Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez seemed to use a forced accent during a speech to the National Action Network convention Friday.
Ocasio-Cortez speaks in an accent that she never uses while telling a room of predominately black people that there is nothing wrong with them folding clothes, cooking, and driving other people around on a bus for a living. pic.twitter.com/FIbIAPokt0
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) April 5, 2019
“This is what organizing looks like,” said Ocasio-Cortez. “This is what building power looks like. This is what changing the country looks like. It’s when we choose to show up and occupy the room and talk about the things that matter most, talking about our future.”
Then, the New York lawmaker really laid it on:
“I’m proud to be a bartender,” she said. “Ain’t nothing wrong with that. There’s nothing wrong with working retail, folding clothes for other people to buy. There is nothing wrong with preparing the food that your neighbors will eat. There is nothing wrong with driving the buses that take your family to work.”
US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (R) is welcomed by the Reverend Al Sharpton speaks during a gathering of the National Action Network April 5, 2019 in New York. (Photo by Don Emmert / AFP)
Ironically, while Al Sharpton introduced Ocasio-Cortez to Friday’s event, then Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton switched up her usual accent when speaking to the civil rights activist in 2016. (RELATED: Hillary Clinton Shows Off Her Southern Accent Again, Y’all)
Will Sharpton endorse Clinton? Her response. pic.twitter.com/mNKHkOAgf9
— Annie Karni (@anniekarni) February 16, 2016
So notorious is Clinton for switching her accent to match that of her audience that Bloomberg Politics even put together a video of examples. Perhaps the most infamous of all was a 2007 speech at a black church in Selma, Alabama, when she said, “I don’t feel no ways tired.”
Some users on Twitter did not take well to Ocasio-Cortez’s accent. “This embarrassment of a woman @AOC really got up there and did that raggedy accent in front of all those black people. PSA: Not all black people are improper. Not all black people fold clothes and drive buses,” one person tweeted.
This embarrassment of a woman @AOC really got up there and did that raggedy accent in front of all those black people.
PSA: Not all black people are improper. Not all black people fold clothes and drive buses.— Jorden ???? (@_realjgoodwin) April 5, 2019
She trying too hard. The accent is so obvious????
“Ain’t nun wrong with dat”
Every African-American does not talk in this way. I guess you’re trying to “win the black vote.”
This ain’t it, @AOC https://t.co/98AVVRPjXA
— Jamarcus Dove-Simmons???????? (@Jamarcus_Dove) April 5, 2019
She is channeling her inner Hillary Clinton!!!https://t.co/g5WsgxlRoV
— Deplorable Ken Hill (@Kenneth40708724) April 5, 2019
Campus Reform’s Lawrence Jones had a few choice words for AOC:
Hey, @AOC I wore the vest because CBP told me to but, what’s your excuse for talking like this?! #WedontTalkLikeThat https://t.co/4i5qQLNbNZ
— Lawrence Jones III (@LawrenceBJones3) April 5, 2019
“In case you’re wondering, this is what blackface sounds like,” John Cardillo wrote.
In case you’re wondering, this is what blackface sounds like. https://t.co/oQVynsDxpc
— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) April 5, 2019