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I appreciate this blog, and value a diverging viewpoint. There are some great facts about the history of the GOP and people of color. Often times these facts get left out of any constructive debate on the issue of race in modern times. However, one thing that always peaks my interest…and I applaud you for laying it out in such great detail in this post…is the drop off. Conservatives are quick to champion the fact that the GOP is the party of Lincoln, but seem to have some sort of amnesia about exactly why most blacks left the GOP in the mid 20th century. (or rather why the GOP left the blacks).

While I do appreciate the core values held by the GOP, this sort of gross oversight (or ignorance) makes folks a little skeptical about the party’s sincerity on the topic. Your list that you compiled ended for a very good reason, and I challenge you to post that reason. Until the GOP comes to grips with this REALITY, people of color, and in fact most minorities, will continue to regard the GOP’s sincerity on issues race with some degree of skepticism. Rightfully so. Do you know the reasons why? HINT: It wasn’t a paycheck.

PS – Believing that is, IMO, is really way more offensive than being called “articulate”.

It’s rather difficult for me to understand how a Black conversative is a threat to Black democrats. Is this fear based on the Black voting block in the North, Midwest, or West? As a southern, I haven’t seen any Black conversative threaten the Black democratic base. Nearly half of the black electorate resides in the south (usually southeastern). Many of us have what conversatives are calling “family values” today nevertheless, we are well aware the racial yes racial politics of the south. Yes the Democratic party is no cake walk, but today it is lesser of the two evils. I wish a black republican would show up at my door or at my church or at my civic group to have frank discussion regarding the benefits of the southern black vote going republican. As long as I live in the souther I can be assured that this will not happen.

Calling oneself a black conservative is unfortunately necessary, because of the intellectual insularity that has pervaded much of black life. It’s an uphill battle, for black conservatives fighting this sheep mentality that tells blacks that there are only a few ways for one to be in this world.

Which is why you have Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Will I AM, and Chris Bosh saying that Programming is Cool, or that learning & getting a great education is just as awesome an avenue for Blacks as Athletics & Music.

You would think it would be enough for most young black males to simply see Steve Jobs succeed, a Syrian-American, and say: “you know, I know I’m not that guy’s skin color, but I want to be him anyways.” Well, apparently, that doesn’t happen often enough, & much of that has to do with the elevation of race, as an issue, and the sole impediment keeping blacks from succeeding. Just like it takes Lebron James putting on glasses & promoting the Khan Academy to help defeat the stigma that being smart is acting white, so too, unfortunately, will it take blacks identifying an alternative political affiliation, to change black perceptions about conservatism.

Blacks are largely to blame, and Whites are largely to blame. Black insularity, and the bigotry of low expectations from White Liberals, to be specific. Staying with your own kind is easy, and that can be said about the Chinese, the Jews, Hispanics, and every immigrant group. But that Blacks tend to prefer only living amongst other Blacks is not healthy for Blacks, and not healthy for non-Blacks. In every case, including White America, where one does not venture to live, work, or play around those different from themsevles, and only live with their own kind, it tends to create a self-imposed ghetto, intellectually, academically, economically, and culturally. So this isn’t a Black-Only issue, but it certainly is an issue, and one that has to be addressed in black life.

“Black conservative” may be useful vis-a-vis other blacks, to signify a movement on their part to evangelize conservative principles to the black community, but their “black-ness” in no way enters their value system, or their affirmation of Liberty, Life, E Pluribus Unim, In God We Trust, etc. It’s just a title, it has no purpose beyond being a tool for evangelizing to a stubborn insular group, and it isn’t “race-baiting” in the sense that the term is used to point out Leftwing abuse of the term. Some day, however, there will be more intellectual diversity in black life to render the term Black Conservative unnecessary. But until then, it shall remain a calling card, a signifier, in black life, that an alternative exists:

1.) One that provides greater upward mobility for you and your family, and makes you the captain of your ship, not some bureaucrats

2.) Puts the next generation of Blacks in greater footing economically, educationally, & socially, and,

3.) Puts the country on better footing all together, as the Black Vote will no longer be guaranteed to the Democrats, and both parties will actually have to work to prove they are worthy of your support.

That is my rant for the day, thank you, God bless, and now I have to do my math homework. BTW, this original comment was posted on blacksphere.net

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