Patriot Brief
What Happened: Joy Reid shared a viral video claiming “Jingle Bells” was written to mock Black people and has roots in racist minstrel shows.
Why It Matters: These claims are already affecting schools and public traditions, with some canceling performances to avoid controversy.
Bottom Line: The progressive grievance machine now has Christmas music in its crosshairs, proving nothing is safe from ideological revision.
Joy Reid is back at it, and this time Christmas itself is apparently the problem.
The former MSNBC host shared a video with her 1.3 million Instagram followers claiming the classic holiday song “Jingle Bells” was written to mock Black people and originated in racist minstrel shows. According to the video Reid amplified, songwriter James Lord Pierpont allegedly composed the song, originally titled “The One Horse Open Sleigh,” for blackface performances meant to ridicule Black Americans attempting winter activities.
The video goes further, suggesting the lyric “laughing all the way” was “likely” a reference to a racist trope known as the “Laughing Darkie.” The foundation for this claim traces back to a 2017 academic paper by a Boston University professor, which has since been recycled online as proof that even sleigh rides are somehow offensive.
These theories have not stayed confined to social media. In one real-world example, a primary school in upstate New York reportedly banned “Jingle Bells” from its holiday concert after the claims circulated, opting to avoid controversy rather than risk offending anyone.
Reid, whose MSNBC show “The ReidOut” was canceled earlier this year, has a long track record of racially charged commentary. She previously accused President Trump of wanting “reparations for white people,” and now appears eager to reframe Christmas music through the same ideological lens.
For millions of Americans, “Jingle Bells” is about sleigh rides, winter fun, and family traditions. For the progressive grievance industry, it is yet another target to strip down, reinterpret, and scold people for enjoying.
Apparently nothing is off-limits anymore. Not Thanksgiving. Not the Fourth of July. And now not even Christmas songs children have sung for generations. If history is any guide, it is only a matter of time before someone explains why Frosty the Snowman is problematic too.
