Black conservatism in the United States explained
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.
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, North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, 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
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]
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 liberal 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]
Timeline of events
This is a timeline of significant events in African-American history that have shaped the conservative movement in the United States.
- 1950s
- 1954 – President Dwight Eisenhower appoints the following:
- 1960s
- 1970s
- 1980s
- 1990s
- 2000s
- 2010s
- 2020s
African-American conservative politicians
See also: List of African-American Republicans.
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
- Caleb Hanna – West Virginia State Delegate (2018–present)
- Jill Upson – West Virginia State Delegate (2014–2018)
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Other people
United States judges
TV personalities, authors and journalists
- Amy Holmes – News anchor and political contributor on CNN[28]
- Armond White – Film critic for National Review and Out Magazine
- Armstrong Williams – Author of Beyond Blame and TV host of On Point[29]
- Ben Kinchlow – Evangelist, television and radio personality
- Brandon Tatum – Former police officer, commentator and professional speaker.
- Candace Owens – Writer and commentator
- Carol M. Swain – Television personality and professor of political science and law at Vanderbilt University
- Charles Payne – Fox News and Fox Business journalist
- CJ Pearson – Journalist
- C.L. Bryant – TV host
- Deneen Borelli – Author, columnist, and Fox News contributor
- Diamond and Silk (Lynnette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson) – Live-stream video bloggers, political activists and Newsmax TV hosts
- Eboni K. Williams - Attorney and radio and TV personality
- George Schuyler – Journalist
- Philippa Schuyler – Pianist, author, journalist
- Hallie Quinn Brown – Author
- Harris Faulkner – Television host for Fox News
- James Golden – Producer for The Rush Limbaugh Show (under the alias "Bo Snerdley")
- Reverend Jesse Lee Peterson – President of the Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny[30]
- Jason Riley – Journalist
- Jason Whitlock – Sports Journalist, radio personality, commentator and writer.
- Katrina Pierson – Tea Party activist, communications consultant and a regular CNN contributor
- Kathy Barnette - Policy commentator and former political candidate
- Larry Elder – Author of 10 Things You Can't Say in America and radio host[31]
- Lawrence Dennis – Mixed-race, diplomat, consultant, author
- Lawrence B. Jones – Radio host, contributor to Fox News, and author
- Lenny McAllister – Author of Diary of a Mad Black PYC (Proud Young Conservative) and radio talk-show host from WVON-AM Chicago[32]
- Leo Terrell – civil rights attorney, talk radio host
- Lester Holt – News anchor at NBC News, a registered Republican since 2003[33]
- Michael King – Emmy Award-winning television producer
- Michelle Bernard – Journalist
- Nannie Helen Burroughs – Author
- Paris Dennard – Commentator on CNN and NPR, and the Senior Director of Strategic Communications for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund
- Raynard Jackson – Columnist and TV political analyst
- Shelby Steele – Author
- Samantha Marika – Political commentator
- Anton Daniels – YouTube personality[34]
- Tommy Sotomayor – Radio and internet talk show host, YouTube personality, men's rights activist and film producer[35]
- Tony Brown – Journalist and host of Tony Brown's Journal
- Tyrus (wrestler) – Professional wrestler, actor and Fox News commentator
- Zora Neale Hurston - Author, anthropologist and filmmaker
Military
Columnists
Athletes and entertainers
- Anthony Watson (skeleton racer) - is an American-born skeleton racer who competed on behalf of Jamaica in the 2018 Winter Olympics, becoming the first athlete to represent the Caribbean nation in the winter sport.
- Bryan Clay – Washington Times
- Bryson Gray - is an American rapper, known for his work in the Christian hip hop and political hip hop genres.
- David Tyree – NFL Football player
- Don King – Boxing promoter
- Ernie Banks – MLB baseball player[40]
- Greg Anthony – NBA basketball player
- Herschel Walker – NFL football player
- Isaiah Washington – Actor
- James Brown – Musician. Openly endorsed Richard Nixon at the 1972 presidential election and named Strom Thurmond as one of his heroes during a 1999 interview with Rolling Stone.[41]
- Jimmie Walker – Actor
- Johnny Mathis – Singer
- Jonathan Isaac - NBA basketball player
- Joseph C. Phillips – Actor[42]
- Joy Villa – Singer. Promoted and supported Donald Trump's presidency in 2017.[43]
- Kanye West – Rapper and record producer. Endorsed Donald Trump subsequently to the 2016 presidential election. Met President Trump in the Oval Office on 11 October 2018. Independent candidate for President of the United States in 2020 and 2024.
