Black conservatism in the United States

In the United States, black conservatism is a political and social movement rooted in communities of African descent that aligns largely with the American conservative movement, including the Christian right. 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 conservatives in the early 21st century who held office include Senator Tim Scott, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and Cabinet secretaries Ben Carson, Condoleezza Rice, and Colin Powell. Thomas Sowell, Shelby Steele, Armstrong Williams, Larry Elder, Walter Williams and Candace Owens are among the most influential black conservative political commentators.

Overview

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. In the tradition of African American politics and intellectual life, black conservatives tend to side with Booker T. Washington as contrasted with W. E. B. Du Bois. For many black conservatives, the key mission is to bring repair and success to the black community by applying the following fundamental principles:

  • The pursuit of educational and professional excellence as a means of advancement within the society;
  • Policies that promote safety and security in the community beyond the typical casting of a criminal as a "victim" of societal racism;
  • Not using the lens of race and the country's history of discrimination as justifications for not excelling to the best of your abilities;
  • Local economic development through free enterprise rather than looking to the federal government for assistance;
  • Empowerment of the individual via self-improvement (virtue), conscience, and supernatural grace.

Black conservatives typically oppose affirmative action and tend to argue that efforts to obtain reparations for slavery are either misguided or counter-productive. Black conservatives tend to be self-critical of aspects of African-American culture that they believe have created poverty and dependency.

Black conservatives—especially black Republicans—are often accused[by whom?] of being Uncle Toms.[citation needed] Ebony in their May 2001 "100+ Most Influential Black Americans" issue, did not include a number of influential African Americans such as Thomas Sowell, Shelby Steele, Armstrong Williams, Walter Williams and, most notably, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The Economist described the exclusion of Justice Thomas from the list as spiteful.

Black conservatives favor integration of African Americans into mainstream America and, consequently, disagree with black nationalism and separatism. Black conservatives are more inclined to support economic policies promoting free trade and tax cuts.[citation needed]

According to a 2004 study[by whom?], 14% of blacks identified as "Conservative" or "Extremely Conservative"with another 14% identifying as slightly conservative. However, the same study indicated that less than ten percent identified as Republican or Republican-leaning. [dead link][original research?] Likewise, a 2007 Pew Research Center survey showed that 19% of blacks identified as Religious Right. In 2004, though, the Pew Research Center indicated only 7% of blacks identified as Republican.

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. Polls by both the Associated Press and CNN mirrored this data, reporting support among black voters to be at 70% and 75%, 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.

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 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. 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. This can be considered an early example of a set of Republican Party methods that were later termed the Southern Strategy.[better source needed]

Timeline of events

Tim Scott
Condoleezza Rice
Colin Powell
Alphonso Jackson
Rod Paige
Clarence Thomas
Mia Love
Allen West
Herman Cain
Dr. 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

California

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Illinois

Indiana

  • Roger Brown – Indianapolis City Councillor (1993-1997) and Indiana Pacers basketball player
  • Curtis Hill - Attorney General of Indiana (2017-2021) and candidate for Governor, 2024

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

  • Michael Ross[citation needed] – Washington State Representative (1971–1973)
  • Charles Stokes[citation needed]– Washington State Representative (1951–1959)

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

Ambassadors

TV personalities, authors and journalists

Military

Columnists

Athletes and entertainers

Education and business

Civil rights, abolitionists and activists

Organizations

See also


This page was last updated at 2023-07-26 08:05 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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