Black conservatives distanced themselves from Candace Owens when she suggested Ahmaud Arbery was not out jogging the day he died in Glynn County, Georgia.
Arbery, 25, was killed by Travis McMichael, 34, and his father Gregory McMichael, a retired police detective, in Brunswick, Ga.
The two suspects caught Arbery inside a neighbor’s home that was under renovation. They pursued Arbery to make a citizen’s arrest, but he was killed during a struggle when he reached for Travis McMichael’s shotgun.
Owens, a conservative pro-Trump activist, dismissed the narrative that Arbery was just out jogging that day.
He wore a white t-shirt and khaki shorts that sagged off his buttocks — not the typical jogging outfit.
Owens tweeted on May 9:
“Ahmaud Arbery was caught on camera breaking into an unfinished property that was owned by Larry English. His mother has confirmed it is him in the video. Please stop with the “just a jogger” bullshit narrative. Avid joggers don’t wear khaki shorts & stop to break into homes.”
She added:
“Daily mail has published the full 4 minute video of Ahmaud Arbery WALKING* up the street, and then ENTERING a private property which was under construction. As I said: He didn’t deserve to die but the ‘just a jogger’ narrative was a race-baiting LIE.”
Black conservatives reacted with anger to Owens’ tweets. They distanced themselves from Owens.
Jonathan Throwe, former South Carolina director for the BLEXIT movement, said Owens will do anything to please white people, including criminalizing a Black man after death.
Throwe said he left the BLEXIT movement because he resented Owens portraying Black America negatively in the face of white supporters.
“She will blatantly ignore the facts that would equally cause White America to have to look in the mirror themselves on key issues,” he said.
“I decided to resign from BLEXIT to prevent being associated with someone who doesn’t speak for Black people, but speaks against Black people.”
Diante Johnson, President of the Black Conservative Federation, asked, “Why is she so hateful?
And Shermichael Singletary, a conservative political commentator for cable news, addressed Owens indirectly: “If you’re Black & conservative and your [sic] only purpose is talking down your own community for applause & acceptance from white people, you have a problem.”
Ahmaud Arbery was caught on camera breaking into an unfinished property that was owned by Larry English.
His mother has confirmed it is him in the video.
Please stop with the “just a jogger” bullshit narrative.
Avid joggers don’t wear khaki shorts & stop to break into homes.— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) May 9, 2020
Behold: a perfect straw man argument.
I made absolutely no statement insinuating that his death was a justified end. I simply attacked the mainstream stupidity that he was “just a jogger” who was “hunted” for no reason other than being black. https://t.co/y8bXag5Kt7
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) May 9, 2020
Two things can be true at once:
-Ahmaud Arbery did not deserve to die.
-Ahmaud Arbery was not a jogger gunned down for the crime of being black.
It’s that simple. But the media cannot resist a race narrative in a election cycle. And people struggle to think for themselves.
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) May 9, 2020
We went from “just a jogger” to “just a trespasser” real quick.
That’s because a lie makes it way around the world before the truth gets out of bed.
Our media is despicable.
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) May 10, 2020
