Everything You Never Knew about Candace Owens
By Julia St. John
Candace Owens is now a household name in conservative and liberal circles alike. But she wasn’t always a firebrand of the political Right. Her brave engagement of controversial topics and myth-busting of leftist orthodoxy has rendered her a formidable warrior in the culture war embattling America today. Her story is a fascinating testament to the power of experience in changing a worldview.
Before she became the influential pundit she is today, Candace went through formative childhood years. Growing up, Candace had a less-than-normal life. After her parents divorced when she was 11 years old, Candace moved in with her grandparents. As a senior in high school, Owens was no stranger to racial bigotry. She was the victim of a racially motivated hate crime perpetrated by the son of then-Democratic Mayor of Stamford, Connecticut Dannel P. Malloy.
Before she started working for Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA (TPUSA), Dennis Prager’s PragerU, and Ben Shapiro’s The Daily Wire, Candace was the CEO of the website Degree180. Ironically, on the blog, she frequently penned anti-conservative and anti-Trump content and openly criticized conservative Republicans. But eventually, the accumulated wisdom of the struggles Owens endured in her youth opened her mind to conservatism and prepared her for a future in politics.
After some time, Candace could no longer stomach the extremism of modern leftism. She realized that the Democratic Party seldom fulfilled its pre-election promises to better serve the black community. Soon after, she became an outspoken proponent of conservatism. Her transformation came to a head when she announced her support for President Trump in 2016. In 2017, she was hired as TPUSA’s director of urban engagement. From there, Candace catapulted to conservative stardom.
Owens went on to join PragerU as a contributor and FOX News as a guest speaker, and she now hosts her own televised talk show with Ben Shapiro’s The Daily Wire. Owens exhibited an incredible talent for debate, and she articulated the real problems facing America’s morally troubled culture in a way that was electric and persuasive. For every liberal who was repelled by Owens’ bold rhetoric, many other moderates reconsidered their positions and gravitated to conservatism because of her words. Major networks and organizations in the conservative world couldn’t wait to give her a microphone and a platform.
While Owens was becoming increasingly popular in conservative circles, she also caught the attention of certain Democrats, including many African Americans. Celebrities like Kanye West praised Owens for her free-thinking and the way she addressed real problems confronting black America. With great fame, however, came tremendous pressure and backlash. When someone is unafraid to speak the truth, others will try to silence them. Many liberal individuals scorned Owens, resenting the brutal honesty and important worldview she brought to political conversations.
The political heat reached a fever pitch with the Twitter feud between Owens and female black rapper Cardi B. On Twitter, Owens exposed the degrading, politically regressive nature of Cardi B’s hit and quasi-pornographic song “WAP.” While Cardi claimed to be empowering women, Candace showed that she was setting them back. In contrast to Cardi B’s message that promoted female sexual denigration and the exploitation of men, Owens encouraged young women to pursue a lifestyle of growth, commitment, and productivity.
Black America and the struggles it currently faces is a topic Candance never shied from discussing. She saw what the black community needed to thrive and led many African Americans to question their loyalty to the Democratic party, which failed to deliver from election cycle to election cycle. Owens founded the “Blexit” foundation, which encourages black Americans to leave the Democratic party and find their freedom of conscience. She celebrates conservative African Americans and encourages the black community to see that this political philosophy is a recipe for prosperity.
Candace Owens has made a name for herself in the conservative moment and will be a leading voice for years to come. Her bold ideas and forward-thinking are inspirational for conservative women and people of color alike. Candace Owens will be the one to watch in the upcoming 2024 election.
Photo via The Candace Show
