The following exchange is from Dialogue Group 11, Thread 18.

1. Can African Americans Be Republicans?
Sat, Jan 2, 1999 - 9:07 PM/EST
dawhale

J.C. Watts of Oklahoma is now in a position of importance in the new US Congress what with the recent Livingston resignation.

Whenever a black is elected to office as a republican, why is it that the democratic party feels that he must be an "Uncle Tom"?

After the Civil War, this country has had the attitude that it is white America's obligation to take care of the former slaves. I think this attitude has perpetuated itself into the leadership of the democratic party. There are at least 30 blacks in the US Congress that are democratic, so they form the black caucus; but since J.C. Watts is a republican, he is considered a lacky to the white republican party. He had to get elected to his seat in Congress & probably not in any special district line drawing as has happened in the past.

So what is the prejudice that exists amongest democrats that you can't be a black republican unless you a sell out to your race? This also holds true for Clarence Thomas on the Supreme Court

2. Civil Rights Movement = Liberalism
Sat, Jan 2, 1999 - 11:20 PM/EST
Dougwood

During the sixties I don't recall many Republicans going out of their way to denounce racism much less supporting civil rights. Some were so clueless that they accused the communists of stirring up discontent amongst "the colored" who should have been happy with their station in society.

Maybe because liberal Democrats were at the forefront of the civil rights movement, an Afro American who becomes a Republican is seen as some sort of a traitor. Just goes to show ya that we ALL have a long way to go before there is true equality in this country.

3. "Perception" is the answer
Sun, Jan 3, 1999 - 6:53 PM/EST
Marnikno

Traditionally the democrats are the ones who fight for social programs, health care, human services, education.. Republicans are for big business, themselves, isolationism.. Therefore a black or any other "minority" such as single moms, homosexuals, are considered traitors by some if they are republican. Jewish people can be republicans because they have the money and they also take care of minorities giving them jobs and good benefits if not a great hourly salary.

Having said all this..understand that these are common "perceptions", not necessarily my opinion. It is like the woman who had the beehive hairdo and died when the roaches ate through to her brain.

Some day our "perceptions" will hopefully catch up with the reality. I agree with Dougwood, the beautiful thing is that the republicans have changed over the years. I too remember the 60's and it certainly wasn't the republicans who promoted civil rights. One of the reasons I couldn't vote for Bush is that in the beginning he was pro civil rights but then sold out to the party in order to get elected.

I am not a Clarence Thomas fan for reasons that have nothing to do with race. That's another issue all together.

4. Impression Of Impeachment Hearings
Sun, Jan 3, 1999 - 8:00 PM/EST
dawhale

From what I saw of the impeachment hearings in the US Congress, the black democrats came across as lackys for the President. Maxine Waters, how did she get elected to Congress? John Conyers, sounded like he got each days questions from the White House. I feel the Democratic party has used the black vote in this country for reasons other than helping the black race in this country.

In the 70's, I can now understand the black militant movement in this country; they wanted to be in control of their own economic & social destiny. Americans have always felt a social responsibilty for our ex-slaves and have never given them equal opporunities other than federal programs to push them to the head of the line. The Uncle Toms are black democrats rather than Repulicans, since they are doing what is expected of their mentors. Why do I say this? Has there ever been a black speaker of the house or one even considered? How about a majority or minority whip? In either party, the black race has been used only for media purposes. Neither party has the black race in their overall plan, they need them to be elected (when it doesn't rain or snow & they can't get them to the polling boothes).

8. Black Republicans -- Why not?
Mon, Jan 4, 1999 - 9:44 PM/EST
MAYORBOB

I have a different memory of who was doing a lot of the talking during the early 60s about how the Blacks in the South should be content with what they had, rather than disrupting society with Freedom Marches and sit-ins. If I recall, the ones who were doing that the loudest were the Orval Faubuses, the George Wallaces, and the other Democratic politicians who held office in the South.

It was the full weight of the U.S. Federal government brought to bear on these fine, upstandin' folk that went far to carry the day for Civil Rights. Oh yeah, that's right, it was Dwight Eisenhower, a Republican who nationalized the Arkansas National Guard in Little Rock. It was also a white Southerner, Lyndon Johnson who put the moral weight of the U.S. government behind the move to pass the 1965 Civil Rights Act.

But to get to the main question -- can African Americans be Republicans without being looked upon as traitors to their race. Let's see, what is anti-Black about the Republican Party?

Does it have any restrictions on membership by members of minorities? -- No. The Republicans have been trying to increase the numbers of minorities on party rolls for the past quarter century with some moderate success. Unfortunately, they are fighting a knee jerk sentiment that Democrats are automatically in the corner of the "downtrodden".

