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In the United States, black conservatism is a political and social movement rooted in African-American communities that aligns largely with the American conservative movement, including the Christian right. Black conservatism emphasizes social conservatism, traditionalism, patriotism, capitalism and free markets. What characterizes a 'black conservative' has changed over time, and proponents do not necessarily share the same political philosophy.
Influential black Republicans in the early 21st century who have held public office include U.S. Senator Tim Scott, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears, and Cabinet secretaries Ben Carson, Condoleezza Rice, and Colin Powell. Thomas Sowell, Shelby Steele, Armstrong Williams, Larry Elder, Walter Williams, and Jason L. Riley are among the most influential black conservative political commentators.
Overview
Beliefs
One of the main characteristics of black conservatism is its emphasis on personal choice and responsibilities above socioeconomic status and institutional racism.
Black conservatives typically support do-for-self, self reliance, and personal responsibility. Black conservatives tend to be self-critical of aspects of African-American culture that they believe have created poverty and dependency. John McWhorter's 2000 book Losing the Race: Self-Sabotage in Black America and Bill Cosby's 2004 "Pound Cake speech" exemplified this critique, though their authors did not strictly come from the black conservative movement.
A 2007 Pew Research Center survey showed that 19% of blacks identified as Religious Right. In 2004, though, the Pew Research Center indicated only 7% of blacks identified as Republican.
A National Election Pool poll showed that support for California Proposition 8 (2008) (a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as an opposite-sex union) was strong among African-American voters; 70% of those interviewed in the exit poll—a higher percentage than any other racial group—stated that they voted in favor of Proposition 8. Polls by both the Associated Press and CNN mirrored this data, reporting support among black voters to be at 70% and 75%, respectively. African-American support was considered crucial to the Proposition's passage because African Americans made up an unusually large percentage of voters in 2008; the presence of African-American presidential candidate Barack Obama on the ballot was believed to have increased African-American voter turnout.
Historical basis
From Reconstruction up until the New Deal, the black population tended to vote Republican. During that period, the Republican Party—particularly in the Southern United States—was seen as more racially progressive 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 and continued with the election of John F. Kennedy. Among Truman Administration officials, the publication of Henry Lee Moon's Balance of Power spurred Democratic partisan support for African-American constituencies. 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 Southern white voters. This can be considered an early example of a set of Republican Party methods that were later termed the Southern Strategy.
Timeline of events
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This is a timeline of significant events in African-American history that have shaped the conservative movement in the United States.
- 1950s
- 1954 – President Dwight Eisenhower appoints the following:
- Archie Alexander as Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands
- J. Ernest Wilkins Sr. as Undersecretary of Labor for International Labor Affairs
- E. Frederic Morrow as Administrative Officer for Special Projects
- 1960s
- 1970s
- 1975 – President Gerald Ford appoints the following:
- William T. Coleman as Secretary of Transportation
- James B. Parsons is named Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court in Chicago
- 1978 – Melvin H. Evans is elected to U.S. Congress (Virgin Islands)
- 1979 – 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 M. Pendleton Jr. as Chairman of the U.S. 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 Senior Director of the National Security Council for Soviet and East European Affairs
- 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
- 1990 – President George H. W. Bush appoints George W. Haley chairman of the Postal Rate Commission
- 1990 – Gary Franks (CT) is elected to U.S. Congress
- 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
- 1994 – Victoria Buckley elected as Secretary of State of Colorado
- Lonna Hooks appointed as Secretary of State of New Jersey
- 1994 – J. C. Watts (OK) elected to U.S. Congress
- 1998 – U.S. House of Representatives elects J. C. Watts (R-OK) to be Chairman of the House Republican Conference.
- 1998 – DeForest Soaries appointed as Secretary of State of New Jersey
- 1998 – Ken Blackwell elected as the Ohio Secretary of State
- 1998 – 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 of 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
- 2002 – Michael Steele elected as Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
- 2002 – Jennette Bradley elected as Lieutenant Governor of Ohio
- 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
- 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
- 2004 – Randy Brock elected as Vermont Auditor of Accounts
- 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)
- 2005 – Jennette Bradley is appointed Ohio State Treasurer
- 2006 – President George W. Bush appoints the following:
- Lurita Doan as Administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration
- Ronald J. James as Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs)
- Naomi C. Earp as Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- 2009 – Michael Steele elected Chairman of the Republican National Committee
- 2010s
- 2010 – Tim Scott (SC) and Lt Col. Allen West (FL) elected to U.S. Congress
- 2010 – 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 joins the GOP.
