Nancy Pelosi's time as House speaker is drawing to a close, something she marked in a speech to her colleagues late last week.
However, her address seemed to go off the rails at one point, with Fox News noting that many observers were left shaking their heads.
"I yield back the balance of my time and wish everyone a happy, healthy and safe New Year. Happy Holidays. Merry Christmas. Happy Shwanza. Happy Hanukah," the longtime California Democrat said on Friday.
Pelosi ends her final speech as Speaker of the House by wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah and a "Happy Shwanza" pic.twitter.com/LtcMeA8KIT
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) December 23, 2022
Pelosi was apparently making reference to Kwanzaa, a holiday created almost six decades ago by black nationals Maulana Ndabezitha Karenga.
The soon-to-be former House speaker's use of the word "Shwanza" did not go unnoticed by critics, with some accusing her of being inebriated.
Others argued that there would be a full-blown media outcry if former President Donald Trump had made a similar gaffe.
OMG. "Happy Shwanza" 😂😂😂
If Trump ever said that it'd be on a 24/7 news cycle with rioting in the streets. https://t.co/bVt5ATLpkL
— Rusty 🎙️ (@rustyweiss74) December 23, 2022
Pelosi was not alone in drawing attention to Kwanzaa, as conservative commentator Saurabh Sharma pointed out that Vice President Kamala Harris did so as well.
Good morning.
Today our half-Jamaican, half-Indian Vice President has elected to acknowledge a fake holiday invented by a communist fed, violent pervert, and convicted criminal Ronald McKinley Everett, also known by his adopted LARP moniker Maulana Ndabezitha Karenga.
Thread🧵 https://t.co/sMovwY6hhT
— Saurabh Sharma 🇺🇸 (@ssharmaUS) December 26, 2022
Sharma went to go over the dark history of Kwanzaa's founder, pointing to Karenga's 1971 conviction for torturing women.
Karenga was later in life sentenced to up to 10 years in prison for assaulting women. The testimony alleged that women were “stripped naked & beaten with an electrical cord.”
He also apparently hit people on the head with toasters, & put a hot soldering iron in a woman’s mouth.
— Saurabh Sharma 🇺🇸 (@ssharmaUS) December 26, 2022
Sharma also noted how Karenga created Kwanzaa to provide "an alternative" to Christmas as part of an effort to undermine Christianity.
Karenga invented Kwanzaa in 1966 to racialize Americans & divorce blacks from a strong tie to broader American culture—their Christian faith.
He wanted to “give Blacks an alternative to the existing holiday…rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant society."
— Saurabh Sharma 🇺🇸 (@ssharmaUS) December 26, 2022