- Karl Malone – Olympic Gold medallist and basketball player[44]
- Kevin and Keith Hodge – Prominent YouTube commentators, comedians and trainers
- Lawrence Taylor - NFL Football player
- Lionel Hampton - Musician, delegate to several Republican National Conventions, vice-president of the New York State Republican Committee.
- Mattie Montgomery - singer and pastor
- Mike Jones – WWF wrestler
- Nolan Carroll – NFL Football player and son of Jennifer Carroll, Lieutenant Governor of Florida
- Ottis Anderson - NFL Football player
- Pearl Bailey – Actress and singer
- Ronnie Lott – NFL Football player
- Rosey Grier - Former football player, actor, singer, Protestant minister, he addressed the 1984 Republican National Convention and endorsed Ronald Reagan for reelection.
- Stacey Dash – Actress
- Thurman Thomas – NFL Football player[45]
- Tommy Vext - singer
- Tony Dungy – NFL Football player and coach
- Topher (rapper) - is an independent American rapper, songwriter and conservative commentator.
- Wilt Chamberlain – NBA Basketball player
- Kevin Holland - is an American professional mixed martial artist.
Education and business
- Alveda King – Niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and senior fellow at the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution
- Arthur Fletcher – Academic
- Booker T. Washington – Educator, author, orator, and adviser to several presidents of the United States
- Chris Darden – Attorney
- George Washington Carver – Agricultural scientist and inventor who promoted alternative crops to cotton and methods to prevent soil depletion
- Glenn Loury – Academic, economist, and podcast host
- Herman Cain – Former CEO of Godfather's Pizza, talk show host, and one-time presidential candidate
- Jessie De Priest – Music teacher, wife of Congressman Oscar Stanton De Priest. Her presence at a White House tea given by Lou Henry Hoover on June 12, 1929, caused a scandal among southern Democrats
- Joshua I. Smith – Businessman
- Marvin Scott – Academic
- Michael Powell - Former Republican member of the Federal Communications Commission, current president National Cable and Telecommunications Association.
- Dr. Mildred Fay Jefferson – First African American to graduate from Harvard Medical School
- Samuel B. Fuller – Businessman
- Stephen N. Lackey – Businessman
- Thomas Sowell – American economist, social theorist, and senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution.
- Vern S. Williams – Member of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel
- Walter Edward Williams – American economist, commentator, and academic
- Robert Oscar Lopez - Academic - mixed Latino and African ancestry
- Eunice Carter - Attorney. First African-American assistant district attorney in New York state.
- Robert Reed Church - Real estate investor and banker, he was a delegate for William McKinley at the 1900 Republican National Convention.
- Robert Church Jr - Businessman and Republican Party organizer in Memphis, Tennessee
- Mary Church Terrell - One of the first African-American women to receive a college degree, she was a journalist and educator. She was an active Republican, campaigning for Warren G. Harding in 1920.
- Angel Joy Chavis Rocker - Guidance counselor. She became the first African-American woman to seek the Republican nomination for President of the United States in 2000.
- William Nickerson Jr. - Businessman and founder of Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company, in 1944, he was candidate for presidential elector from California on the Republican Dewey-Bricker ticket.
Civil rights, abolitionists and activists
- Eldridge Cleaver – Leader of the Black Panther Party who later became a Republican
- James Meredith – Civil rights campaigner, who served as domestic adviser to Jesse Helms
- James Weldon Johnson – Activist, served as treasurer of Colored Republican Club
- Scipio Africanus Jones – Activist
- Dr. T. R. M. Howard – Founder of Regional Council of Negro Leadership, surgeon, supporter of right to abortion, ally of Dwight Eisenhower. He opposed socialism and Communism.
- Bayard Rustin – Civil rights activist who became neoconservative in later life
- Michael the Black Man – Maurice Woodside, activist
- James David Manning – Pastor, ATLAH World Missionary Church, activist
- Bishop Eddie Long – Pastor, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, activist
- Enrique Tarrio – Henry "Enrique" Tarrio, identifies as Afro-Cuban, activist
- Manning Johnson – Former Communist who became an anti-communist activist
- Darrell C. Scott – Pastor, activist
- Ali Alexander – Social media personality and activist, of African-American and Arab ancestry
- Archibald Grimke – Civil rights activist
- Ezola Foster – Teacher, writer, political activist, and unsuccessful candidate for public office on the Republican and Reform Party tickets
- Roscoe Simmons – Orator, journalist, political activist, he was part of the "Old Guard" of Black Republicans in Tennessee. He attended three Republican National Conventions and seconded the nomination of Herbert Hoover in 1932.
