Black conservatism in the United States

Black conservatism in the United States is a political and social movement rooted in communities of African descent that aligns largely with the American conservative movement. Since the African-American Civil Rights Movement (1954–68), the black community has generally fallen to the left of the right-wing conservative movement, and has predominantly favored itself on the side of liberalism and civil rights progressives. Black conservatism emphasizes traditionalism, strong patriotism, capitalism, free markets, and strong social conservatism within the context of the black church.

Overview

Booker T. Washington

One of the main characteristics of black conservatism is its emphasis on personal choice and responsibilities above socioeconomic status and institutional racism. In the tradition of African American politics and intellectual life, black conservatives tend to side with Booker T. Washington as contrasted with W. E. B. Du Bois. For many black conservatives, the key mission is to bring repair and success to the Black community by applying the following fundamental principles:

• The pursuit of educational and professional excellence as a means of advancement within the society;
• Policies that promote safety and security in the community beyond the typical casting of a criminal as a "victim" of societal racism;
• Local economic development through free enterprise rather than looking to the federal government for assistance;
• Empowerment of the individual via self-improvement (virtue), conscience, and supernatural grace.

Black conservatives may find common ground with Black Nationalists through their common belief in black empowerment and the theory that black people have been duped by the Welfare state.

On the other hand, some of the policies advocated by Black conservatives are in conflict with some of the key points in the common social, economic, and political positions that a high percentage of African-Americans favor. For example, black conservatives typically oppose affirmative action, which is supported by the vast majority of African American communities. They tend to argue that efforts to obtain reparations for slavery are either misguided or counter-productive. Moreover, black conservatives – especially black Republicans – are often accused of being Uncle Toms. Ebony in their May 2001 "100+ Most Influential Black Americans" issue, did not include a number of influential African Americans such as Thomas Sowell, Shelby Steele, Armstrong Williams, Walter Williams and, most notably, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The Economist described the exclusion of Justice Thomas from the list as spiteful. Black conservatives favor integration of African Americans into mainstream America and, consequently, disagree with black nationalism and separatism. Black conservatives are more inclined to support economic policies promoting globalization, free trade and tax cuts.

According to a 2004 study, 13.7% of blacks identified as "Conservative" or "Extremely Conservative" with another 14.4% identifying as slightly conservative. However the same study indicated less than ten percent identified as Republican or Republican leaning in any fashion. Likewise, a recent Pew Research Center survey showed that 19% of blacks identify as Religious Right. In 2004 the Pew Research Center indicated only 7% of blacks identify as Republican.

From Reconstruction up until the New Deal, the black population tended to vote Republican as the Republican Party, particularly in the Southern United States, was seen as more racially liberal than the Democratic Party, primarily because of the role of the southern wing of the Democratic Party as the party of racial segregation and the Republican Party's roots in the abolitionist movement (see Dixiecrats). Blacks started to shift in significant numbers to the Democrats with the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt, whose New Deal particularly benefited economically disadvantaged minority communities and helped forge the New Deal coalition which dominated American politics for the next 30 years, and continued with the election of John F. Kennedy. This shift was also influenced by Herbert Hoover's practice of firing loyal African-Americans from positions within the Republican Party, in order to increase his appeal to racist Southern white voters. This can be considered an early example of a set of Republican Party methods that were later termed the Southern Strategy.

Another case study of differences between Black conservatives and Black Republicans is an emphasis on personal empowerment versus theological perspectives. Black Republicans like Colin Powell hold to the social ideas articulated by the early Radical Republicans like Frederick Douglass while at the same time supporting the self-empowerment message of Booker T. Washington. Many social conservatives who are black and Republican hold to a biblically based empowerment although they also appreciate Booker's emphasis on personal accomplishment. Conservatives like the Texas minister T. D. Jakes are evangelical African Americans who support policies more in common but not totally in line with many white Evangelicals.