- 2013 – Tim Scott (SC) is appointed to the U.S. Senate.
- 2013 – Dwayne Sawyer is appointed as Indiana State Auditor
- 2014 – Mia Love (UT) and Will Hurd (TX) elected to U.S. Congress
- 2014 – Boyd Rutherford is elected Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
- 2015 – Ben Carson sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2016
- 2015 – Jenean Hampton is elected Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
- 2016 – Curtis Hill is elected Indiana Attorney General
- 2016 – Colin Powell receives three electoral votes for president from faithless electors
- 2017 – President Donald Trump appoints the following:
- Ben Carson as United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
- Omarosa Manigault as Director of Communications for the Office of Public Liaison
- Jerome Adams as Surgeon General of the United States
- Naomi C. Earp as Agriculture Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
- Alveda King as a member of the Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission
- Johnny C. Taylor Jr. as Chairman of the President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities
- Ja'Ron Smith as Director of Urban Affairs and Revitalization
- Charles E. James, Sr. as Director of the Transport Department Office of Civil Rights
- Cyril Sartor as Director for African Affairs
- James E. Williams as Chief Financial Officer of Labor
- Brigadier General L. Eric Patterson as Director of Homeland Security's Federal Protective Service
- Jacquelyn Hayes-Byrd as Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Human Resources and Administration
- Dana W. White as Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
- Andrew F. Knaggs as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Combating Terrorism
- Gary Washington as Member of the Board of Directors of the Commodity Credit Corporation
- 2018 – President Donald Trump appoints the following:
- 2018 – Robyn Crittenden appointed Secretary of State of Georgia
- 2019 – President Donald Trump appoints the following:
- Tamara Bonzanto as Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Accountability and Whistleblower Protection)
- Hannibal Ware as Inspector General of the Small Business Administration
- Michael Kubayanda as Commissioner of the Postal Regulatory Commission
- Rodney Hood as a Member of the National Credit Union Administration
- 2019 – Daniel Cameron elected Kentucky Attorney General
- 2020s
- 2020 – Burgess Owens (UT) and Byron Donalds (FL) elected to U.S. Congress
- 2020 – Mark Robinson is elected Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina
- 2021 – Winsome Sears is elected Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
- 2022 – Wesley Hunt (TX) and John James (MI) elected to U.S. Congress
African-American conservative politicians
See also: List of African-American RepublicansAlabama
- Kenneth Paschal – Alabama State Representative (2021–present)
- Juan Chastang – Mobile County Commissioner (2005–2008)
Alaska
- David S. Wilson – Alaska State Senator (2017–present)
- Stanley Wright - Alaska State Assemblyman (2023-present)
- Sharon Jackson – Alaska State Assemblywoman (2018–2021)
- Walt Furnace – Alaska State Assemblyman (1983–1991)
- Selwyn Carrol – Alaska State Assemblyman (1973–1975)
Arizona
- David Marshall – Arizona State Representative (2023-present)
- Jerone Davison – U.S. House candidate (2022) and Oakland Raiders football player
- Walter Blackman – Arizona State Representative (2019–2023; 2025-present) and U.S. House candidate (2022)
Arkansas
- Joseph K. Wood - Chairman of the Arkansas Republican Party (2023-present)
California
- Kevin Lincoln – Mayor of Stockton (2021-present)
- Larry Elder – Governor of California nominee (2021)
- Rosey Grier – Governor of California candidate (2018) and New York Giants football player.
- Damon Dunn – California Secretary of State nominee (2010) and Dallas Cowboys football player
- H. Abram Wilson – Mayor of San Ramon (2002–2007)
- Ward Connerly – University of California Regent (1993–2005)
Connecticut
- Aundre Bumgardner – Connecticut State Representative (2015–2017)
- George Logan – Connecticut State Senator (2017–2021) and U.S. House nominee (2022)
Delaware
- Donald Blakey – Delaware State Representative (2007–2015)
Florida
- Renatha Francis – Justice of the Supreme Court of Florida (2022-present)
- Corey Simon – Florida State Senator (2022-present) and Indianapolis Colts football player.
