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Truth in Freedom

Reid Comments On Popular Carol

Reid Comments On Popular Carol

There are few constants in the world: death, taxes, and Joy Reid finding new things to label as racist. This holiday season, the former MSNBC host has unwrapped an unusual gift for her audience — a claim that the classic Christmas carol Jingle Bells is not a festive tune, but rather a relic of racism rooted in America’s troubled past.

Yes, according to a video Reid promoted to her 1.3 million Instagram followers, Jingle Bells was composed to mock Black Americans, allegedly connected to minstrel shows and penned by James Lord Pierpont — a man who would later become a Confederate soldier. In the video, a solemn man in a Santa hat stands near a historical plaque in Medford, Massachusetts, the supposed birthplace of the song, and announces that Jingle Bells has origins that are, apparently, offensive enough to cancel the tune altogether.


Reid’s endorsement of this narrative sparked immediate controversy — and, notably, consequences. At least one school in New York reportedly banned Jingle Bells from its holiday programming, illustrating the ripple effect when unverified claims are amplified by high-profile personalities.

But there’s a glaring irony in all this: historical records suggest Jingle Bells was originally composed not as a Christmas carol at all, but as a secular song for Thanksgiving. Its playful lyrics, simple melody, and wintery theme eventually earned it a place in December celebrations, but its earliest known performances were not tied to any Christmas tradition, let alone any malicious intent.


This isn’t the first time Joy Reid has sparked backlash for her commentary. She’s previously drawn criticism for comparing Donald Trump to Hitler, mocking “white tears,” and — infamously — deflecting from old homophobic blog posts by suggesting they were the work of time-traveling Russian hackers. Her track record has long reflected a pattern: a relentless drive to root out bigotry in every corner, even if it means stretching historical facts to their breaking point.

As columnist Isaac Chen wryly summarized, in this worldview, nearly every holiday tune becomes problematic: Silent Night is accused of slut-shaming, Let It Snow supposedly oozes white privilege, and The Twelve Days of Christmas reeks of consumerism. If this trend continues, the soundtrack of the holidays may one day be reduced to silence — lest someone, somewhere, be offended by the jingling of bells.

Written by Mark Stevens - December 11, 2025