The African-American church has traditionally been an important element of social and political movements in the Black community. These generally have been identified with persons of the Left or liberalism, like Jesse Jackson, but this is not always true. On issues concerning homosexuality, Black Protestants are more socially conservative than other groups, excepting White Evangelicals. Their view on the issue of homosexual teachers changed less than any other segment based on religion or race.

Timeline of events

Tim Scott

Condoleezza Rice

Colin Powell

Alphonso Jackson

Rod Paige

Clarence Thomas

Mia Love

Allen West

Herman Cain

This is a timeline of significant events in African American history which have shaped the conservative movement in the United States.

1860s

• 1868 - Francis Lewis Cardozo is elected Secretary of State of South Carolina
• Antoine Dubuclet is elected State Treasurer of Louisiana
• Jonathan Clarkson Gibbs is elected Secretary of State of Florida

1870s

• 1872 - Francis Lewis Cardozo is elected State Treasurer of South Carolina
• Henry E. Hayne is elected Secretary of State of South Carolina
• Jonathan Clarkson Gibbs is appointed Superintendent of Public Instruction

1920s

• 1921 - Walter L. Cohen is appointed Comptroller of Customs
• 1929 - Oscar Stanton De Priest elected to US Congress (IL)

1950s

• 1954 – Archie Alexander is appointed Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands

1970s

• 1975 – President Gerald Ford appoints the following:
  • William T. Coleman as Secretary of Transportation
  • James B. Parsons is named Chief Judge of the US District Court in Chicago
• 1979 – Melvin H. Evans is elected to U.S. Congress.
  • Ethel D. Allen is appointed Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

1980s

• 1980 – NAACP President Benjamin Hooks is invited to address the Republican National Convention
• 1981 – President Ronald Reagan appoints the following:
  • Clarence Pendleton, Jr. as Chairman of the US Civil Rights Commission
  • Samuel Pierce as United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
• 1982 – President Reagan appoints Clarence Thomas as Chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
• 1985 – President Reagan appoints Alan Keyes the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs.
• 1987 – President Reagan appoints Colin L. Powell the National Security Advisor.
• 1989 – President George H. W. Bush appoints the following:
  • Louis Wade Sullivan as United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
  • General Colin L. Powell as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • Condoleezza Rice as Director of the National Security Council
  • Constance Berry Newman as Director of United States Office of Personnel Management
  • Vernon Parker as Special Assistant to the President on the White House Staff

1990s

• 1990 - Arthur Fletcher is appointed as the Chairman of the United States Commission on Civil Rights
• 1991 – Gary Franks is elected to US Congress (CT)
• 1991 – President George H. W. Bush appoints Clarence Thomas to U.S. Supreme Court
• 1993 – President George H. W. Bush appoints John W. Shannon as United States Under Secretary of the Army
• 1995 – J. C. Watts elected to US Congress (OK)
• 1998 – U.S. House of Representatives elects J. C. Watts (R-OK) to be Chairman of the House Republican Conference.
  • DeForest Soaries appointed as Secretary of State of New Jersey
• 1999 – Ken Blackwell elected as the Ohio Secretary of State
  • Joe Rogers elected as the Lieutenant Governor of Colorado

