Black conservatism in the United States

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In the United States, black conservatism is a political and social movement rooted in African-American communities that aligns largely with the American conservative movement, including the Christian right. [1] Black conservatism emphasizes social conservatism, traditionalism, patriotism, capitalism and free markets. What characterizes a 'black conservative' has changed over time, and proponents do not necessarily share the same political philosophy.

Contents

Influential black Republicans in the early 21st century who have held public office include U.S. Senator Tim Scott, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears, and Cabinet secretaries Ben Carson, Condoleezza Rice, and Colin Powell. Thomas Sowell, Shelby Steele, Armstrong Williams, Larry Elder, Walter Williams, and Jason L. Riley are among the most influential black conservative political commentators. [2]

Overview

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Booker T. Washington

Beliefs

One of the main characteristics of black conservatism is its emphasis on personal choice and responsibilities above socioeconomic status and institutional racism. [3] [4]

Black conservatives typically support do-for-self, self reliance, and personal responsibility. Black conservatives tend to be self-critical of aspects of African-American culture that they believe have created poverty and dependency. [5] John McWhorter's 2000 book Losing the Race: Self-Sabotage in Black America and Bill Cosby's 2004 "Pound Cake speech" exemplified this critique, though their authors did not strictly come from the black conservative movement.

A 2007 Pew Research Center survey showed that 19% of blacks identified as Religious Right. [6] In 2004, though, the Pew Research Center indicated only 7% of blacks identified as Republican. [7]

A National Election Pool poll showed that support for California Proposition 8 (2008) (a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as an opposite-sex union) was strong among African-American voters; 70% of those interviewed in the exit poll—a higher percentage than any other racial group—stated that they voted in favor of Proposition 8. [8] Polls by both the Associated Press and CNN mirrored this data, reporting support among black voters to be at 70% [9] and 75%, [10] respectively. African-American support was considered crucial to the Proposition's passage because African Americans made up an unusually large percentage of voters in 2008; the presence of African-American presidential candidate Barack Obama on the ballot was believed to have increased African-American voter turnout. [11]

Historical basis

From Reconstruction up until the New Deal, the black population tended to vote Republican. During that period, the Republican Party—particularly in the Southern United States—was seen as more racially progressive than the Democratic Party, primarily because of the role of the Southern wing of the Democratic Party as the party of racial segregation and the Republican Party's roots in the abolitionist movement (see Dixiecrats).

Blacks started to shift in significant numbers to the Democrats with the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt [12] and continued with the election of John F. Kennedy. Among Truman Administration officials, the publication of Henry Lee Moon's Balance of Power spurred Democratic partisan support for African-American constituencies. [13] This shift was also influenced by Herbert Hoover's practice of firing loyal African-Americans from positions within the Republican Party, in order to increase his appeal to Southern white voters. [14] This can be considered an early example of a set of Republican Party methods that were later termed the Southern Strategy. [15] [ better source needed ]

Timeline of events

Tim Scott Tim Scott, official portrait, 112th Congress crop.jpg
Tim Scott
Condoleezza Rice Condoleezza Rice cropped.jpg
Condoleezza Rice
Colin Powell Colin Powell official Secretary of State photo.jpg
Colin Powell
Alphonso Jackson Alphonso Jackson official portrait.jpg
Alphonso Jackson
Rod Paige Rod Paige.jpg
Rod Paige
Clarence Thomas Clarence Thomas official SCOTUS portrait.jpg
Clarence Thomas
Mia Love Mia Love official congressional photo.jpg
Mia Love
Allen West Allen West, Official Portrait, 112th Congress.jpg
Allen West
Herman Cain Herman Cain by Gage Skidmore 4.jpg
Herman Cain
Ben Carson Ben Carson official portrait.jpg
Ben Carson

This is a timeline of significant events in African-American history that have shaped the conservative movement in the United States.

