The Black Republican

WOW! It has been awhile since I have blogged! I have been busy with a few major life changes like moving to a new city, getting ready to start a new job and launching my online magazine www.thesophisticatedlife.com (shameless plug) but with the republican convention underway and the election just a little more than 2 months away, there is no better time than the present to get back to political blogging.

Over the past few months I have been struck by comments by black men and women criticizing other black men and women who dare to express that they are republican or have conservative views. It is somehow a basic assumption that if you are black you are a democrat and a supporter of President Obama. When I first started this blog I was told by several friends with republican and conservative views that they did not comment on the site since they were afraid of being chastised. This saddened me. We are Americans who value freedom of speech and should not be afraid to share our political views to others especially those of our own race.

So why is there that basic assumption that blacks are and should be democrats? Is it based on our history in this country and the feeling that democrats are more likely to look out for the poor and disenfranchised? Is it because there are many more black democrats therefore the black community can identify better with that party? Is it based on the idea that republicans are the rich and only care about protecting their assets? Or is it based on actual beliefs about issues such as health care, taxes, abortion rights, gay rights, gun control and foreign affairs?

In terms of the issues, most democrats have liberal political views, are anti war, pro-choice, supports gay rights inc gay marriage, universal health care, a tax system that does not shelter the rich and allows sufficient funds to take care of the poor, supports gun control and immigration reform inc the Dream Act which allows certain illegal immigrants ie undocumented immigrants to remain in this country with a path to citizenship. While most republicans are conservative, pro-life, against gay marriage instead believing marriage should only be between a man and a woman, against entitlement, believes in the right to carry arms with little or no restrictions, against universal health care, believes in less taxes including for the rich, smaller government, believes we should close the borders and are against the Dream Act, supports going to war, even if needed to protect the interests of allies and not just our own. There is also an assumption that most republicans vs democrats are more religious, "god-fearing" and follow the bible more than Democrats do. Of course this is a simplification of both parties ideals and beliefs. But the question I have is-do any of these issues or categories scream black or white? Isn't it possible to be black, have those republican views and also support the advancement of blacks and minority causes in this country? Is there something wrong with being black and having "strong family, christian values" as conservatives like to say? Although that does somehow imply that Democrats do not have those same values.

One of the recent figures that caught my attention was Mia Love. She is a 36yo black female of Haitian descent from Utah who is a congressional candidate. She converted to the Mormon religion, is married to a white Mormon man and is mayor of a predominantly white town in Utah. If she wins her election, she would be the first elected black republican female to serve in Congress. She has emphasized what Condoleezza Rice has in interviews. That her parents believed in working hard and fulfilling the American dream of a better life for their family (anti-entitlement). She will be speaking at the republican convention tonight and some see it as a ploy to get blacks to vote for Mitt Romney when most polls show that he has garnered  0% of likely black voters. 0%-harsh!! Black republicans like Clarence Thomas are often thought of as "Uncle Toms" and despised by many in the black community. Reasons for this include 1)feeling that once certain blacks reach a certain level of success they turn their back on and cant relate to those that are left behind 2) that most white republicans are racist and only accept black republicans into their party and promote them in order to use them to get black votes. How much of this is true is not clear to me. But I have to admit-I have never been a fan of Clarence Thomas :-)

Besides Mia Love, in recent years there have been many famous black republicans. As noted above, Condoleezza Rice, also Colin Powell and most recently, Herman Cain who until his sexual harassment scandal was winning over black, white and Hispanic voters in the republican party. Many people do not realize there have been other famous black republicans including Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth. There has also been strong mention that Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. was a republican.

Based on all of the above, I continue to hope that in the future there will be stronger independent candidates. That like myself share views and beliefs of both parties. But in the end, the bottom line is to allow people of all races and colors to join whichever party they feel best represents their core values and beliefs. One should not be afraid to express his or her views, be called names by people of their own or any race, be ridiculed and chastised especially after having the courage to go public and run for office. Also, be sure that you are aware of the issues and how they affect you, your family, and the country as a whole. Do not support or vote for anyone simply based on race.

Thoughts?