Book SummaryBlackout, by Candace Owens

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Blackout

Candace Owens is rallying the troops—she sees the Democratic Party as modern-day slavery and is calling on all Black Americans to walk out in a mass exodus. In Blackout, Owens gives the history of Black politics, reveals hidden oppressions, and demonstrates how the Democratic Party has been keeping Blacks poor and needy for their own political gain. Specifically, Owens claims that Democratic policies have destroyed the nuclear family, created government dependency, and encouraged Blacks to embody victim mentalities. The only way out, Owens says, is to jump ship and join the Republicans.

Candace Owens is a conservative author, activist, political commentator, and talk show host. A millennial Black American woman, Owens is best known for being an outspoken supporter of former President Donald Trump. During his presidency, she frequently made headlines for her far-right views that opposed many of the social movements of the time. Specifically, she proclaimed her disdain for and distrust of the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements. During the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Owens declared herself...

Blackout Summary Part 1: The History of Black Americans and the Democratic Party

Owens’s primary argument in Blackout is that for Blacks to thrive in America, they must depart from the Democratic Party. But how and why did the majority of Blacks become Democrats in the first place? To explain, Owens takes us through the history of Black oppression in America: from slavery and segregation at the hands of Democrats to Black Americans’ eventual Democratic allegiance.

Myths About Slavery

Before we can understand the political progression of Black Americans, Owens says we need to fully understand how Black Africans came to be in America, which means we need to examine the Atlantic slave trade of the 16th to the 19th centuries. While Owens doesn’t deny that the slave trade itself was horrific, she argues that there are several myths about the slave trade that affect current political policy—especially reparations. She insists that if we have an accurate understanding of slavery, we wouldn’t support the Democratic push for reparations.

(Shortform note: Reparations are a compensatory form of restitution from the federal government to living descendants of former slaves. The [push for and against reparations has been around for decades and continues to...

Blackout Summary Part 2: Manipulation of the Black Vote

Now that we’ve covered the historical basis for Black Americans’ political leanings, we’ll begin exploring Owens’s primary thesis: Participation in the Democratic Party is modern slavery, and to be free and successful, Black Americans must escape. The rest of this guide covers all of the ways that the Democratic Party manipulates, shackles, and damages the Black population. With each principle we cover, Owens urges you to keep in mind that wherever there is manipulation, there is someone profiting. In this case, she says that Black allegiance to the Democratic Party benefits four groups of people:

• Democrat politicians
• Mainstream media
• Guilty whites
• Irresponsible Blacks

Democrat Politicians

It likely comes as no surprise that Black loyalty to the Democratic Party greatly benefits the politicians themselves. What might be surprising, however, is how reliant Democrats are on the Black vote. Owens points out that the Black population tends to be much more aligned in their voting patterns than other races, and they generally make up 10-12% of the total voting population. Because of this, the Democratic Party virtually can’t win without them.

For example, Barack...

Blackout Summary Part 3: Systematic Destruction—How the Democratic Party Is Destroying Black Life

We’ve discussed Black Americans’ Republican origins and their move to a steadfast Democratic allegiance. We’ve explored who benefits from this allegiance and how. Finally, we’ll discuss the ways that this allegiance is destroying Black families and keeping Black Americans stuck in generational poverty. Each piece reiterates Owens’s primary argument—that it’s time for Blacks to leave the “Democratic plantation” and embrace true independence.

The Dismantling of Black Families

One of Owens’s biggest arguments is that Democratic policies dismantle the foundation of Black families and undermine the traditional values on which they’re based. According to Owens, during the time of slavery, spouses and children were separated as a way to keep slaves broken and compliant. Today, she says, Democrats still push a set of agendas that systematically destroy the fabric of Black family life. Two umbrellas that these programs mostly fall under are government handouts and feminism.

Government Handouts

Social safety nets, such as TANF (commonly known as “welfare”), SNAP (“food stamps”), WIC, and Section-8 housing are programs supported by Democrats. They say that the programs...

Shortform Exercise: Identify Media Bias

Owens argues that a critical tool of the Democratic agenda is mainstream media. Consider the media that you consume and see if you can identify any hidden manipulations.

In a typical day, how much news do you consume? How and where do you consume it? (For example, social media, TV, newspaper, word of mouth?)