Black conservatism in America

Abstract

Current discussions about black conservatism lack historical perspective. They assume that conservatism in the black community is a new phenomenon. However, this assumption ignores a large literature that discusses the history of blacks and the political thought of major black intellectuals who espouse a conservative ideology. This research seeks to fill the gaps left by previous research by discussing the development of black conservative political thought. It also seeks to find out if contemporary black conservative intellectuals have support among blacks. We find they do have support albeit less than a majority of blacks, there is a segment of the black population that identifies with the conservative label.

Who Represents Me? Race, Gender, Partisan Congruence, and Representational Alternatives in a Polarized America

“…For African Americans, the effects of racial congruence are likely compounded by partisan congruence, as 100 percent of African American congruents were also Democratic congruents. These preliminary results confirm the findings of previous research showing that most African Americans do not believe Republicans or conservatives effectively reach out to them or represent their interests (Frymer 1999;Lewis 2005;Philpot 2004). The results presented in Table 2 also provide clues about which political actors those who are not represented by an MC of the same race turn to if not their own MCs.…”

Left and right ideological orientations as intragroup strategies of cultural preservation and promotion

“…For example, White U.S. conservatives often support ideological frameworks and policies like individualism (e.g., the Protestant Work Ethic), limited government, the traditional family, and religion (Cadava, 2016). These values align with the cultural values of many Americans from underrepresented groups (i.e., Black, Asian, and Hispanic Americans; Lewis, 2005).…”

The Faith of Black Politics: The Relationship Between Black Religious and Political Beliefs

“…The premise of Black conservatism is that a strong work ethic and moral behavior is all that is needed for Blacks to climb the American social, political, and economic ladder. Ben Carson, Ward Connerly, Mia Love, Condoleezza Rice, Clarence Thomas, and C. Delores Tucker serve as the contemporary leading figures of Black conservatism; however, many of its ideals can be traced to slavery (Lewis, 2005). Jupiter Hammond, a slave on Long Island, asserted that the moral failings of free Blacks and their inability to assimilate into White culture contributed to the continued enslavement of Blacks (Lewis, 2013).…”