2000s

• 2001 – President George W. Bush appoints the following:
  • General Colin Powell as the United States Secretary of State
  • Roderick R. Paige as the United States Secretary of Education
  • Condoleezza Rice as Advisor of the National Security Council
  • Alphonso Jackson as the Deputy Secretary to Housing and Urban Development
  • Claude Allen as the Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services
  • Leo S. Mackay, Jr. as the Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
  • Larry D. Thompson as the United States Deputy Attorney General
  • Michael Powell as the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission
  • Stephen A. Perry as Administrator of General Services Administration
  • Kay Coles James as Director of United States Office of Personnel Management
  • Charles E. James, Sr. as Director of Federal Contract Compliance
  • Ruth A. Davis as Director General of the Foreign Service
  • Reginald J. Brown as Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs)
  • Brigadier General Francis X. Taylor as Coordinator for Counterterrorism
  • Eric M. Bost as Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services
  • Brian C. Roseboro as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Markets
  • Dr Eric Motley as Deputy Associate Director, Office of Presidential Personnel
  • Pierre-Richard Prosper as United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues
  • Andrea Barthwell as Deputy Director for Demand Reduction at the Office of National Drug Control Policy
• 2001 – Randy Daniels Secretary of State of New York joins the GOP.
• 2002 – President George W. Bush appoints the following:
  • Major General Claude M. Bolton, Jr. as United States Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology
  • Lynn Swann as Chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
  • Brigadier General Francis X. Taylor as Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security
  • Ron Christie as Special Assistant to the President
• 2003 – President George W. Bush appoints the following:
  • Clark Ervin as Inspector General of the United States Department of Homeland Security
  • Vernon Parker as Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Civil Rights
    • Michael Steele elected as Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
      • Jennette Bradley elected as Lieutenant Governor of Ohio
• 2004 – President George W. Bush appoints the following:
  • Alphonso Jackson as United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
  • Gerald A. Reynolds as Chairman of the United States Commission on Civil Rights
  • Constance Berry Newman as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
  • Brian C. Roseboro as Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance
• 2005 – President George W. Bush appoints the following:
  • Condoleezza Rice as United States Secretary of State
  • Claude Allen as Director of the Domestic Policy Council
  • Admiral John O. Agwunobi as United States Assistant Secretary for Health
  • Jendayi Frazer as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
  • B. J. Penn as Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installation and Environment)
    • Randy Brock elected as Vermont Auditor of Accounts
      • Jennette Bradley is appointed Ohio State Treasurer
• 2006 – President George W. Bush appoints the following:
  • Lurita Doan as first female Administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration
  • Ronald J. James as Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs)
• 2009 – Michael Steele elected the first African American Republican National Committee chairman

2010s

• 2010 – Tim Scott (SC) and Lt Col. Allen West (FL) elected to US Congress
  • Jennifer Carroll is elected Lieutenant Governor of Florida
• 2011 – Herman Cain sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2012
• 2012 – Artur Davis, a former Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives for Alabama's 7th congressional district from 2003–2011 joined the GOP in Virginia.
• 2013 – Tim Scott, United States House of Representatives for South Carolina's 1st congressional district is appointed by Governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley to become the new United States Senator.
  • Dwayne Sawyer is appointed as Indiana State Auditor
• 2014 – Mia Love (UT) and Will Hurd (TX) elected to US Congress
  • Boyd Rutherford is elected Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
• 2015 – Ben Carson sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2016
  • Jenean Hampton is elected Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky

Politicians

Ken Blackwell

Alabama

• Juan Chastang - Mobile County Commissioner (2005–2008)

Alaska

• Walt Furnace – Member of the Alaska House of Representatives (1983–1991)

Arizona

• Vernon Parker – Mayor of Paradise Valley, Arizona (2008–2010) and U.S. House nominee (2012)

California

• Acquanetta Warren – Mayor of Fontana, California (2010–present)
• Damon Dunn – Nominee for California Secretary of State in (2010) and Dallas Cowboys football player
• H. Abram Wilson – Mayor of San Ramon, California (2002–2007)
• Ward Connerly - University of California Regent (1993–2005)
• Frederick Madison Roberts - State Assemblyman (1919–1934)
• Edward Duplex – Mayor of Wheatland, California (1888)

Colorado

• Ryan Frazier – Aurora City Councilman (2003–2010) and U.S. House nominee (2010)
• Ed Jones - Colorado State Senator (2001–2009)

Connecticut

• Steven Mullins – Commissioner of Planning and Zoning, West Haven, Connecticut (2005–present)

Delaware

• Donald Blakey – Delaware State Representative (2007–2015)

Florida

• Mike Hill – Florida State Representative (2013–present)
• Peter Boulware – Nominee for Florida House of Representatives (2008) and Baltimore Ravens football player