Have their economic policies actively disadvantaged members of minority groups? -- Not really. One of the big charges made against Republicans is they tend to weigh in against stuff like arbitrarily increasing the minimum wage. This is viewed as working against the better interests of the average working man. However, view this from the perspective of the person expected to pay this freight, the employer. He must deal with the first time employee, who may come to the job with little or no social skills or work ethic. He must invest time and money in seeing to it that the worker is trained and developed so that he will become a productive member of the team. And if the job has been offering $5.50 per hour and the government comes in and says it is now worth $6.50 per hour, somehow the employer is supposed to see the worth of the additional $1.00 per hour they are shelling out.

Gotta go. Would like to come back to this later.

10. Southern Democrats
Fri, Jan 8, 1999 - 10:55 AM/EST
dawhale

Mayorbob you are correct, I forgot that George Wallace was a democrat along with a lot of other politicans. Lincoln was the 1st Republican president and embraced the racial issue along with preserving the Union.

11. Racial Injustice
Sat, Jan 9, 1999 - 10:14 PM/EST
Rupster

I, again, agree with MAYORBOB and also with Marnikno. I remember the sixties in the South --and also in the Midwest and in New York. I remember living in Illinois in the sixties and becoming a member of a country club in a city in which there were three such clubs; however, only one of them admitted Jewish persons as members. At that time I was shocked as I was so naive as to think that prejudice only existed in the Southeast.

Now as I observe the racial issue in the Southeast, it appears to me to be far worse than it was in the late fifties and early sixties. I'm not sure why this appears so. Perhaps it is that AfroAmericans are generally better educated and perhaps more assertive now than thirty years ago. One should certainly hope so. The real problem seems to be that we have apparently accomplished very little in thirty years.

13. Back to the topic..
Tue, Jan 12, 1999 - 4:35 PM/EST
Marnikno

This is just a thought.. but given that we really have only been "non discriminatory" since the 60's/early 70's, is it really so strange that their are not more black politicians? Is it more like the situation with women. First you have to change the policy and our minds follow albeit slowly? Is it also because of the percent of population on the whole? I know there still are problems with redistricting etc. but on the whole are we getting closer to the percent as compared to the population as a whole? This has always been important to me but I tend to be blind in that things take longer than they should and I don't know any statistics. In 1968 we had riots at the border of my home town and the national guard escorted my bus to work every day. Even the high ranking blacks like M.L.King, Sharpton, Shuttlesworth etc. came up through the churches not through the political process. It seems to me that that has changed. It also takes a certain type of person to be in politics.. maybe this is saying something about the political process. Anyway, these are thoughts which are probably too simplistic but I guess it's because the optimist in me sees the changes/positively and not the lack thereof/negatively.

14. Is it race or is it money?
Tue, Jan 12, 1999 - 8:47 PM/EST
Dougwood

I'm probably dead wrong, but here goes anyway.

To me, it seems that most black Republicans are well-to-do professionals who are put down by not -so-well-off African-Americans for doing what every newly affluent human being does: buy a new, bigger house in a nicer neighborhood.

But, if that's true, why don't most African-American movie stars, sports figures and musicians become Republicans? Maybe celebrities in general don't all become conservatives for other reasons. Maybe racial relations, opportunities and tolerance have advanced far enough that conservatism (and Repubicanism) are beginning to emerge among this nation's minorities. OR maybe it's always been there under the surface and has only just recently been noticed.

Damn! I hate losing arguements with myself.

17. Republicans
Fri, Jan 15, 1999 - 3:28 AM/EST
SNE18

Okay, I must say that I agree with most that has been said. I would like to add my 2 cents. My husband is a Black Republican, I'm an Independent and I chose that road because I agree/disagree with both parties. I find it VERY sad that people feel that Black Americans can not be Republicans because they are black. The problem here is perception and that's it. No one ever said that you had to join one party over the other, but it is true that Blacks have in the past and more than likely in the future be Democrats, because there is the appearance that the Democratic Party is sympatheic to minorities. I find that unfair and untrue. I don't believe one party has sympathy or empathy for blacks, it seems that as long as 'we' get what we want we're fine with the whole thing.

One big issue is blacks themselves--the way they see themselves. It's easy for blacks to take the road of I am down trodden because for most of their lives they have been down. But when they make it, there is that self-impression of "oh you're a sell-out." Why? Because I made it, and I don't take care of you? So the problem is not having a black Majority Leader or a Black this or that -- the issue is 'how do I see myself?" For years I saw white people as always being happy and content, why because they had no struggles, they didn't have to fight for everything, and they had everything. Well now as that trend has begun to happen more widely for Blacks, more and more are joining the Republican Party, but it's not becuase there is some connection to the party - it's because the Republican party is seen as some sign as prosperty and when you've never had something or all your life you've heard don't do or don't join that party - people awlays do what they are told not too.

So, there are 3 main things that need to happen: (1) Black Americans need to see themselves as just Americans and becuase I am Black should not stop me from doing anything they want to; and no matter how much they make or don't make being a Republican really isn't about money. (2) It would be nice to see more Black Republicans in Congress And (3), white America need to see Blacks as Americans.

Thanks for reading and listening.

SNE18