Black conservatism in the United States


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. Black conservatism emphasizes traditionalism, patriotism, capitalism, free markets, and sometimes social conservatism. Black conservatives are supported by a minority of black Americans, whereas the majority of black Americans favor the left of the political spectrum.

Overview

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:
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. Black conservatives tend to be self-critical of aspects of African-American culture that they believe have created poverty and dependency. 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 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 globalization, free trade and tax cuts.
According to a 2004 study, 13.7% of blacks identified as "Conservative" or "Extremely Conservative" with another 14.4% identifying as slightly conservative. However, the same study indicated that less than ten percent identified as Republican or Republican-leaning. Likewise, a 2007 Pew Research Center survey showed that 19% of blacks identified as Religious Right. In 2004, the Pew Research Center indicated only 7% of blacks identified as Republican.
A National Election Pool poll showed that support for California Proposition 8 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. 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. 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.

Timeline of events

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
In addition to the persons listed above under "Timeline of events," the following black conservative politicians have been prominent in the respective U.S. states under which they are listed:

[Alabama]

Larry G. Meeks Director of California Department of Health Services

[Colorado]

Michael Steele, Former Maryland Lieutenant Governor,U.S. Senate Candidate, Chairman of Republican National Committee

[Massachusetts]

United States judges