- Berny Jacques - Florida State Representative (2022-present)
- Kiyan Michael - Florida State Representative (2022-present)
- Webster Barnaby – Florida State Representative (2021–present)
- Mike Hill – Florida State Representative (2019–2021 and 2013–2017)
- Peter Boulware – Florida House of Representatives nominee (2008) and Baltimore Ravens football player
Georgia
- Mesha Mainor - Georgia State Representative (2021-present; elected as a Democrat, switched to Republican in July 2023)
- Herschel Walker – U.S. Senate nominee (2022) and Dallas Cowboys football player
- Larry Rivers – Commissioner of Chatham County (2021–2023) and Harlem Globetrotters basketballer
- Melvin Everson – Georgia State Representative (2005–2011)
- Willie Talton – Georgia State Representative (2005–2015)
- Harold Melton – Associate Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court (2005–2018) and Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court (2018–2021)
- Vernon Jones – Georgia State Representative (1993–2001 and 2017–2021; previously a Democrat, switched to Republican in January 2021)
Hawaii
- Kenji Price - United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii (2018-2021)
Illinois
- Richard Irvin – Mayor of Aurora (2017–present)
- Erika Harold – Illinois Attorney General nominee (2018), U.S. House candidate (2012/2014) and Miss America (2003)
- John D. Anthony – Illinois State Representative (2013–2016)
Indiana
- Roger Brown – Indianapolis City Councillor (1993-1997) and Indiana Pacers basketball player
Iowa
- Eddie Andrews – Iowa State Representative (2021–present)
Kansas
- Patrick Penn – Kansas State Representative (2021-present)
- Tony Barton – Kansas State Representative (2015–2017)
- Willie Dove – Kansas State Representative (2013–2021)
- George W. Haley – Kansas State Senator (1964–1968)
- Edwin Sexton – Kansas State Senator (1964-1965)
Kentucky
- Donald Douglas – Kentucky State Senator (2021–present)
Louisiana
- Elbert Guillory – Louisiana State Senator (2009–2015) and Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana candidate (2015 and 2023)
- Ezola Foster, Reform Party Vice Presidential candidate of Pat Buchanan in the 2000 race against Al Gore and George W. Bush
Maryland
- Brenda J. Thiam – Maryland State Delegate (2020–2023)
- Kimberly Klacik – U.S. House nominee (2020)
- Aris T. Allen – Maryland State Delegate (1991 and 1967–1974), Lieutenant Governor nominee (1978) and State Senator (1979–1982)
Massachusetts
- Frank Cousins – Massachusetts State Representative (1993–1996) and Essex County Sheriff (1996–2018)
- Althea Garrison – Massachusetts State Representative (1993–1995)
Michigan
- Kurtis T. Wilder – Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court (2017–2018)
- James Craig – Chief of the Detroit Police Department (2013-2021) and Gubernatorial candidate (2022)
- John James, U.S. Representative for Michigan's 10th congressional district (2023 - present)
- Paul H. Scott – Michigan State Representative (2009–2011)
- Larry DeShazor – Michigan State Representative (2009–2011)
- Robert P. Young Jr. – Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court (1999–2017) and Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court (2011–2017)
- Bill Hardiman – Michigan State Senator (2003–2011), Mayor of Kentwood, Michigan (1992–2002) and U.S. House candidate (2010)
- Keith Butler – Detroit Councilman (1989–1993) and U.S. Senate candidate (2006)
- William Lucas – Wayne County Sheriff (1969–1982) and Governor of Michigan nominee (1986)
Minnesota
- Royce White – U.S. Senate nominee (2024) and Sacramento Kings basketball player
- Walter Hudson – Minnesota State Representative (2023–present)
- Lisa Demuth – Minnesota State Representative (2019–present)
- Ray Pleasant – Minnesota State Representative (1973–1981)
Mississippi
- Rodney Hall - Mississippi State Representative (2024-present)
- Angela McGlowan – Miss District of Columbia USA (1994) and U.S. House candidate (2010)
- Nic Lott – chairman for the Mississippi Young Republicans
- Yvonne Brown – Mayor of Tchula, Mississippi (2001–2009) and U.S. House nominee (2006)
- Charles Evers – Mayor of Fayette, Mississippi (1969–1981 and 1985–1989)
