Two Facebook friends of mine… Catherine Z…. She’s a young black woman who is supportive of the current NFL player protests, solid approval of President Obama, and is indifferent regarding universal healthcare. One of her profile pictures was the 2008/2016 split Obama first family portrait. And her most current post states “Yessss ‘Auntie Maxine,’ get em!” Safe assumption – she either votes Democrat or leans to the left. She also has a master’s degree in finance and works for an accounting firm.
Second Facebook friend… Matt Y… Despite Matt only having a high school diploma with no college education, he actually works for the same accounting firm with Catherine. Surprisingly (or maybe not surprisingly), they have the same title and role. Matt is nearing retirement at the age of 56. He thinks the NFL player protests are inappropriate for a sporting event, doesn’t agree with universal healthcare (though will take part in Medicare), and feels the media has attacked Trump more than any other president. His Facebook profile pic is a bald eagle, in fact, none of his profiles pic are of his face, just run of the mill patriotic stuff. His most current post states Trump has eliminated 5 trillion dollars of debt (which if he did do that, it would be 25 percent of the 20 trillion-dollar national debt) since taking office. Spoiler alert, Matt votes Republican.
They argue on Facebook, well, their respective friends argue, about everything from climate change, Hilary Clinton’s emails, and the ultimate fun-filled topic ‘Black Lives Matter.’ Catherine and Matt represent the viewpoints of people who look like them, with very little middle ground.
So how did we get here as a nation?
Our nation is divided politically into a two-party system. Both the Republican and Democratic parties have stockpiled their support mainly based on demographics that currently exist due to the racial and gender divisions in our nation’s history. The Democrats don’t make any secrets about who they’re for. They’re for freedom of sexual orientation, women, Black folk, Latinos, and those born after 1970.
The Republican party profoundly professes the opposite. They promote the adages of “small government,” “states’ rights,” and “fiscal responsibility,” and they claim not to see color, gender, or other demographics. However, the recent history of Republican talking points and policies show the exact opposite of the aforementioned adages. Republicans have made significant efforts in derailing the progression of any group or person that doesn’t identify as a White Christian male. Historically, Republicans were the party against prohibition, the party in which 80% of its members voted to pass the 1964 civil rights bill, and of course, started as the party for emancipation. Fast forward, and the Republican party since Nixon has doubled-down on its whiteness in every sense of the word. With that being the situation at hand, “You a Black Republican?,” was a very common response I received from all walks of life between 2006-2012. I know Q Tip on an old tribe record once said,”Never give a date.” However, I want to make it clear that I was a Republican only for a certain period of my life.
So how does a young black man born in the Democratic stronghold of Maryland end up being a Black Republican? Like most Black Republicans, I think it’s important to state that my political ideology at an early age was shaped by personal political preference without the thought of demographics.
I strongly believe the government should be conservative in its actions. I believe the government should not be quick to act or change without careful review, which is the very definition of political conservatism. I believe the federal government should be small, tax in an appropriate manner, and spend on services that directly benefit the people. Fiscal conservatism and social progression was the hallmark of the Republican party. The party was hijacked by extremists and flat-out racists in the late 1960s. From that point forward, the ranks of Christian conservatives and now the Trumpbots have taken over the party. Black Republicans don’t personally harbor those radical feelings, so they ignore the ape pictures of Obama and extremists like Representative Steve King who pose questions like, “Where did any other subgroup of people (other than white) contribute more to civilization?” Yes, he said that without any pushback or criticism from his fellow party members.
Unlike Trump surrogates, when Black Republicans talk about “fiscal responsibility” it’s safe to assume they truly are talking about the government mismanaging resources. They really do think the Democrat party has been a crux to black people via sponsoring aid programs like food stamps and housing aid. For this, they reject social programs and reject the party of help, the Democrats. Their outlook and desire for a Black America, nondependent of any government resource, is their calling – it was mine. Black Republicans don’t want to tackle racism. They don’t want to accept the fact most political mindsets and policies in this nation are the product of demographics, not pure ideology. Lastly, Black Republicans have a strong belief that overly presenting race as an issue is a pillar of the issue itself.
The recent surge of radical divisions along demographic lines during the 2016 Presidential campaign has caused many Black Republicans to reconsider their affiliation with their party, or at least with a party that does not denounce blatant racism. Wedge issues like the NFL player protests and the removal of Confederate flags and monuments have exposed the true mindsets of many. A danger most Black Republicans ignored; yet, prominent Black Republican’s like Michael Steele to Colin Powell, have publicly denounced such sentiment and have thankfully not sided with their party. With that being said, they are still Republicans – a decision and position that speaks volumes.
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