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Kevin
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March 27, 2023
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Common Questions
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Pop quiz: What do you get when Black voters decide it’s time to leave the Democratic party in pursuit of the great American dream?
If you guessed “Blexit,” then you are correct.
In this article, we’re exploring the term Blexit to uncover its definition, origin, and more. So if you’ve ever wondered what the Blexit Foundation is all about — keep reading. Here’s our complete guide on Blexit.
What Is the Definition of Blexit?
Simply put, Blexit is a portmanteau meaning “Black exit” and refers to a movement towards Black economic independence by encouraging African Americans and other Black Americans — as well as other minority groups — to leave the Democratic party.
In other words, Blexit is a renaissance. It’s the Black exit from victimhood that aims to empower Black people and other minorities to realize the American Dream.
What Is the Origin of Blexit?
Believe it or not, our word of the day was originally coined by Me’Lea Connelly as a homage to Grexit, which was a term that referred to Greece’s potential exit from the European Union.
Brexit’s popularity soared, ultimately sparking the beginning of similar exit models all over the world, making it the Collins Dictionary “Word of The Year” in 2016.
By 2018, the movement had a number of followers, including rapper Kanye West, who even designed Blexit t-shirts and hats for the campaign.
Who Is Candace Owens?
From spearheading pro-Trump campaigns and heading a popular YouTube channel, Candace Owens is an emerging figure of America’s new right — but who is she?
In short, Owens’ is an outspoken right-wing activist who launched the Blexit movement in late 2018 as a way to encourage Black Americans — as well as Latino people and other minorities — to ditch the Democratic party and register as Republican voters with the promise of freedom.
This was a very big deal because, at the time, only eight percent of Black Americans identified as Republicans.
A die-hard Trump supporter, Owens is well-known for her criticism of the Black Lives Matter movement and believes that BLM protesters are “a bunch of whiny toddlers pretending to be oppressed for attention.”
Needless to say, Candace Owens is not afraid to speak her mind and stand up for her beliefs.
What Is the Black Lives Matter Movement?
According to the Britannica Dictionary, Black Lives Matter (BLM) refers to an international social movement that was formed in the United States in 2013 to highlight racism, discrimination, and inequality experienced by Black Americans — especially in the form of police brutality.
Founded by three Black community organizers — Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi, and Patrisse Khan-Cullors — using the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on social media, BLM received worldwide attention after a white man named George Zimmerman was acquitted on charges stemming from his fatal shooting of an unarmed Black teenager named Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida.
In 2014, the BLM movement expanded after the horrible police killings of two unarmed Black men captured national and international attention. Thereafter, the movement continued to play a prominent role in demonstrations against police brutality and racism.
Related Words You Should Know
Before we bring this post to a close, we want to leave you a little homework assignment that will enhance your overall understanding of our word of the day. Below, you’ll find a number of related words— read each definition before researching each term to find its relationship with Brexit.
- Republican Party — aka Grand Old Party (GOP), refers to one of the two major political parties, the other being the Democratic party
- Political Party — an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country’s elections
- Black Conservatives — emphasizes traditionalism, patriotism, and strong cultural conservatism within the context of the Black church
- Fox News — an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York
- Brandon Tatum — an American conservative political commentator
- Civil Rights — a set of rights that are established by law to protect the freedoms of people from being wrongly denied or limited by governments, social organizations, or other private individuals
- Joe Biden — an American politician who is the 46th and current U.S. President
- National African American Leadership Summit (NAALS) — a world-class event initiated by Dr. Benjamin Chavis in the 1990s
- Nigel Farage — a British broadcaster and former politician who serves as a member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2020
Conclusion
So, what does our word of the day entail, you ask?
In short, Blexit is a social movement that urges minority groups — particularly Black Americans — to renounce longtime political traditions and replace them with independent thought.
We hope this guide has provided you with everything you need to truly understand the meaning behind Blexit. If you’d like to widen your existing vocabulary and discover more interesting terms, head on over to our website, where you’ll find a number of informative blogs, useful grammar tips, tools, and more!
Sources:
Black Lives Matter: Definition, Founders, Goals, History, & Influence | Britannica