- Perry Wilbon Howard II - Republican National Committeeman from Mississippi (1924-1960)
- Mary Booze - Republican National Committeewoman from Mississippi (1924-1955)
Missouri
- Justin Hicks - Missouri State Representative (2023-present)
- Shamed Dogan – Missouri State Representative (2015–2023)
- 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 (2008–2022)
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)
- Maurice Washington – Nevada State Senator (1994–2010)
- Lynette Boggs – Miss Oregon (1989), Las Vegas City Council (1999–2004), Clark County Commission (2004–2006) and U.S. House nominee (2002)
New Hampshire
- Jim Lawrence – New Hampshire State Representative (2004–2010) and U.S. House nominee (2016)
New Jersey
- Antwan McClellan – New Jersey State Assemblyman (2020–present)
- Garry Cobb – U.S. House nominee (2014) and Dallas Cowboys football player
- Bruce Harris – Mayor of Chatham Borough, New Jersey (2012–2019) and member of the New Jersey State Planning Commission (2020–present)
- Martin G. Barnes – Mayor of Paterson, New Jersey (1997–2002)
- Thomas S. Smith – New Jersey State Assemblyman (1992–2002)
- Jim Usry – Mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey (1984–1990)
- Matthew G. Carter – Mayor of Montclair, New Jersey (1968–1972)
New Mexico
- Conrad James – New Mexico State Representative (2010–2012 and 2014–2016)
- Jane Powdrell-Culbert – New Mexico State Representative (2002–2022)
- Anthony Thornton – New Mexico State Senator (2024-present)
New York
- Mazi Melesa Pilip - Member of the Nassau County New York Legislature (2022-present)
- Joe Pinion - United States Senate nominee 2022
- Keith Wofford – Attorney General of New York nominee (2018)
- Michel Faulkner – U.S. House nominee (2010) and New York Jets football player
- Roy Innis – Chairman of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and a board member of the National Rifle Association of America.
- Myrtle Whitmore - Commissioner of the New York City Housing Authority (1996-1999)
- Richard E. Jackson – Commissioner of Motor Vehicles (1995–2000)
- Joseph Holland – Commissioner of Communities and Urban Renewal (1995-1997)
- James Garner – Mayor of Hempstead (1988–2005) and U.S. House nominee (2004)
North Carolina
- Ken Fontenot - North Carolina State Representative (2023-present)
- Thomas Stith III – Governor of North Carolina Pat McCrory's Chief of Staff (2013–2016)
- Dr. Ada Fisher – NC Republican National Committeewoman (2008–present) and U.S. House nominee (2006 and 2008)
- Mark Robinson - North Carolina Lieutenant Governor (2021-2025)
Ohio
- Josh Williams - Ohio State Representative (2023-present)
- Michele Reynolds - Ohio State Senator (2023-present)
- Janet C. Howard - Ohio State Senator (1995-1998)
- Robert C. Henry– Mayor of Springfield, Ohio (1966–1968)
Oklahoma
- Erick Harris - Oklahoma State Representative (2024-present)
- Marlon Coleman - Mayor of Muskogee (2020-2024)
- T. W. Shannon – Oklahoma State Representative (2007–2015) and Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives (2013–2014)
Oregon
- Jackie Winters – Oregon State Senator (2002–2019)
Pennsylvania
- Harry Lewis Jr. – Pennsylvania State Representative (2014–2018)
- Lynn Swann – Governor of Pennsylvania Nominee (2006) and Pittsburgh Steelers football player
- Renee Amoore – Pennsylvania's Republican State Committeewoman (1992–2000)
South Carolina
- Mike Reichenbach - South Carolina State Senator (2022-present)
- Samuel Rivers Jr. – South Carolina State Representative (2012–2018)
South Dakota
- Tony Randolph – South Dakota State Representative (2018–present)
Texas
- Eric Johnson - Mayor of Dallas (2019-present; elected as a Democrat, switched to Republican in 2023)
- Katrina Pierson - Texas state representative (2025-present)
- Charles Cunningham – Texas State Representative (2023–present)
- Anthony Williams - Mayor of Abilene (2017-2023)
- Shawn Thierry - Texas State Representative (2017-present; elected as a Democrat, switched to Republican in August 2024)
- Scott Turner – Texas State Representative (2013–2017) and Denver Broncos football player
- Stefani Carter – Texas State Representative (2011–2015)
- James White – Texas State Representative (2011–2023)