Georgia

• Andrew Honeycutt – Candidate for Georgia House of Representatives (2014)
• Deborah Honeycutt – Nominee for Georgia's 13th congressional district (2006 & 2008)
• Willie Talton – Georgia State Representative (2005–2015)
• Melvin Everson – Georgia State Representative (2005–2011)
• Henrietta Canty - Georgia State Representative (1990-1998)
• Abram Colby – Georgia State Representative (1866–1870)

Illinois

• John D. Anthony – Illinois State Representative (2013–present)
• Tony Childress – Livingston County Sheriff (2014–present)
• Erika Harold – Miss America (2003) and U.S House candidate (2012/2014)
• Archibald Carey, Jr. - Chicago City Council Alderman (1947–1955)
• William L. Dawson - Chicago City Council Alderman (1933–1939)
• Arthur W. Mitchell - Committeeman

Indiana

• Roger Brown – Indianapolis City Councillor (1993–1997) and Indiana Pacers basketball player

Kentucky

• Anna Simms Banks – Republican Delegate (1920)
• Charles W. Anderson – Kentucky State Representative (1936–1948)

Louisiana

• Elbert Guillory - Louisiana State Senator (2009–2015) and candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana (2015)

Maryland

• Aris T. Allen - Maryland State Delegate (1967-1974 & 1991), Lieutenant Governor nominee (1978) and State Senator (1979–1982)

Massachusetts

• Frank Cousins - Massachusetts State Representative (1993–1996) and Essex County Sheriff (1996–present)
• Julius Caesar Chappelle – Massachusetts State Senator (1883–1886)
• Lewis Hayden - Massachusetts State Representative (1873–1875)

Michigan

• Paul H. Scott – Michigan State Representative (2009–2011)
• Bill Hardiman – Mayor of Kentwood, Michigan (1992–2002), Michigan State Senator (2003–2011) and U.S. House candidate (2010)
• Keith Butler – Detroit Councilman (2002–2008) and U.S. Senate candidate (2006)
• James W. Ames - Michigan State Representative (1892–1898)

Mississippi

• Angela McGlowan – Miss District of Columbia USA (1994) and U.S. House candidate (2010)
• Yvonne Brown – Mayor of Tchula, Mississippi (2001–2009) and U.S. House nominee (2006)
• Nic Lott - Chairman for the Mississippi Young Republicans

Missouri

• Neal E. Boyd – 2008 Winner of America's Got Talent and nominee/candidate for the Missouri House of Representatives (2012/2014)
• Sherman Parker – Missouri State Representative (2002–2008)
• Carson Ross – Missouri State Representative (1989–2002) and Mayor of Blue Springs, Missouri (2008–present)

Nebraska

• Dinah Abrahamson - Nebraska State Central Committeewoman (2005–2013)

Nevada

• Niger Innis – Director of Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and U.S. House candidate (2014)
• Lynette Boggs – Miss Oregon (1989), Las Vegas City Council (1999–2004), Clark County Commission (2004–2006) and U.S. House nominee (2002)
• Maurice Washington – Nevada State Senator (1994–2010)

New Hampshire

• Jim Lawrence – New Hampshire State Representative (2004–2010) and U.S. House candidate (2014)

New Jersey

• Garry Cobb – U.S. House nominee (2014) and Dallas Cowboys football player
• Bruce Harris – Mayor of Chatham Borough, New Jersey (2012–present)
• Martin G. Barnes - Mayor of Paterson, New Jersey (1997–2002)
• James L. Usry – Mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey (1984–1990)
• Ralph L. Bradley – Mayor of East Windsor, New Jersey (1992–1995)
• Matthew G. Carter – Mayor of Montclair, New Jersey (1968–1972)
• Walter G. Alexander - State Assemblyman (1920–1924) and Speaker of the Assembly (1921)

New Mexico

• Jane Powdrell-Culbert – New Mexico State Representative (2002–present)
• Conrad James – New Mexico State Representative (2010–2012 & 2014–present)