- Maj Toure - activist and rapper, founder of Black Guns Matter
- Mark Burns (pastor) - televangelist, unsuccessful candidate for United States House of Representatives from South Carolina in 2018 and 2022.
- Ayaan Hirsi Ali - Somali-born Dutch-American activist associated with the conservative American Enterprise Institute and Hoover Institution, a former Muslim, she has spoken out against Islamic suppression of women and has criticized American feminists for their failure to speak out on this issue.
- H. K. Edgerton - African-American neoconfederate activist.
- Nelson W. Winbush - is an educator, who is notable as one of a handful of African-American members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV).
- Mattie Clyburn Rice - was an African-American member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
- Voddie Baucham - is an American pastor, author, and educator. He serves as Dean of Theology at African Christian University in Lusaka, Zambia.
- Lemuel Haynes - was an American clergyman. A veteran of the American Revolution, Haynes was the first black man in the United States to be ordained as a minister.
- Tony Evans (pastor)
Organizations
See also
Further reading
- Blain, Charles J., Black Churches Can't Stand Strong If They Keep Democrats as Their Platform (2017)
- Conti, Joseph G & Brad Stetson, Challenging the Civil Rights Establishment: Profiles of a New Black Vanguard (1993)
- Eisenstadt, Peter, ed. Black Conservatism: Essays in Intellectual and Political History (1999)
- Farina, Stan, Brad Stetson & Joseph G. Conti, eds. Black and Right: The Bold New Voice of Black Conservatives in America (1997)
- Lewis, Angela K., "Black conservatism in America," Journal of African American Studies, Vol 8, Issue 4, pp. 3–13 (2005)
- Ondaatje, Michael, Black Conservative Intellectuals in Modern America (2010)
External links
- Organizations
Notes and References
- Book: Diamond . Sara . Facing the Wrath: Confronting the Right in Dangerous Times . 1996 . Common Courage Press . 978-1-56751-078-2 . 96 . English . 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..
- News: 2007-10-04 . Lexington: The school of very hard knocks . The Economist . 2011-05-17.
- News: Wright Rigueur . Leah . 15 February 2015 . The Forgotten History of Black Republicans . The Daily Beast . New York City . 30 March 2017 .
- 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)
- Book: 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. Social History of the United States [10 volumes]. 2008. ABC-CLIO. 978-1-59884-128-2. 360.
- http://pewforum.org/docs/index.php?DocID=153#2 Pew Forum: Many Americans Uneasy with Mix of Religion and Politics
- http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?PageID=750 Part 1: Party Affiliation: The 2004 Political Landscape
- News: Exit Poll Shows Blacks, Hispanics Overwhelmingly Backed Prop. 8 . November 5, 2008 . . March 29, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120917230950/http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/exit-poll-shows-blacks-hispanics-overwhelmingly-ba/nKXyL/ . September 17, 2012 .
- News: 70% of African Americans backed Prop. 8, exit poll finds . Latimesblogs.latimes.com . 2008-11-05 . 2013-11-01.
- News: Local Exit Polls – Election Center 2008 – Elections & Politics from . CNN.com . 2013-11-01.
- News: Focused beyond marriage . Los Angeles Times . 2008-11-06 . 2013-11-01 . Dan . Morain . Jessica . Garrison.
- Web site: American President: Franklin Delano Roosevelt: The American Franchine . Millercenter.org . 2011-05-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101127014021/http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/fdroosevelt/essays/biography/8 . 2010-11-27 . dead .
- Book: Gilmore . Glenda Elizabeth . These United States: A Nation in the Making, 1890-Present . 2016 . W.W. Norton & Co. . New York . 9780393283075 . 24 . First.
- Book: Behind the Mule: Race and Class in African-American Politics. registration. 102. herbert hoover fired black republicans.. Princeton University Press. 0691025436. Dawson. Michael C.. 1995.
- Web site: How the party of Lincoln won over the once democratic south . History.com. September 3, 2021.
- Web site: Meet Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll . 2012-03-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120312170453/http://www.flgov.com/meet-the-lt-governor/ . 2012-03-12 .
- Web site: 'Blessed and highly favored' Byron Donalds wins election for U.S. Congressional District 19, pledges water quality No. 1 priority.
