Austin Chenge, a Republican nominee for governor in Michigan, is promising to cancel Black History Month if he gets elected. The Black army veteran made the shocking statement on social media.
"I will cancel #BlackHistoryMonth in #Michigan," he wrote to his four thousand followers. "It's offensive, unfair, maybe illegal... Americans from all backgrounds deserve a revered history. I'll declare American History Month."
As you would likely expect, the post is causing a lot of backlash. Chenge's views have been described as "deeply conservative". In his replies, people are arguing against the cancelation of Black History Month, questioning Chenge on why he wants to run on this policy. Some are bringing up his Nigerian roots, wondering why Chenge would wish to cancel BHM.
To make such a bold statement in the middle of Black History Month is pretty volatile. According to Complex, Chenge has also vowed to cancel Michigan's contract with Dominion Voting Systems, the manufacturer at the center of Trump's election fraud claims. With that said, Chenge was a vocal supporter of Trump, defending the riots at the Capitol and claiming that the people who staged the siege were "motivated by passion".
Many are arguing that, instead of canceling Black History Month, it should be celebrated even more. What do you think?