New York

• Michel Faulkner – U.S. House nominee (2010) and New York Jets football player
• James Garner – Mayor of Hempstead (1988–2005) and U.S. House nominee (2004)
• Richard E. Jackson - Commissioner of Motor Vehicles (1995–2000)
• Edward A. Johnson - New York State Assemblyman (1918–1920)

North Carolina

• Thomas Stith – Town councilman of Durham, NC (1999–2007) and Governor of North Carolina Pat McCrory's Chief of Staff (2013–present)
• Dr. Ada Fisher – NC Republican National Committeewoman (2008–present) and U.S. House nominee (2006 & 2008)
• James Harris - North Carolina State Representative (1868–1870 & 1883) and North Carolina State Senator (1872–1874)
• Thomas A. Sykes – North Carolina State Representative (1868–1872)

Ohio

• Robert C. Henry – Mayor of Springfield, Ohio (1966–1968)
• John Patterson Green – Ohio State Senator (1890–1893)

Oklahoma

• T.W. Shannon – Oklahoma State Representative (2007–2015) and Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives (2013–2014)
• A. C. Hamlin – Oklahoma State Representative (1908–1910)
• Green Currin - Oklahoma Territorial Legislature (1890–1892)

Oregon

• Jackie Winters – Oregon State Senator (2002–present)

Pennsylvania

• Harry Lewis Jr. – Pennsylvania State Representative (2014–present)
• Lynn Swann – Nominee for Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 2006 and Pittsburgh Steelers football player
• Renee Amoore - Pennsylvania's Republican State Committeewoman (1992–2000)

South Carolina

• Charmeka Childs – Deputy Superintendent of Education (2010–2014)
• Tim Scott - Senator from South Carolina (2013- )

Tennessee

• Charles Drew – Tennessee State Representative (1983–1988)
• Jesse M. H. Graham – Tennessee State Representative (1897–1898)
• Styles L. Hutchins – Tennessee State Representative (1887–1888)
• William C. Hodge – Tennessee State Representative (1885–1886)
• William A. Feilds – Tennessee State Representative (1885–1886)
• Greene E. Evans – Tennessee State Representative (1885–1886)
• Samuel A. McElwee – Tennessee State Representative (1883–1888)
• David F. Rivers – Tennessee State Representative (1883–1886)
• John W. Boyd – Tennessee State Representative (1881–1884)
• Leon Howard – Tennessee State Representative (1883–1884)
• Thomas F. Cassels – Tennessee State Representative (1881–1882)
• Isaac F. Norris – Tennessee State Representative (1881–1882)
• Thomas A. Sykes – Tennessee State Representative (1881–1882)
• Sampson W. Keeble – Tennessee State Representative (1873–1874)

Texas

• Scott Turner – Texas State Representative (2013–present) and Denver Broncos football player
• James White – Texas State Representative (2011–present)
• Stefani Carter – Texas State Representative (2011–2015)
• Robin Armstrong – Vice Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas (2006–2010)
• Michael L. Williams – Commissioner of the Texas Education Agency (2012–present), Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission (1999–2011) and U.S. House candidate (2012)
• Ron Givens - Texas State Representative (1985–1989)
• Clay Smothers – Texas State Representative (1977–1981)
• Alexander Asberry - Texas State Representative (1889–1891)
• Houston A.P. Bassett - Texas State Representative (1887–1889)
• Norris Wright Cuney - Chairman of the Texas Republican Party (1886–1896)
• William Holland - Texas State Representative (1876–1879)
• Walter Moses Burton - Texas State Senator (1874–1883)
• Richard Allen - Texas State Representative (1870–1873)
• Matthew Gaines - Texas State Senator (1869–1873)

Utah

• James Evans - Utah State Senator (2002–2004) and Chairman of the Utah Republican Party (2013–present)

Virginia

• E.W. Jackson – Nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia (2013)
• Winsome Sears – Virginia State Delegate (2002–2004) and U.S. House nominee (2004)
• Paul Clinton Harris - Virginia State Delegate (1998–2002)
• Noel C. Taylor – Mayor of Roanoke, Virginia (1975–1992)
• Peter K. Jones - Virginia State Delegate (1869–1877)

Virgin Islands

• Roy Innis – Chairman of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), member of the National Rifle Association's governing board.

