The Fourth of July was America’s 241st birthday, celebrated across the country with parades, barbecues, and fireworks. But to some on Twitter, including Chance the Rapper, think it would be better to celebrate the date as the birthday of Barack Obama’s older daughter, Malia.
The website The Fader reported on the phenomenon on Tuesday.
“It’s no secret that there’s a lot political turmoil in the United States right now,” the article said. “It’s actually probably the opposite of a secret.”
“The current political climate has left some people feeling uneasy about celebrating America this 4th of July,” the article posted on Tuesday said. “Instead, people on Twitter are celebrating the birthday of Malia Obama, who turned 19 years old on Independence Day.”
Those taking to Twitter included Chance the Rapper, “who is close to the Obama family,” the article said.
InStyle picked up the story, casting more aspersions on the cherished American milestone.
“While July 4 signifies the beginning of the country’s independence, or ‘freedom,’ longstanding inequality and current events have some folks seeing the celebration in a different light,” Instyle reported. “Hard-pressed to find one thing (or person) all Americans can band together behind, Twitter elected birthday girl Malia as the face of an upgraded Independence Day.”