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Black conservatism in the United States is a political and social movement rooted in communities of African descent that aligns largely with the American conservative movement. Since the Civil Rights Movement in the latter 20th Century, the African-American community has generally fallen to the left of the right-wing conservative movement, and has predominantly favored itself on the side of liberalism and civil rights progressives. Black conservatism emphasizes traditionalism, strong patriotism, capitalism, free markets, and strong social conservatism within the context of the black church.
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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:
Black conservatives may find common ground with Black Nationalists through their common belief in black empowerment and the theory that black people have been duped by the Welfare state.
On the other hand, some of the policies advocated by Black conservatives are in conflict with some of the key points in the common social, economic, and political positions that a high percentage of African-Americans favor. For example, black conservatives typically oppose affirmative action which is supported by the vast majority of African American communities. They tend to argue that efforts to obtain reparations for slavery are either misguided or counter-productive. Moreover, black conservatives - especially black Republicans - are often accused of being Uncle Toms. 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, a British libertarian-leaning magazine, described the exclusion of Thomas from the list as spiteful.[2] Black conservatives favor integration of African Americans into mainstream America and, consequently, disagree with Black nationalism. Black conservatives are more inclined to support economic policies promoting globalization, free-trade and tax cuts.
The term "Black Republican" was coined by Democrats in 1854 to describe the newly-formed Republican Party. Though the majority of Republicans at the time were actually white, the Republican Party was founded by abolitionists and generally supported racial equality. Southern Democrats used the term as one of derision, believing that a Lincoln victory in 1860 would lead to widespread slave revolts. The use of the term continued after the Civil War to reflect most Southerners' opinions of the Radical Republicans during Reconstruction.[3] Over the next century, the term "Black Republican" would come to refer specifically to blacks affiliated with or voting for the Republican Party and is now a subset of the broader movement of black conservatism.
According to a 2004 study 13.7% of blacks identified as "Conservative" or "Extremely Conservative"[4] with another 14.4% identifying as slightly conservative. However the same study indicated less than ten percent identified as Republican or Republican leaning in any fashion. Likewise, a recent Pew Research Center survey showed that 19% of blacks identify as Religious Right.[5] In 2004 the Pew Research Center indicated only 7% of blacks identify as Republican.[6] Hence a certain percentage of noted Black conservatives (such as Harold Ford Jr.) are likely connected to the Democrats for Life of America movement or economic liberalism.
From Reconstruction up until the New Deal, the black population tended to vote Republican as 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 segregation and the Republican Party's roots in the abolitionist movement (see Dixiecrats for more on this). Blacks started to shift in significant numbers to the Democrats with the election of Franklin Roosevelt,[7] whose New Deal particularly benefited economically disadvantaged minority communities (not true - actually some New Deal programs discriminated against blacks and other minorities) and helped forge the New Deal coalition which dominated American politics for the next 30 years, and continued with the election of John F. Kennedy.
Another case study of differences between Black conservatives and Black Republicans is an emphasis on personal empowerment versus theological perspectives. Black Republicans like Colin Powell hold to the social ideas articulated by the early Radical Republicans like Frederick Douglass while at the same time supporting the self-empowerment message of Booker T. Washington. Many social conservatives who are black and Republican hold to a biblically based empowerment although they also appreciate Booker's emphasis on personal accomplishment. Conservatives like the Texas minister T. D. Jakes are evangelical African Americans who support policies more in common but not totally in line with many white Evangelicals.
Though the Tea Party movement has been accused of racism due to the fact that it has a disproportionately higher number of white people in the movement, especially compared to blacks, this appears to be an issue of demographics, as the Tea Parties tend to have a greater popularity in rural and suburban areas, which have lower concentrations of black people. Most Tea Parties have tended to embrace black conservatives that share their ideology; as of June 2010, an estimated 33 black people ran as Republicans in the United States House of Representatives elections, 2010. The chances of each one winning varied widely by district, due to district demographics and gerrymandering; two, Allen West and Tim Scott, were elected to the House, both with support from the Tea Party.[8] Members of the Tea Party movement have also shown support for the 2012 presidential campaign of Herman Cain, a black conservative business executive and talk show host.
The African-American church has traditionally been an important element of social and political movements in the Black community. These generally have been identified with persons of the Left or liberalism, like Jesse Jackson, but this is not always true. On issues concerning homosexuality, Black Protestants are more socially conservative than other groups, excepting White Evangelicals.[9] Their view on the issue of homosexual teachers changed less than any other segment based on religion or race.
The following African American Congressmen were or are considered conservatives.
| Character | Film TV series Novel |
Network Production company Publisher |
Actor Author |
Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlton Banks | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | NBC | Alfonso Ribeiro | Student |
| Phillip Banks | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | NBC | James Avery | Judge |
| Ray Campbell | Sister, Sister | ABC/The WB | Tim Reid | Owner, Limousine Service |
| Ron Carver | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | NBC | Courtney B. Vance | District Attorney |
| Thurgood Marshall "Goodie" Cumberbatch | 704 Hauser | CBS | T.E. Russell | |
| Gabrielle Ashe | Deception Point | Ulverscroft | Dan Brown | |
| Gordon Davis | Protect and Defend | Berkley Books | Eric L. Harry | |
| Armstrong Elders | The Boondocks | Adult Swim | Gary Anthony Williams | Media Personality, hybrid of Larry Elder and Armstrong Williams |
| William Dent | Girlfriends | UPN/The CW | Reggie Hayes | Lawyer |
| Augustus Freeman IV ("Icon") | Icon (Comic book) | Milestone Media | Dwayne McDuffie | Superhero |
| Jim Gardner | Commander in Chief | ABC | Harry Lennix | White House Chief of Staff (later asked by President Mackenzie Allen to accept the nomination for a vacancy in the office Vice President of the United States; first Black Vice President) |
| Oliver Garland | The Emperor of Ocean Park | Knopf | Stephen L. Carter | |
| John Garnett | ATL | Warner Brothers | Keith David | CEO |
| Warden Leo Glynn | Oz | HBO | Ernie Hudson | Prison Warden |
| Jimmy James | Barbershop (film) Barbershop 2: Back in Business (film) Barbershop: The Series (TV) |
MGM (film) Showtime (TV) |
Sean Patrick Thomas (film) Leslie Elliard (TV) |
Barber/Aspiring politician |
| Bruford Jamison, Jr. | Drop Squad | Gramercy Pictures | Eriq La Salle | |
| Ronald "Ron" Johnson, Jr. | A Different World | NBC | Darryl M. Bell | Undergraduate student |
| Kyle | Get on the Bus | Columbia Pictures | Isaiah Washington | Military Veteran |
| Russell A. "Linc" Lincoln | Linc's | Showtime | Steven Williams | |
| Matty | Roc | Fox | Joan Pringle | Registered nurse |
| Wendell Perry | Get on the Bus | Columbia Pictures | Wendell Pierce | Lexus Dealership Owner |
| Courtney Rae | Whoopi | Carsey-Werner | Wren T. Brown | Former Enron employee |
| Dondi Reece | Black Panther (Comic book) | Marvel Comics | Reginald Hudlin | U.S. Secretary of State |
| The Hon. Atallah Sims | 100 Centre Street | A&E Network | Latanya Richardson | Judge |
| Dr. Maxwell Stanton | In the House | NBC/UPN | Alfonso Ribeiro | Doctor |
| Dr. Julius Hibbert | The Simpsons | Fox | Harry Shearer | Doctor |
| Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | NBC | Ice T | Police Detective |
| P.K. Winsome | The Colbert Report | Comedy Central | Tim Meadows | Political Commentator/ Entrepreneur |
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