Rep. Ilhan Omar (D‑MN) deleted a Juneteenth post following criticism that she should return to Somalia to fight slavery there, revealing divisions within her narrative and the cause she claims to champion.
Omar initially honored Juneteenth, stating freedom and resilience mark the day slavery ended on June 19, 1865, in the United States. A critic responded: “Somalia still has slaves. Ilhan should go fight to free her own people.” Omar then replaced her original post with a more abstract statement on freedom’s worth and justice’s slow pace.
Omar’s first message marked Juneteenth as a moment to “celebrate Black freedom, resilience, and achievement,” while committing to dismantle systemic racism. After the retort referencing Somalia, she deleted the post.
Her second effort read: “On Juneteenth, we remember that freedom is not always swift but it is always worth the fight. It’s a powerful reminder of how long justice can take to reach those who deserve it most.”
The exchange exposes tensions in progressive messaging. Critics say Omar leverages America’s racial history to deflect from slavery and human rights issues overseas. Somalia, her birth nation, still grapples with generational slavery. One critic challenged her: if she genuinely cares about freedom, she should speak to injustices where they persist today.
The swift deletion prompted broader criticism. Conservative voices, including PJ Media, accused Omar of “humiliating herself” by using Juneteenth to cast America as permanently guilty, only retreating when faced with hypocrisy. Their view: she aimed for the moral high ground before abandoning her stance under public pressure.
