Candace Owens: What You Need To Know About One of Kanye West's Favorite Thinkers
“The most controversial thing I’ve ever done was decide to think with my brain instead of my skin tone.” These words, spoken by Candace Owens, seem to highlight the public figure’s career as she takes on mainstream media and what it means to be a conservative black woman in America.
Impressing big names anywhere from Turning Point USA Executive Director Charlie Kirk to popular artists such as Kanye West, who recently tweeted about Owens’ way of thinking, she is well on her way to gaining even more popularity with the conservative population — and possibly the world.
But who is Candace Owens?
Owens is the Director of Urban Engagement at Turning Point USA and an outspoken fan of President Donald Trump. She is what many call an influence toward young conservative women and a self-proclaimed advocate of waking up the African-American community against injustice.
But it all began during her time as a YouTube Vlogger for “Red Black Pill,” a channel Owens created last year in order to speak about her views of the world and how exactly she — and others with similar beliefs — fit in it.
It was after the election of President Donald Trump that Owens claimed she saw a theme arising in politics that had undercurrents of racism and guilt and wanted to see a way past that.
“In that moment, I understood that racism was being used as a theme and a mechanism to control black Americans and that the black community needed new leaders to sort of see them through that complete lie,” Owens stated.
Owens caught the attention of thousands after releasing a viral video that declared she was a conservative while also criticizing movements such as Black Lives Matter and even the protests in Charlottesville.
Though the social media darling has recently changed the title of the channel to her actual name, she continues to post videos such as “How to Escape the Democrat Plantation” and “Black Panther: A Pro-Trump Movie.”
With nearly 200,000 followers, she is paving the way for others to criticize the so-called political and ideological beliefs of “Black America,” which she claims is adding more fuel to the fire of America’s problems.
Herself a victim of racial bullying, Owens has spoken on what it means to be an African-American woman living in America and recently attended an event at UCLA where she called out Black Lives Matter for perpetuating a “victim mentality.”
“There’s an ideological civil war happening (in the black community),” Candace said. “Black people that are focused on their past and shouting about slavery, and black people that are focused on their futures.”
In fact, it was her past experiences and dedication to speaking on the topic that initially persuaded Turning Point USA’s Executive Director to hire her, as Owens is determined to lead the way for others to “think for themselves.”
According to Breitbart, Kirk had been so impressed by Owens that he hired her on the spot after they met in November of 2017 at David Horowitz’s Restoration Weekend, where she had spoken about being a rising online personality.
Since that moment, she has worked as a director for their urban engagement department, traveling around the country and speaking to young people.
“Candace is a once in a generation talent uniquely positioned to make one of the sizable differences in the battle for the future of America,” Kirk said in a statement. “She is a fighter, understands the left, and knows how to defeat them.”
And conservative America seems to be as much a fan of Owens as Kirk was, as the activist continues to be embraced by the community as she pushes boundaries and continues speaking out against “fake news.”
“Right now CNN is pretending that black conservatives don’t exist, when in fact the truth is, it’s growing, we’re multiplying,” she said. “Every single day a black person goes, ‘OK you know what, being a victim is boring.’”
Owens has also claimed the key goal of her mission is to help the black community discover “freedom and self-empowerment” beyond the over-used victim tropes used by the left.
“Every black person is a conservative, they just don’t know it yet,” she said, adding that her community has strong support for traditional values and improving their lives.
“My Grandparents were super pious, every conservative belief that I have, my idol, my best friend, is my grandfather,” she stated. “His values are considered conservative today.”
The relationship Owens has with her extended family has been the major factor in keeping the public figure grounded in the real struggles that face her community — such as unwanted pregnancies, welfare and poverty.
She has stated time and time again that her main desire is for self-improvement and economic opportunity, as “black people have pretty much been conditioned for revolution … they need to focus on black evolution.”
Using her rising status as a public figure and activist, Owens is currently working on starting a leadership summit for young, African-American conservatives this fall, and has even met with members of the Trump family to express her gratitude at what she says is saving America from the death of free-speech.
“I love the guy (Trump), I love him, because what he represented to me is the death of political correctness, and you have no idea how necessary that death is,” Owens said.
She praised the commander in chief for his fighting attitude that appeals to young people throughout the nation.
“The truth is that Trump as an individual, appeals to younger people, his whole style is younger, it’s fresher, it’s not buttoned up, it’s authentic,” she said. “That’s the way we speak, we’re the LOL nation.”
And while she is busy praising those within the White House, Owens had made it her mission to deconstruct the “idols” and unnatural love America has for politically-correct celebrities — an action that has gotten her a lot of hate from fans, though she remains firm in who she is.
“I literally don’t care what you think, and that terrifies them,” she said about the many fans who send her hate online for her criticism of celebrities.
“They can’t defeat me by throwing names at me because you can’t take away my blackness,” she added. “I live it every day, it’s mine.”
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