Can the GOP Speak to Blacks?
By HHR | September 30th, 2009 | Category: Featured, General, Opinion/Reviews | 7 commentsCOLUMBIA, S.C. — When people think of South Carolina, they think of . . . I know, Comedy Central. Given the state’s generosity in providing punch lines, Jon Stewart really ought to consider taking a pay cut.
What people do not typically think of is black Republicans, a perception that could change soon if a young man named Marvin Rogers has his way. This 33-year-old, Spanish-speaking former aide to South Carolina Rep. Bob Inglis has a plan for the GOP: He wants to change its complexion.
Until 2008, when he ran unsuccessfully for the state House of Representatives, Rogers may have been better known in Latin America, where he was an itinerant preacher for several years, than in North America. “Unsuccessfully” in this case should be qualified. Rogers won 32 percent of the vote in a blue stronghold, running as a black Republican in the year of Obama.
All things considered, not bad.
Rogers’s story is, shall we say, unorthodox. Born in the tiny town of Boiling Springs, S.C., he was raised by working-class parents with values rather than ideology. “So I was largely removed from the acrimony between the African American race and the Republican Party.”
Without preconceptions about where his race placed him politically, Rogers began examining issues on paper and recognized that he was philosophically more aligned with Republicans than Democrats. But then a funny thing happened. When he began attending political meetings, he noticed, “Oh, my, I’m the only black guy here. What’s up with that?”
That question led Rogers on a quest that has resulted in a book nearing completion, “Silence Is the Loudest Sound,” in which he attempts to explain how the party of Lincoln lost its black soul.
Through five years of study and interviews, Rogers reached the conclusion that the chasm between the black community and the Republican Party is more emotional than philosophical. And, he says, that chasm is more a media template than reflective of reality.
The best explanation for what’s gone wrong, he says, was articulated by Jack Kemp, who told him during an interview: “The Republican Party has had a great history with African Americans and they turned away from it. The Democratic Party has had a terrible history, but they overcame it.”
Part of the turning away followed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and Richard Nixon’s “Southern strategy,” which tried to harness votes by cultivating white resentment toward blacks. Rogers is no Pollyanna and recognizes this period for what it was — a “bruise” on the GOP. But he insists that Democrats use the Southern strategy when it suits them.
The biggest problem for today’s Republican Party, he says, is tone-deafness, as manifested by conservative talk radio and TV. Rogers says he and most blacks can’t listen to Rush Limbaugh because all they hear is anger.
“They might agree with Rush on the issues, but they can’t hear him because he sounds mad. People don’t follow fussers. People don’t follow angry men. They follow articulators.”
What about Michael Steele, the Republican Party chairman? Is he changing the perception of the GOP as a party of whites?
Rogers takes a moment to consider, and answers carefully.
“Let’s say I think that when he ran for the Maryland Senate seat, and when he was lieutenant governor, that was when he was most effective in changing this perception.”
Another reason the GOP limits itself among African Americans, says Rogers, is because Republicans don’t talk about issues that have currency in the black community — poverty, the challenges of single-parent homes, social justice, recidivism, black capitalism and crime. Studying Republican speeches through the decades was how Rogers came up with his book title.
The way for Republicans to attract black voters is pretty simple, says Rogers: Show up and solve problems.
When he moved to Rock Hill, where he currently lives, Rogers made his home in the inner city rather than in the suburbs. When a local basketball team needed money for jerseys, Rogers helped them. Thus, when this inner-city team hit the court, the players’ jerseys said, “York County GOP.”
“People don’t care what [political affiliation] comes after your name,” says Rogers. “They just want the jersey.”
With Rogers on the hustings, Democrats have cause for concern. Among other things, he’s telling African Americans that they have rendered themselves politically impotent by voting monolithically. “If one party can count on our vote, then they can take us for granted. Predictability is suicidal.”
Predictability would seem not to be a problem for a Spanish-speaking, black Republican wonk who just might make South Carolina less of a joke.
This article forst appeared in The Washington Post Thursday, September 3, 2009 edition
Author Marvin D. Rogers Releases Sections of His Highly Anticipated Book
The current conversation concerning the historical and current relationship between African Americans and 
Republicans has been shaped by rhetorical cliches, oversimplifications, and incomplete information. In his soon-to-be-released book Silence Makes the Loudest Sound: A Conversation between the African American Race and the Republican Party (Booksurge: 2009), author Marvin D. Rogers turns his frustration with the “easy answers” into a captivating account of the storied relationship between this American race and American political party. Rogers’ perspective at the intersection of race and politics in America is so unique that it caught the attention of Washington Post syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker. Parker subsequently broke a story on Rogers’ forthcoming book.
Parker’s article ignited a powerful public response. Commenting on this strong response, Rogers states: “I am encouraged by the viral interest that has been generated as a result of the Washington Post article. My team of editors and I have decided to whet the public appetite even more by releasing a galley proof of the book’s introduction as well as chapter 1. The flood of responses that we’ve received from all over the nation has utterly convinced us that the theme of this book is stimulating a conversation that America is very eager to have.”
Kindly find included in this e-mail release a copy of the galley proof samples which are provided for you in pdf and Google document formats.
Rogers has served as an aide to U.S. Representative Bob Inglis. He ran unsuccessfully for the South Carolina State House in 2008 as a black Republican in a predominately African American Democratic stronghold. With the odds stacked against him and facing the uphill battle of running in a minority district in the year of Barack Obama, Rogers still managed to garner 32 percent of the vote.
Silence Makes the Loudest Sound is set to be released in mid-November 2009.
For more information, contact Marvin D. Rogers at 803.280.9813 or at marvindrogers@gmail.com.
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The GOP needs more outspoken Republicans like Rogers. He is so right about silence making the loudest sound, because doing and saying Nothing is also a choice people make.
PROUD Puerto Rican Hip-Hop Republican from New Jersey the Party needs more people like Mr. Rogers.
José, e-scoreboard! ese jajaja
If you look at records and history, blacks have been voting Democrat since the Great Depression in 1932 because they wanted the government to solve the problem. Even before things went wrong with the Southern Strategy and in the 1960′s, the GOP was getting 30-40% of black voters (JC Watts also notes if the GOP can get 20% or more of black voters in a Presidential Election, the Democrats would be finished).
I still believe the 60′s is where things went wrong.
Looking back in 2006, I’m surprised there weren’t Hispanic or non-white Republicans speaking out against some of the anti-immigrant tirade of Tancredo and others.
This book looks very interesting, I’ll pick it up.
I meant the relationship between the GOP and black voters went downhill with the Southern Strategy in the 60′s.
I really want to read his book. I hope HHR has a post about it when it comes out cos I’ll forget.
Thank you all so much for checking out this article and sending this Hip Hop Republican some positive vibes!
Your words are fuel for my tank!
Mike, you are right about the wheels falling off of the G.O.P.’s minority wagon in the 1960s. I explore that era in vivid detail in the book.
Jak, HHR has already agreed to review the book and possibly feature it on the site…thanks for your interest!
SB Smith, I greatly appreciate your comments and Jose, gracias jefe…I got mad love for el puertorro!!