1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s

African-American conservative politicians

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

South Carolina

South Dakota

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Other people

United States judges

TV personalities, authors and journalists

Military

Columnists

Athletes and entertainers

Education and business

Civil rights, abolitionists and activists

Organizations

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Diamond, Sara (1996). Facing the Wrath: Confronting the Right in Dangerous Times. Common Courage Press. p. 96. ISBN   978-1-56751-078-2. Christian Right activists allied with black conservatives to make their causes appear more mainstream across racial and class lines. In this vein, the Family Research Council (the lobbying affiliate of Focus on the Family) recently named as vice-president Kay Cole James, a black anti-abortion activist.
  2. ↑ "Lexington: The school of very hard knocks". The Economist. 2007-10-04. Retrieved 2011-05-17.
  3. ↑ Wright Rigueur, Leah (15 February 2015). "The Forgotten History of Black Republicans". The Daily Beast. New York City. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  4. ↑ For an overview of these themes, see Stan Faryna, Brad Stetson, and Joseph G. Conti, Eds., Black and Right: The Bold New Voice of Black Conservatives in America, (Westport, CT: Praeger, 1997)
  5. ↑ Brian Greenberg; Linda S. Watts; Richard A. Greenwald; Gordon Reavley; Alice L. George; Scott Beekman; Cecelia Bucki; Mark Ciabattari; John C. Stoner; Troy D. Paino; Laurie Mercier; Andrew Hunt; Peter C. Holloran; Nancy Cohen (2008). Social History of the United States [10 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 360. ISBN   978-1-59884-128-2.
  6. ↑ Pew Forum: Many Americans Uneasy with Mix of Religion and Politics Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ Part 1: Party Affiliation: The 2004 Political Landscape Archived April 11, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ "Exit Poll Shows Blacks, Hispanics Overwhelmingly Backed Prop. 8". KTVU. November 5, 2008. Archived from the original on September 17, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  9. ↑ "70% of African Americans backed Prop. 8, exit poll finds". Latimesblogs.latimes.com. 2008-11-05. Retrieved 2013-11-01.
  10. ↑ "Local Exit Polls – Election Center 2008 – Elections & Politics from". CNN.com. Retrieved 2013-11-01.
  11. ↑ Morain, Dan; Garrison, Jessica (2008-11-06). "Focused beyond marriage". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2013-11-01.
  12. ↑ "American President: Franklin Delano Roosevelt: The American Franchine". Millercenter.org. Archived from the original on 2010-11-27. Retrieved 2011-05-17.
  13. ↑ Gilmore, Glenda Elizabeth (2016). These United States: A Nation in the Making, 1890-Present (First ed.). New York: W.W. Norton & Co. p. 24. ISBN   9780393283075.
  14. ↑ Dawson, Michael C. (1995). Behind the Mule: Race and Class in African-American Politics . Princeton University Press. p.  102. ISBN   0691025436. herbert hoover fired black republicans.
  15. ↑ "How the party of Lincoln won over the once democratic south". History.com . September 3, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Meet Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll". Archived from the original on 2012-03-12. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  17. ↑ "'Blessed and highly favored' Byron Donalds wins election for U.S. Congressional District 19, pledges water quality No. 1 priority".
  18. ↑ Moseley, Brandon (2021-07-12). "Kenneth Paschal in HD73 special election on Tuesday". Alabama Political Reporter. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
  19. ↑ "chastang". Mobile Bay Times. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
  20. ↑ "Sharon Jackson For Alaska". Sharon Jackson For House (24). Archived from the original on 2023-01-04. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
  21. ↑ Seipel, Brooke (July 12, 2021). "Conservative talk radio host Larry Elder enters California recall election against Newsom". The Hill. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Peter Boulware". Archived from the original on 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2008-08-28.
  23. ↑ "Former Chatham Borough Mayor Bruce Harris Named as New Member of State Planning Commission". Chatham TapInto. February 27, 2020. Archived from the original on March 27, 2020. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  24. ↑ "'Ricochet' Goes Behind Scenes of Gun Lobby". National Public Radio. 2007-11-15. Archived from the original on June 29, 2009. Retrieved 2007-11-15.
  25. ↑ "Roy Innis re-elected to NRA Board", NRAwinningteam.com. Archived October 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  26. ↑ Fletcher, Michael A. (2006-08-17). "Lynn Swann, Happy to Be on the President's Team". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2011-05-17.
  27. ↑ "Judge Lynn Toler: Yes, I'm Republican". 24 September 2012.
  28. ↑ "CNN TV - Anchors/Reporters:Amy Holmes". CNN International. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
  29. ↑ , National Association [ dead link ]
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  31. ↑ "Larry Elder – Conservative Columnist and Political Commentator 2003 Column Archive". Townhall.com. Retrieved 2011-05-17.
  32. ↑ "WVON 1690 AM – The Talk of Chicago | Weekday Line-up". Wvon.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2011-05-17.
  33. ↑ Folkenflik, David (20 September 2016). "Trump Calls NBC News Anchor And Fellow GOP'er Lester Holt A Democrat". NPR.
  34. ↑ "MAGA Anton Debates With A Black Liberal/Independent Veteran". YouTube.com. November 16, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  35. ↑ Sotomayor, Tommy (6 August 2015). "How Democrats & White Liberals Are Destroying The Black American People!". Archived from the original on 2015-08-07 – via YouTube.
  36. ↑ "Brigadier General Mary J. Kight". Archived from the original on 2009-07-29. Retrieved 2012-12-23.
  37. ↑ "Governor Schwarzenegger Appoints Brigadier General Mary J. Kight Adjutant General of the California National Guard". Archived from the original on 2015-05-30. Retrieved 2012-12-23.
  38. ↑ Rothfeld, Michael (2010-02-01). "Mary J. Kight continues to be a trailblazer". Los Angeles Times.
  39. ↑ General Russell Honore To Run Vs David Vitter In Louisiana US Race? Archived 2009-09-01 at the Wayback Machine
  40. ↑ Did you know Ernie Banks was a Republican? Archived 2015-02-02 at the Wayback Machine . American Spectator. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
  41. ↑ Pareles, Jon (December 25, 2006). "James Brown, the 'Godfather of Soul', Dies at 73". The New York Times. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  42. ↑ Hulse, Carl & Loughlin, Sean (December 20, 1999), "Graham, Clinton agree to agree", Lakeland Ledger, p. A14
  43. ↑ "Minnesota Public Radio". Minnesota Public Radio. 2006-06-13. Retrieved 2011-05-17.
  44. ↑ Romaine, Jenna (2017-02-12). "Joy Villa Unveils Donald Trump 'Make America Great Again' Dress on the Grammy Red Carpet". Billboard.com . Retrieved 2017-02-12.
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  46. ↑ Benjamin, Elizabeth (2010-09-16). NFLer: Carl's no racist Archived 2013-12-24 at the Wayback Machine . Capitol Tonight. Retrieved 2010-09-16.

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