NEW YORK — Former MSNBC host Joy Reid reignited a familiar culture-war debate this week after reposting a viral video that characterizes the Christmas staple “Jingle Bells” as racist — a claim the academic research cited in the clip’s argument does not fully support.

Reid, who left MSNBC earlier this year, shared the video to her 1.3 million Instagram followers, adding only the caption: “Lord have mercy.” The post quickly circulated online, drawing both applause and backlash as critics accused Reid of amplifying a misleading narrative about one of the most widely sung holiday songs in the world.

The Viral Video’s Claim

The clip, which has circulated across TikTok, Instagram, and X, opens with a man dressed festively standing before a historical plaque in Medford, Massachusetts, where composer James Lord Pierpont is believed to have written the song originally titled “The One Horse Open Sleigh.”

On-screen captions assert that the song’s earliest performances were connected to 19th-century minstrel shows, claiming it was used to mock Black Americans. The video further notes that Pierpont wrote other songs using racialized dialect and that he later fought for the Confederate Army, which defended slavery during the Civil War.

“This is where a racist Confederate soldier wrote ‘Jingle Bells’ to make fun of Black people,” the video declares, framing the carol as inseparable from racial caricature and blackface performance traditions.

The Academic Research Behind the Video

The video cites a 2017 Cambridge University Press paper by theater historian Kyna Hamill, titled “The Story I Must Tell: ‘Jingle Bells’ in the Minstrel Repertoire.” That paper examines how the song appeared in minstrel shows during the 19th century — an era when blackface performance was common in American entertainment.

However, Hamill has repeatedly said her work is being mischaracterized.

“I never said ‘Jingle Bells’ was written to be racist or that it is racist now,” Hamill told the Boston Herald shortly after her research began circulating widely online. “My research focuses on the performance history of the song, not the intent of the composer.”

Hamill has emphasized that many popular songs of the era were later absorbed into minstrel shows, regardless of their original purpose. In her paper, she argues that the song’s association with minstrelsy reflects broader patterns in 19th-century American entertainment, not a singular racist motive behind its creation.

“The legacy of ‘Jingle Bells’ is… a prime example of a common misreading of much popular music from the nineteenth century,” Hamill wrote, warning against oversimplified conclusions.

She has also stressed that she is not advocating for banning or discouraging the song’s use today, noting that historical context should inform understanding, not dictate modern celebration.

James Lord Pierpont’s Complicated History

Pierpont’s biography is undeniably complex. He lived during a period when minstrelsy was widespread, and some of his other works do include dialect and themes common to that genre. He later supported the Confederacy, a fact that critics argue should color interpretations of his work.

At the same time, historians note that “Jingle Bells” contains no racial language and has long been performed independently of minstrelsy, especially as its popularity grew after the Civil War. The song became a mainstream holiday tune decades later, detached from its 19th-century performance contexts.

Backlash and Online Reaction

Reid’s repost triggered swift reaction across social media. Supporters praised her for drawing attention to overlooked historical realities, while critics accused her of spreading incomplete or misleading information.

“Context matters,” one user wrote. “Sharing a viral clip without acknowledging the scholar says it’s being misused is irresponsible.”

Others defended Reid’s post as an invitation to discussion rather than a definitive judgment, noting her caption did not explicitly endorse the video’s conclusions.

Still, conservative commentators seized on the moment as another example of what they describe as progressive overreach into cultural traditions, accusing Reid of fueling unnecessary outrage during the holiday season.

A Recurring Cultural Flashpoint

This is not the first time “Jingle Bells” has faced scrutiny. Similar debates have surfaced periodically over the past decade as Americans revisit the origins of long-standing cultural symbols through modern lenses.

The controversy reflects a broader tension: how to reconcile uncomfortable historical contexts with traditions that have evolved far beyond their origins.

Hamill, whose work sits at the center of the debate, has urged caution.

“Understanding history doesn’t require abandoning joy,” she has said. “It requires nuance.”

The Bottom Line

Joy Reid’s repost did not introduce new scholarship, but it amplified a viral interpretation of existing research — one that the original author says goes further than her findings support. While the history of 19th-century American music includes undeniably racist elements, experts caution against collapsing complex cultural evolution into simple verdicts.

As the holiday season continues, “Jingle Bells” remains what it has been for generations: a song sung in classrooms, homes, and public spaces — now once again caught in the crossfire of America’s ongoing debate over history, memory, and meaning.