We’ve all too often heard hateful rhetoric directed at black conservatives for daring to think differently from their kinsmen, so when 96% of the black community votes in virtual lockstep for a candidate, it takes immense courage for a smaller number of blacks to disagree and vote in opposition. However, pulling the lever to support a conservative candidate or idea in the privacy of a polling booth is easier and safer than speaking out publicly. Ironic, isn’t it, that all of us are rightfully expected to embrace diverse shades of melanin, yet in contrast, many in the black community seem to assume or demand that there be no diversity of opinion in the political arena. Fortunately, uniformity of thought is being challenged by individual thinkers within the black community. At the end of this article are listed a number of black conservative bloggers and others who are attempting to change the minds of friends, families and strangers. They, too, hope to influence public thinking from the grassroots to the highest levels of government. Simply by raising their voices above the crowd of naysayers, they are showing leadership qualities. These individuals deserve full marks for their courage, intellect, curiosity, and fortitude despite the criticisms they probably receive.
These bloggers and thinkers understand that conservatism is the natural home for the black community, because they know traditional values keep families intact, and that good education is the fairest equalizer. For that message to be heard and better understood, they should always be free to speak their minds.
On June 30, 2008, black radio personality and author Larry Elder, published an editorial in Investor’s Business Daily titled “How A Black Can Oppose Barack Obama.” Excerpts from the article take the reader back in time, pointedly questioning their historical knowledge about conservatives and liberals. Hyperlinks have been added:
You might also want to familiarize yourself with the history of the Democratic and Republican parties, and see which one has stood up longer for the rights of people of color.
Do you know that Democrats opposed the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments to the Constitution--abolishing slavery granting citizenship rights to newly freed slaves and guaranteeing the right to vote (at least on paper) to blacks, respectively?
Do you know that most of the politicians who stood for segregation were Southern Democrats? Do you know that the Ku Klux Klan was founded by Democrats, one of whose goals was to stop the spread of the Republican Party?
Do you know that, as a percentage of the party, more Republicans than Democrats voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
Do you know that inner-city parents want vouchers--the right to determine where their children go to school? Do you know most Democrats, including Barack Obama, oppose this?
Most Republicans support vouchers.
Do you know that 36% of babies aborted are black, while blacks make up 17% of live births? Do you know polls show blacks are more pro-life than are whites? Yet the Democratic Party--to which over 90% of blacks belong--is the party of Roe v. Wade, requiring states to legalize abortion on demand?
Do you know that Margaret Sanger, the founder of the organization that became Planned Parenthood, believed that poor blacks were inferior and that aborting their babies made our society better? Look it up.
Speaking of helping the “underprivileged, I’d suggest you read a book called “Who Really Cares,” by Arthur C. Brooks. A non-Republican professor raised by Democrats, he examined the charitable spending habits of Democrats and Republicans. The results surprised him.
Republicans give far more of their money and time for charitable purposes than do Democrats. And the giving is not confined to their churches or other houses of worship. This, by the way, has nothing to do with income. Poor Republicans give more than poor Democrats.
Compassion is not about making people dependent on government. Compassion is about encouraging personal responsibility, and getting people to understand that life is about making choices.
Since the tragic loss of Martin Luther King, a Republican, the ideological pendulum has swung far to the left, but with the help of the black conservatives listed below, and all who follow their lead, the pendulum will eventually swing back towards the right. Perhaps somewhere between these two opposites we, as a human community, will find our shared values.
I hope these folks are connecting with each other to enlarge their circle of influence. They have the opportunity to show the way for anyone willing to listen, learn, and participate. My apologies to other black conservatives whose names I missed during my search of the internet.
NOTE: This list will be updated as new sources become known, so check back occasionally.
BLOGGERS
A Bold Conservative Digest
Another Black Conservative
Black Conservatives
Black Conservatives (Myspace)
Booker Rising
Conservative Black Woman
Digital Publius
Left Coast Rebel
Republicans for Black Empowerment
SaynSumthn's Blog
The Black Republican
The Black Sphere
The National Leadership Network of Black Conservatives
Wake Up Black America
Young Black Conservatives
VIDEOS
Dr. Ben Carson; A Real American Hero
Florida Congressional Candidate Lieutenant Colonel Allen West
Get the Race Card Advantage: A Free Pass on Everything!
Maafa21
Lloyd Marcus, Black Conservative
We The People - The New Tea Party Unity Song by Lloyd Marcus II
Why I’m a Conservative Republican
ORGANIZATIONS
African American Republican Leadership Council
National Black Republican Association
BOOKS
Black Conservative Intellectuals in Modern America by Michael Ondaatje
Showdown: Confronting Bias, Lies, and the Special Interests That Divide America by Larry Elders
Thomas Sowell, Rose and Milton Friedman Senior Fellow, The Hoover Institution (Economist)
ARTICLES
27 articles on American Thinker by Lloyd Marcus
How the Left Trashes Black Conservatives
More on Black Conservatives
Teacher Union Holding Back Black Students by Walter Williams
The Loneliness of the “Black Conservative”
The Nobleness of Black Conservatives