Washington

• Michael Ross - Washington State Representative (1971–1973)
• Charles Stokes - Washington State Representative (1951–1959)
• William Owen Bush - Washington State Representative (1889)

West Virginia

• Jill Upson – West Virginia State Delegate (2014–present)

Wisconsin

• William Owen Bush - Washington State Representative (1889–1895)

Wyoming

• Lynn Hutchings – Wyoming State Representative (2012–2014)

Other persons

United States judges

• Janice Rogers Brown – Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California (1996–2005) & U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (2005–present)
• George C. Hanks, Jr. - Justice on the First Court of Appeals (2010-2015) & Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas (2015-present)
• Sarah J. Harper – Ohio Court of Appeals (1990–2003)
• Wallace Jefferson – Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court (2001–2004) & Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court (2004–present)
• Kevin A. Ross – Judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court (1996–2005) & Judge on America's Court with Judge Ross (2010–present)
• Clarence Thomas – Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (1991–present)
• Lynn Toler – Arbitrator on the court series Divorce Court (2001–present)
• Angela Tucker – Texas District Court Judge (2012–present)
• Dale Wainwright – Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court (2003–2012)
• David W. Williams – Judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California (1969–2000)
• Robert P. Young, Jr. – Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court (1999–present) & Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court (2011–present)

Ambassadors

• George Washington Williams – United States Ambassador to Haiti
• Edward J. Perkins – United States Ambassador to the United Nations
• Eric M. Bost – United States Ambassador to South Africa
• Mifflin Wistar Gibbs - American Consul to Madagascar

TV personalities, authors and journalists

• Michelle Bernard - Journalist
• Hallie Quinn Brown - Author
• C.L. Bryant – TV Host
• Nannie Helen Burroughs - Author
• Larry Elder – Author of 10 Things You Can't Say in America
• Robert A. George – Journalist
• James Golden – Producer for The Rush Limbaugh Show (under the alias "Bo Snerdley")
• Amy Holmes – News Anchor and political contributor on CNN
• Zora Neale Hurston – Novelist
• Michael King – Emmy Award-winning television producer
• Raynard Jackson – Columnist and TV political analyst
• Lenny McAllister – Author of Diary of a Mad Black PYC (Proud Young Conservative) and radio talk-show host from WVON-AM Chicago
• Tamera Mowry-Housley – Actress best known for co-starring in the sitcom Sister, Sister
• Deroy Murdock – Columnist for E. W. Scripps Company
• Reverend Jesse Lee Peterson – President of the Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny
• Jason Riley – Journalist
• Shelby Steele – Author
• George Schuyler – Journalist
• Tommy Sotomayor – Radio and internet talk show host, YouTube personality, men's rights activist and film producer.
• Armstrong Williams – Author of Beyond Blame and TV host of On Point

Military

• Lieutenant General Russel L. Honoré
• Lieutenant Colonel Frances Rice – Chairwoman of the National Black Republican Association
• Major General Mary J. Kight – Adjutant General of California (2010–2011).

Columnists

• Stephen L. Carter – Christianity Today columnist, author of The Culture of Disbelief
• Robert A. George – Columnist for the New York Post
• Ken Hamblin – Denver Post columnist
• Deroy Murdock – National Review columnist
• Sophia A. Nelson – Chair of PoliticalIntersection.com and politicalintersection.blogspot.com
• Star Parker – President of the Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education, columnist & author
• Thomas Sowell – Hoover Institute fellow and Author of Basic Economics
• Ida B. Wells – Columnist
• Walter E. Williams – Author of More Liberty Means Less Government