- Michael L. Williams – Commissioner of the Texas Education Agency (2012–2015), Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission (1999–2011) and U.S. House candidate (2012)
- Robin Armstrong – Vice Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas (2006–2010)
- Dale Wainwright – Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court (2003–2012)
- Wallace Jefferson – Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court (2001–2004) and Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court (2004–2013)
- Clay Smothers – Texas State Representative (1977–1981)
Utah
- Alvin B. Jackson – Utah State Senator (2013–2016)
- James Evans – Utah State Senator (2002–2004) and Chairman of the Utah Republican Party (2013–2017)
Vermont
- Randy Brock - Vermont State Senator (2009-2013, 2017-present) and Vermont Auditor of Accounts (2005-2007)
Virginia
- A.C Cordoza - Virginia State Delegate (2022-present)
- E. W. Jackson – Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Nominee (2013)
- Paul Clinton Harris – Virginia State Delegate (1998–2002)
- Noel C. Taylor – Mayor of Roanoke, Virginia (1975–1992)
Washington
- Michael Ross – Washington State Representative (1971–1973)
- Charles Stokes – Washington State Representative (1951–1959)
West Virginia
- Caleb Hanna – West Virginia State Delegate (2018–present)
- Jill Upson – West Virginia State Delegate (2014–2018)
Wisconsin
- Julian Bradley – Wisconsin State Senate (2021–present)
Wyoming
- Lynn Hutchings – Wyoming State Representative (2012–2014) and Wyoming State Senator (2018–present)
Other people
United States judges
- Angela Tucker – Texas District Court Judge (2012–present)
- Ada E. Brown – United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
- Clarence Thomas – Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (1991–present)
- David W. Williams – Judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California (1969–2000)
- George C. Hanks Jr. – Justice on the Texas state First Court of Appeals (2010–2015) and Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas (2015–present)
- Janice Rogers Brown – Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California (1996–2005) and U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (2005–2017)
- Jerome Holmes – United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- Kevin A. Ross – Judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court (1996–2005) and Judge on America's Court with Judge Ross (2010–present)
- Lisa Holder White - Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court (since 2022), Judge of the Illinois Fourth District Appellate Court (2013-2022), Trial Judge Illinois Sixth Judicial Circuit Court (2001-2013)
- Lynn Toler – Arbitrator on the court series Divorce Court (2001–present)
- Robert Heberton Terrell – Judge to the District of Columbia Municipal Court (1901–1924)
- Sara J. Harper – Ohio Court of Appeals (1990–2003)
TV personalities, authors and journalists
- Amy Holmes – News anchor and political contributor on CNN
- Armond White – Film critic for National Review and Out Magazine
- Armstrong Williams – Author of Beyond Blame and TV host of On Point
- Ben Kinchlow – Evangelist, television and radio personality
- Brandon Tatum – Former police officer, commentator and professional speaker.
- Candace Owens – Writer and commentator
- Carol M. Swain – Television personality and professor of political science and law at Vanderbilt University
- Charles Payne – Fox News and Fox Business journalist
- CJ Pearson – Journalist
- C.L. Bryant – TV host
- Deneen Borelli – Author, columnist, and Fox News contributor
- Diamond and Silk (Lynnette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson) – Live-stream video bloggers, political activists and Newsmax TV hosts
- Eboni K. Williams - Attorney and radio and TV personality
- George Schuyler – Journalist
- Philippa Schuyler – Pianist, author, journalist
- Hallie Quinn Brown – Author
- Harris Faulkner – Television host for Fox News
- James Golden – Producer for The Rush Limbaugh Show (under the alias "Bo Snerdley")
- Reverend Jesse Lee Peterson – President of the Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny
- Jason Riley – Journalist
- Jason Whitlock – Sports Journalist, radio personality, commentator and writer.