- Web site: Moseley . Brandon . Kenneth Paschal in HD73 special election on Tuesday . Alabama Political Reporter . 2021-07-12 . 2022-07-25.
- Web site: chastang . Mobile Bay Times . 2022-07-25.
- Web site: Sharon Jackson For Alaska . Sharon Jackson For House (24) . 2022-07-25 . 2023-01-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230104195114/https://jacksonforhouse.com/ . dead .
- Web site: Seipel. Brooke. July 12, 2021. Conservative talk radio host Larry Elder enters California recall election against Newsom. July 12, 2021. The Hill. en.
- Web site: Peter Boulware . 2008-08-28 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080828042127/http://www.voteboulware.com/ . 2008-08-28 .
- Web site: Former Chatham Borough Mayor Bruce Harris Named as New Member of State Planning Commission . Chatham TapInto . February 27, 2020 . March 26, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200327015056/https://www.tapinto.net/towns/chatham/sections/government/articles/former-chatham-borough-mayor-bruce-harris-named-as-new-member-of-state-planning-commission . March 27, 2020 . live.
- News: 'Ricochet' Goes Behind Scenes of Gun Lobby . 2007-11-15 . . 2007-11-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090629195130/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16324652&ft=1&f=5 . June 29, 2009 . live.
- http://www.nrawinningteam.com/bios99/innis.html "Roy Innis re-elected to NRA Board"
- News: Lynn Swann, Happy to Be on the President's Team . washingtonpost.com . 2006-08-17. 2011-05-17 . Michael A. . Fletcher.
- Web site: Judge Lynn Toler: Yes, I'm Republican. 24 September 2012.
- Web site: CNN TV - Anchors/Reporters:Amy Holmes . CNN International . 2021-09-14.
- , National Association http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_/ai_n13610411
- Web site: April 11, 2005 . The Nation . 2011-05-17.
- Web site: Larry Elder – Conservative Columnist and Political Commentator 2003 Column Archive . Townhall.com . 2011-05-17.
- Web site: WVON 1690 AM – The Talk of Chicago | Weekday Line-up . Wvon.com . 2011-05-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110720024316/http://www.wvon.com/personalities/ . 2011-07-20 .
- Web site: Trump Calls NBC News Anchor And Fellow GOP'er Lester Holt A Democrat. NPR. 20 September 2016. Folkenflik. David.
- Web site: MAGA Anton Debates With A Black Liberal/Independent Veteran. November 16, 2022. YouTube.com. March 23, 2024.
- Web site: How Democrats & White Liberals Are Destroying The Black American People!. https://web.archive.org/web/20150807024143/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMRvas6ssq8&gl=US&hl=en . 2015-08-07 . dead. Tommy. Sotomayor. 6 August 2015. YouTube.
- Web site: Brigadier General Mary J. Kight . 2012-12-23 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090729093106/http://www.ng.mil/ngbgomo/library/bio/1711.htm . 2009-07-29 .
- Web site: Governor Schwarzenegger Appoints Brigadier General Mary J. Kight Adjutant General of the California National Guard. 2012-12-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20150530011603/http://www.129rqw.ang.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123188673. 2015-05-30. dead.
- News: Mary J. Kight continues to be a trailblazer . Los Angeles Times . Michael . Rothfeld . 2010-02-01.
- http://www.bayoubuzz.com/News/Louisiana/Politics/General_Russell_Honore_To_Run_Vs_David_Vitter_In_Louisiana_US_Race__9439.asp General Russell Honore To Run Vs David Vitter In Louisiana US Race?
- http://spectator.org/blog/61650/did-you-know-ernie-banks-was-republican Did you know Ernie Banks was a Republican?
- News: Pareles. Jon. James Brown, the 'Godfather of Soul', Dies at 73. The New York Times. December 22, 2013. December 25, 2006.
- Web site: Minnesota Public Radio . Minnesota Public Radio . 2006-06-13 . 2011-05-17.
- Romaine . Jenna . Joy Villa Unveils Donald Trump 'Make America Great Again' Dress on the Grammy Red Carpet . . 2017-02-12 . 2017-02-12.
- Web site: NEWSMEAT ▷ Karl Malone's Federal Campaign Contribution Report . Newsmeat.com . 2011-05-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110622012547/http://www.newsmeat.com/sports_political_donations/Karl_Malone.php . 2011-06-22 .
- Benjamin, Elizabeth (2010-09-16). NFLer: Carl's no racist . Capitol Tonight. Retrieved 2010-09-16.