Black Republicans on a Hard Road
By HHR | September 8th, 2010 | Category: Opinion/Reviews | 3 comments
By Chris Ladd
Rod Paige, an African-American and George W. Bush’s first Secretary of Education, has an interesting response to the often-posed question, how can a Black man be a Republican? He reminds people that it was Democrats who turned dogs and fire hoses on Civil Rights protesters in Mississippi when he was growing up. The Democratic Party in the South was the core of the resistance to the Civil Rights movement. It was only with the support of a sizable majority of GOP Congressmen that President Johnson was able to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
As a party we desperately need to realize that the Democratic Party’s dominance in the African-American community is one of history’s most spiteful twists. In another segment I’ll describe at some length how we got here, but at this point it’s enough to say that it didn’t have to happen this way, and it need not remain so.
Black Americans are a natural constituency for the GOP. It would surprise many Republicans to realize that the primary political concerns of a large swath of the African-American community are crime, education, and economic progress. What’s more, they overwhelmingly share conservative values on matters of family, religion, and culture.
So if the black community is so conservative, why aren’t they complaining about the Democratic Party? They are, but we on the right are mostly unaware of it. So if they are conservative and frustrated by the Democratic Party, why aren’t they becoming Republicans? A few are. But the unpleasant truth is that we have created a climate that makes it very difficult for African-Americans to participate in the GOP.
White conservatives bristle when they hear the word “racism” tossed around. They will be quick note that they “have lots of black friends” (names, please?), and feel no animosity toward others based on their skin color (which is mostly true). The root problem is that when whites and blacks talk about race they are using a completely different language consisting of the same words. Over the past generation, neither side has made much progress understanding the other.
Perhaps a good starting point is the term “racism” itself. Whites only want to see the word deployed when it refers to Big “R” racism. Blacks insist on a more nuanced little “r” use which is just as valid. We would be well on the road to better relations if all we did on either side was to understand the way each of us understands the word ‘racist.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Chris Ladd is a Texan who is now living in the Chicago area. He has served for several years as a Republican Precinct Committeeman in DuPage County, IL, and was active in state and local Republican campaigns in Texas for many years.
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[...] Rod Paige, an African-American and George W. Bush’s first Secretary of Education, has an interesting response to the often-posed question, how can a Black man be a Republican? He reminds people that it was Democrats who turned dogs and fire hoses on Civil Rights protesters (Read more …) [...]
Both the GOP and the black community are at fault for the relationship the way it is today. The Southern Strategy as well as not being vocal on some of the more racially insensitive Repubilcans have pretty much brought to the relationship to where it is today. The same mistake is being made with Hispanics in regard to immigration.
But if there is dialogue to be spoken, both have to hear each other in dialogue and find common ground. I looked at the Morgan State debate back in 2007 that four GOP presidental candidates missed as a missed opportunity (mostly because JC Watts said their consultants didn’t understand demographics). Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul seemed to get some great responses in that debate. Joseph Cao from Louisiana must have done a good outreach in order to win New Orleans.
It works both ways, the GOP has to actively reach out while condemning (and asking them to leave) the racists in their party while blacks have to work to make the GOP more inclusive. I remember all the conversations I had with blacks in regard to the GOP, many complaints but no one had any interest in making the party inclusive or they didn’t feel it was their responsibility to change the GOP. I’m not buying it. Blacks forget the Democrats weren’t always friendly with them and it took people like Fannie Lou Hamer to make the Democrats what they are today. That was almost 50 years ago.
The GOP fears losing it’s shrinking base if they feel they will reach out to other groups and some conservatives use the excuse of not to reach out as being “Democrat Lite” or a “RINO”, or surrendering their principles and becoming Democrats or other code words IMO as an excuse not to.
I’ve posted here regularly, but I’ll say it again. There needs to be a Fannie Lou Hamer for the Republican Party not only for black Americans, but for those who feel left out in the Republican Party. The relationship is not going to change overnight .
Can work be done? Of course, but it will take time.
I’ve posted here regularly, but I’ll say it again. There needs to be a Fannie Lou Hamer for the Republican Party not only for black Americans, but for those who feel left out in the Republican Party. The relationship is not going to change overnight . AGREED… but he/she can’t be a water carrier for the Imperial Right who’s little more than Pat Buchannan in black face. He/she needs to champion our unique needs and not simply want to be part of the GOP status quo.