There are significant numbers of Asian-Americans, Latinos, Catholics and Jews in both of America’s major political parties. In the aforementioned communities, being a Republican or Democrat does not mean you will be considered persona non grata by the rest of the community. That is certainly not the case within the African American community.
The late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, President Barack Obama, and former Governor Douglas Wilder are revered by the vast majority of the African American community. On the other hand, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele are mocked and vilified by many in the African American community.
Three Democrats: Heroes. Three Republicans: Enemies.
That is the stark reality of the political attitudes within the African-American community. The question is how did this happen?
In the past 45 years, Republicans have opposed busing, desegregation, and voters’ rights (just to name a few important issues near and dear to most African Americans). Opposition to those issues is enough to make any African American quite leery of Republicans, but the Republican Party’s sins against African Americans have even deeper roots. Former President Richard Nixon is credited as being the first Republican to use the “Southern Strategy,” an orchestrated attempt to exploit the racial animus and fears of whites in order to win their votes.
The Southern Strategy has been instrumental in making the South a Republican stronghold for the past four decades. That is a just a snapshot of why the Republican Party is perceived as an antagonist by many African Americans. So when an African American is the mouthpiece for the Republicans, it is understandable that African Americans will have little to no respect for that person.
Here is a bit of free advice for any African American member of the Republican Party. Denounce the party’s racist practices. That has to be the first step. As long as the Republican Party celebrates the lives and contributions of Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond, African Americans will never feel welcome. If African American Republicans actively attempted to purge the party of its racist residue instead of pretending to be deaf, dumb and blind to it, African Americans might believe that the party is willing to change its stripes.
The lack of political diversity in the African American community is dangerous. It is politically important that African Americans have voices on the right and left. That voice cannot allow the Republican Party to ignore the community, or accept being taken for granted by the Democratic Party.
–samuel adams
