Being a Republican, rightly or wrongly, is usually associated with being wealthy, mainly in the context of discouraging higher taxes in an effort to allow free markets to set wages instead of “big” governments. This, however, is contrasted with the notion of a Black Republican, an apparent no man’s land where wealth and social mobility seems to be trapped in plush towers.
In modern times, on average, most African Americans affiliate themselves with the Democratic Party, based on the voting record. This makes Black Republicans, on the other hand, traitors, to some, due to real and perceived notions.
The New Republic documented the estimated 18 Black delegates at this year’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland, equalling a grand total of less than one percent of all delegates, a decrease since Mitt Romney’s campaign in 2012.
Either way, Trump, for many reasons, is said to have a race problem in his candidacy, yet there are still Black delegates and voters in communities who will vote for him in November.
Whatever their motivations and mind-sets, these individuals recognize their precarious position. “They have witnessed the racism that Barack Obama has faced in office, and they understand the harsh realities endured by black America, including police violence and mass incarceration,” said the article.
In the end, because the Black delegates quoted in this piece have dissenting opinions, their thoughts are worth hearing today. In some sense it shows how nuanced politics, history and social sciences can be.
Key Quote
SHARON JACKSON
Eagle River, Alaska
A constituent liaison for Senator Dan Sullivan, Jackson says she sees firsthand that citizens have “issues” with federal agencies. She joined the GOP in 1983, after enlisting in the Army. “I always felt that support,” she says, “that they had my back.” She knows Republicans are often accused of racism and misogyny, but “my experience has been the complete opposite.” She believes Trump has “the capacity for bringing people together.” Democrats, she says, have been “holding my people hostage,” taking black voters for granted. “Like Malcolm X said: A party tells you they’re gonna do something and they don’t do it—change parties.”
For more perspectives, visit this link for the story.
