Blexit

American political campaign movement

Not to be confused with Brexit.

Blexit (/ˈblɛksɪt/ or /ˈblɛɡzɪt/) is a conservative campaign founded by Candace Owens to encourage African Americans to quit the Democratic Party.[1][2] The campaign, launched on 28 October 2018, initially attracted mainstream coverage due to the alleged involvement of rapper Kanye West, but on 30 October, West denied any involvement with the campaign.[3]

## History

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The campaign was launched in October 2018 during the Young Black Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C which was organized by the conservative advocacy group Turning Point USA.[4] The movement is led by conservative activist Candace Owens who is African American. The word Blexit is a portmanteau of the words “black" and "exit”, and the term mimics Brexit, the word used to describe the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union.[5]

Owens said that her "dear friend and fellow superhero Kanye West" designed merchandise for the movement, but the following day, West denied being a Blexit supporter, saying "I never wanted any association with Blexit" and "I've been used to spread messages I don't believe in."[6][7]

In modern times, Blexit may refer to:

* Blexit, a movement towards black economic independence by encouraging African-Americans to leave traditional financial systems perceived to have taken advantage of the black community. Blexit can also be attributed to Black Nationalism. Blexit was formed in Minnesota in 2016 as the product of community meetings after the police killing of Philando Castile in St. Paul. The term was coined by Me'Lea Connelly.[8][9][10]
* BLEXIT Foundation, a social media campaign launched in 2018 by Candace Owens, and currently a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of urban and minority communities by encouraging youth to seek and take advantage of opportunities in the 21st-century United States.

## See also

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* Blaxit

## References

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1. ^ "Kanye West designs anti-Democrat 'Blexit' merchandise". BBC. 29 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
2. ^ Snapes, Laura (29 October 2018). "Kanye West designs clothing encouraging black Americans to quit Democratic party". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
3. ^ "Kanye West says he's 'been used,' distances self from Trump, politics". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
4. ^ Kreps, Daniel (28 October 2018). "Kanye West Designs Shirts for Campaign Encouraging 'Black Exit' From Democratic Party". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
5. ^ "What is Blexit?". The Week UK. 2018-10-29. Retrieved 2018-10-30.
6. ^ Anapol, Avery (2018-10-30). "Kanye West denies he designed 'Blexit' shirts: 'I've been used'". TheHill. Retrieved 2018-10-30.
7. ^ Klinkenberg, Brendan (2018-10-30). "Kanye West Distances Himself From Alt-Right Provocateur Candace Owens". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2018-10-30.
8. ^ Simon, Morgan (November 21, 2018). "Will the Real Blexit Please Stand Up?". Forbes. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
9. ^ Mohamed, Abdi (July 8, 2019). "Buying back the block, one lot at a time". North News, Minneapolis. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
10. ^ NewsOne Staff (November 1, 2018). "'I Was Shocked:' Founder Of Original Blexit Threatens Candace Owens With Legal Action". NewsOne. Retrieved December 1, 2021.

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