Weapons of Mass Distraction – The GOP exploits Black Republicans to cover for its own racism.

by UB Center for Urban Studies · 10/28/2024

here was a time when Black Republicans like Frederick Douglass championed the cause of racial justice. They were the “progressives” of their day. None were perfect, but most had a sense of integrity.

For example, Arthur Fletcher, who was “the father of affirmative action,” was a Black Republican. (In the early years of the Republican Party’s formation, its views were quite liberal, while the founding Democrats were known for their conservatism.) Hence, the irony should not be lost on us that the current iteration of the Republican Party has been against affirmative action for decades. A 2023 ruling by the conservative-dominated U.S. Supreme Court reinforced this position by ending race-based college admission decisions.

Under the stranglehold of former President Donald Trump, today’s Grand Old Party (GOP) only elevates a particular kind of African American politician. Such a politician is in most cases a man, given the patriarchal nature of the party.

A Black man must be deemed acceptable by the GOP and exist in close proximity to whiteness. It’s not a coincidence that a number of aspirational Black Republican men have chosen to marry white women.

Joel A. Bowman, Sr. October 25, 2024

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