the rapper didn’t stop there. “According to this logic, on July 4, 1776, you would still be enslaved,” the rapper wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post, per The Wrap. “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.”

Azealia Banks performs onstage at the OHWOW & HTC celebration of the release of “TERRYWOOD” with Terry Richardson at The Standard Hotel & Spa on December 7, 2012 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for HTC)

She also alluded to Owens being lynched. In a series of Instagram stories she 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. B***h, that’s not it,” she said.

But Banks wasn’t the only one to fire back at Owens. Many users on Twitter joined in.

“Tell me how they didn’t invite you to the BBQ without saying they didn’t invite you to the BBQ,” wrote activist Amber Gustafson.

https://twitter.com/AmberForIowa/status/1405637847143653383?s=20

“I would suggest you read a history book but I am not aware of any designed like a Denny’s menu so you would be able to absorb it,” added author Matthew Dowd.

https://twitter.com/matthewjdowd/status/1405722173805895682?s=20

Another typed: “Oh what the hell. Girl I’m unfollowing you was making a lot of sense before but now you’re just tryna be controversial for no reason. Celebrating Juneteenth does not make you un- American.”

https://twitter.com/notoriousjezze/status/1405624134302781440?s=20

“Candace, black people especially in the south, have always celebrated the date of the emancipation proclamation (Juneteenth). There is nothing lame about that for without it, you wouldn’t be where you are today,” another added.

While Owens was slamming Juneteenth, the White House celebrated the day. On Thursday, President Joe Biden officially made Juneteenth a federal holiday.

There was a historic White House event to mark the occasion. Many members of the Congressional Black Caucus, Black officials in the Biden administration, members of the civil rights community along with singer Usher Raymond were present.

Additional reporting by April Ryan  

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