Athletes and entertainers

• Ernie Banks – Chicago Cubs baseball player.
• James Brown – Musician. Openly endorsed Richard Nixon in the 1972 presidential election and named Strom Thurmond as one of his heroes during a 1999 interview with Rolling Stone.
• Nolan Carroll – Miami Dolphins football player and son of Jennifer Carroll, Lieutenant Governor of Florida
• Wilt Chamberlain – Los Angeles Lakers basketball player
• Ray Charles – Musician
• 50 Cent – Rapper. Supported George W. Bush in 2005, but switched to the Democratic Party in support of Hillary Clinton in 2008
• Stacey Dash – Actress
• Robert Griffin III – Washington Redskins football player
• Dwayne Johnson ("The Rock") – Actor and WWE wrestler.
• Mike Jones (wrestler) - Former WWF wrestler best known by the ring name Virgil.
• Ronnie Lott – San Francisco 49ers football player
• Don King – Boxing Promoter
• Karl Malone – Olympic Gold medallist and basketball player
• Shaquille O'Neal – Olympic Gold medallist and basketball player
• Joseph C. Phillips – Actor
• Jackie Robinson – Brooklyn Dodgers baseball player
• Thurman Thomas – Buffalo Bills football player
• Cowboy Troy – Country Rapper
• David Tyree – New York Giants football player
• Sheryl Underwood – Comedian
• Herschel Walker – Dallas Cowboys football player
• Jimmie Walker – Actor
• Kenny Washington – First black player to join the National Football League after it lifted its thirteen-year ban on black players in 1946
• Bryan Clay - Decathlete

Education and Business

• Michelle Bernard – President and CEO of the Independent Women's Forum
• Herman Cain – former CEO of Godfather's Pizza, talk show host and one-time presidential candidate
• George Washington Carver - Inventor
• Ward Connerly – University of California Regent
• Arthur Fletcher – Academic
• Samuel B. Fuller – Businessman
• James T. Harris III – 9th President of Widener University
• George B. Jackson - Businessman
• Dr. Mildred Fay Jefferson – First African American to graduate from Harvard Medical School
• Alveda King – niece of Dr. Martin Luther King and senior fellow at the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution
• Martin Luther King, Sr. – Father of Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Stephen N. Lackey – Businessman
• Vernon Robinson – Academic
• Marvin Scott – Academic
• Joshua I. Smith – Businessman
• Thomas Sowell – Academic
• Booker T. Washington – Academic
• Vern Williams – Member of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel
• Walter E. Williams – Academic

Civil Rights, Abolitionist and Activists

• Octavius Catto – civil rights activist
• Eldridge Cleaver – Leader of the Black Panther Party
• James L. Farmer, Jr. – Civil rights leader
• Ted Hayes – Activist for the Homeless
• Dr. T. R. M. Howard – Civil Rights Campaigner
• James Weldon Johnson – Activist
• Scipio Africanus Jones - Activist
• Charles Henry Langston - Abolitionist
• James Meredith – Civil Rights Campaigner
• Jesse Lee Peterson – Activist

Organizations

• Abe Lincoln Black Republican Caucus
• Insight America
• Republicans for Black Empowerment
• Congress of Racial Equality
• American Civil Rights Institute
• Project 21
• Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education
• National Black Republican Association

Blogs

• Chidike Okeem
• BookerRising.net
• Conservative Black Chick
• BlackConservative360
• The Black Libertarian

See also

• Hip Hop Republican
• List of fictional Black conservatives in the United States
• African Americans in the United States Congress
• List of minority governors and lieutenant governors in the United States
• Hispanic and Latino Conservatism in the United States
• The Colored Patriots of the American Revolution

Further reading

• Ondaatje, Michael, Black Conservative Intellectuals in Modern America (2010)

External links

• Murray, Mark. "GOP diversity aims at a crucial Democratic bloc." NBC News. April 25, 2006.
• "The New Black Republicans." WBUR, Boston's NPR. June 2, 2004.

Organizations

• Alliance of Black Republicans
• African American Republican Leadership Council
• Black Conservative Think Tank
• Black America's PAC
• Congress of Racial Equality
• American Civil Rights Institute
• New Coalition for Economic and Social Change
• National Black Republican Association