- Katrina Pierson – Tea Party activist, communications consultant and a regular CNN contributor
- Kathy Barnette - Policy commentator and former political candidate
- Larry Elder – Author of 10 Things You Can't Say in America and radio host
- Lawrence Dennis – Mixed-race, diplomat, consultant, author
- Lawrence B. Jones – Radio host, contributor to Fox News, and author
- Lenny McAllister – Author of Diary of a Mad Black PYC (Proud Young Conservative) and radio talk-show host from WVON-AM Chicago
- Leo Terrell – civil rights attorney, talk radio host
- Lester Holt – News anchor at NBC News, a registered Republican since 2003
- Michael King – Emmy Award-winning television producer
- Michelle Bernard – Journalist
- Nannie Helen Burroughs – Author
- Paris Dennard – Commentator on CNN and NPR, and the Senior Director of Strategic Communications for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund
- Raynard Jackson – Columnist and TV political analyst
- Shelby Steele – Author
- Samantha Marika – Political commentator
- Anton Daniels – YouTube personality
- Tommy Sotomayor – Radio and internet talk show host, YouTube personality, men's rights activist and film producer
- Tony Brown – Journalist and host of Tony Brown's Journal
- Tyrus (wrestler) – Professional wrestler, actor and Fox News commentator
- Zora Neale Hurston - Author, anthropologist and filmmaker
Military
- Lieutenant Colonel Frances Rice – Chairwoman of the National Black Republican Association
- Major General Mary J. Kight – Adjutant General of California (2010–2011)
- Lieutenant General Russel L. Honoré
Columnists
- Deroy Murdock – National Review columnist
- Ken Hamblin – Denver Post columnist
- Jason L. Riley — The Wall Street Journal
- Robert A. George – Columnist for the New York Post
- Sophia A. Nelson – Chair of PoliticalIntersection.com and politicalintersection.blogspot.com
- Star Parker – President of the Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education, columnist and author
- Stephen L. Carter – Christianity Today columnist, author of The Culture of Disbelief
Athletes and entertainers
- Anthony Watson (skeleton racer) - is an American-born skeleton racer who competed on behalf of Jamaica in the 2018 Winter Olympics, becoming the first athlete to represent the Caribbean nation in the winter sport.
- Bryan Clay – Washington Times
- Bryson Gray - is an American rapper, known for his work in the Christian hip hop and political hip hop genres.
- David Tyree – NFL Football player
- Don King – Boxing promoter
- Ernie Banks – MLB baseball player
- Greg Anthony – NBA basketball player
- Herschel Walker – NFL football player
- Isaiah Washington – Actor
- James Brown – Musician. Openly endorsed Richard Nixon at the 1972 presidential election and named Strom Thurmond as one of his heroes during a 1999 interview with Rolling Stone.
- Jimmie Walker – Actor
- Johnny Mathis – Singer
- Jonathan Isaac - NBA basketball player
- Joseph C. Phillips – Actor
- Joy Villa – Singer. Promoted and supported Donald Trump's presidency in 2017.
- Kanye West – Rapper and record producer. Endorsed Donald Trump subsequently to the 2016 presidential election. Met President Trump in the Oval Office on 11 October 2018. Independent candidate for President of the United States in 2020 and 2024.
- Karl Malone – Olympic Gold medallist and basketball player
- Kevin and Keith Hodge – Prominent YouTube commentators, comedians and trainers
- Lawrence Taylor - NFL Football player
- Lionel Hampton - Musician, delegate to several Republican National Conventions, vice-president of the New York State Republican Committee.
- Mattie Montgomery - singer and pastor
- Mike Jones – WWF wrestler
- Nolan Carroll – NFL Football player and son of Jennifer Carroll, Lieutenant Governor of Florida
- Ottis Anderson - NFL Football player
- Pearl Bailey – Actress and singer
- Ronnie Lott – NFL Football player
- Rosey Grier - Former football player, actor, singer, Protestant minister, he addressed the 1984 Republican National Convention and endorsed Ronald Reagan for reelection.
- Stacey Dash – Actress
- Thurman Thomas – NFL Football player
- Tommy Vext - singer
- Tony Dungy – NFL Football player and coach
- Topher (rapper) - is an independent American rapper, songwriter and conservative commentator.
- Wilt Chamberlain – NBA Basketball player
- Kevin Holland - is an American professional mixed martial artist.
Education and business
- Alveda King – Niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and senior fellow at the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution
- Arthur Fletcher – Academic
- Booker T. Washington – Educator, author, orator, and adviser to several presidents of the United States
- Chris Darden – Attorney
- George Washington Carver – Agricultural scientist and inventor who promoted alternative crops to cotton and methods to prevent soil depletion
- Glenn Loury – Academic, economist, and podcast host
- Herman Cain – Former CEO of Godfather's Pizza, talk show host, and one-time presidential candidate
- Jessie De Priest – Music teacher, wife of Congressman Oscar Stanton De Priest. Her presence at a White House tea given by Lou Henry Hoover on June 12, 1929, caused a scandal among southern Democrats
- Joshua I. Smith – Businessman
- Marvin Scott – Academic
- Michael Powell - Former Republican member of the Federal Communications Commission, current president National Cable and Telecommunications Association.
