What is Blexit?

Kanye West has continued his foray into US politics with a new line of clothing.

The music mogul has created a collection for Candace Owens, who is urging black Americans to abandon the Democratic Party by supporting “Blexit” - short for “black exit”.

It comes after West’s now infamous visit to the White House where he and President Donald Trump “discussed a range of topics including manufacturing, prison reform, preventing gang crime and reducing violence in Chicago - where the star grew up”, says Sky News.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

What is Blexit?

Coined as a homage to Brexit in 2016, the term is meant to apply to African Americans leaving the Democratic political party.

Its website describes the term as “a frequency for those who have released themselves from the political orthodoxy”.

It says Blexit is a renaissance - “our formal declaration of independence”.

Who is Candace Owens?

Owens is an American conservative commentator and political activist. Since 2015 she has become well-known for her pro-Trump stance and her criticism of Black Lives Matter and of the Democratic Party. She is the director of communications at the conservative advocacy group Turning Point USA.

In an article for the Trump-supporting Breitbart News, Owens wrote about her views in an op-ed called Blexit: In My Own Words.

“For decades, the black community has been in an emotionally abusive relationship with the Democrat Party,” she wrote.

“BLEXIT is a national movement of minorities that have awakened to the truth. It is for those who have taken an objective look at our decades-long allegiance to the left and asked ourselves ‘What do we have to show for it?’”

She says it is the norm that “black people are meant to think and act within the confines of what white liberals deem acceptable” and she has urged black Americans to stop supporting the Democrats.

What’s Kanye got to do with it?

West’s merchandise - which includes hats and T-shirts - was launched at the Young Black Leadership Summit in Washington, where Owens announced that West was behind the range.

“Blexit is a renaissance and I am blessed to say that this logo, these colours, were created by my dear friend and fellow superhero Kanye West,” she said.

“[West] has taken one of the boldest steps in America to open a conversation we have needed to have and I cannot tell you how badly he wishes he could be here.”

Despite West’s support of Blexit, the rapper revealed recently that he donated $73,000 to the campaign of Chicago mayoral candidate Amara Enyia, a Democrat. West “also appeared, briefly, alongside Chance the Rapper at Enyia’s rally this week”, says Rolling Stone.