- Dr. Mildred Fay Jefferson – First African American to graduate from Harvard Medical School
- Samuel B. Fuller – Businessman
- Stephen N. Lackey – Businessman
- Thomas Sowell – American economist, social theorist, and senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution.
- Vern S. Williams – Member of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel
- Walter Edward Williams – American economist, commentator, and academic
- Robert Oscar Lopez - Academic - mixed Latino and African ancestry
- Eunice Carter - Attorney. First African-American assistant district attorney in New York state.
- Robert Reed Church - Real estate investor and banker, he was a delegate for William McKinley at the 1900 Republican National Convention.
- Robert Church Jr - Businessman and Republican Party organizer in Memphis, Tennessee
- Mary Church Terrell - One of the first African-American women to receive a college degree, she was a journalist and educator. She was an active Republican, campaigning for Warren G. Harding in 1920.
- Angel Joy Chavis Rocker - Guidance counselor. She became the first African-American woman to seek the Republican nomination for President of the United States in 2000.
- William Nickerson Jr. - Businessman and founder of Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company, in 1944, he was candidate for presidential elector from California on the Republican Dewey-Bricker ticket.
Civil rights, abolitionists and activists
- Eldridge Cleaver – Leader of the Black Panther Party who later became a Republican
- James Meredith – Civil rights campaigner, who served as domestic adviser to Jesse Helms
- James Weldon Johnson – Activist, served as treasurer of Colored Republican Club
- Scipio Africanus Jones – Activist
- Dr. T. R. M. Howard – Founder of Regional Council of Negro Leadership, surgeon, supporter of right to abortion, ally of Dwight Eisenhower. He opposed socialism and Communism.
- Bayard Rustin – Civil rights activist who became neoconservative in later life
- Michael the Black Man – Maurice Woodside, activist
- James David Manning – Pastor, ATLAH World Missionary Church, activist
- Bishop Eddie Long – Pastor, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, activist
- Enrique Tarrio – Henry "Enrique" Tarrio, identifies as Afro-Cuban, activist
- Manning Johnson – Former Communist who became an anti-communist activist
- Darrell C. Scott – Pastor, activist
- Ali Alexander – Social media personality and activist, of African-American and Arab ancestry
- Archibald Grimke – Civil rights activist
- Ezola Foster – Teacher, writer, political activist, and unsuccessful candidate for public office on the Republican and Reform Party tickets
- Roscoe Simmons – Orator, journalist, political activist, he was part of the "Old Guard" of Black Republicans in Tennessee. He attended three Republican National Conventions and seconded the nomination of Herbert Hoover in 1932.
- Maj Toure - activist and rapper, founder of Black Guns Matter
- Mark Burns (pastor) - televangelist, unsuccessful candidate for United States House of Representatives from South Carolina in 2018 and 2022.
- Ayaan Hirsi Ali - Somali-born Dutch-American activist associated with the conservative American Enterprise Institute and Hoover Institution, a former Muslim, she has spoken out against Islamic suppression of women and has criticized American feminists for their failure to speak out on this issue.
- H. K. Edgerton - African-American neoconfederate activist.
- Nelson W. Winbush - is an educator, who is notable as one of a handful of African-American members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV).
- Mattie Clyburn Rice - was an African-American member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
- Georgia Benton - African-American member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy
- Voddie Baucham - is an American pastor, author, and educator. He serves as Dean of Theology at African Christian University in Lusaka, Zambia.
- Lemuel Haynes - was an American clergyman. A veteran of the American Revolution, Haynes was the first black man in the United States to be ordained as a minister.
- Tony Evans (pastor)
Organizations
- Congress of Racial Equality
- American Civil Rights Institute
- Project 21
- Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education
- National Black Republican Association
- Blexit
- Lincoln League
- Negro Republican Party
- Readjuster Party
- Black-and-tan faction
- Union League
See also
- African-American leftism
- Conservative Democrat
- Hip Hop Republican
- 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
- Asian American and Pacific Islands American conservatism in the United States
- Black Lies, White Lies
- Uncle Tom (film)
- List of African-American Republicans
- Black-owned businesses
- Black church
- Ethnocultural politics in the United States
References
- Diamond, Sara (1996). Facing the Wrath: Confronting the Right in Dangerous Times. Common Courage Press. p. 96. ISBN 978-1-56751-078-2.
Christian Right activists allied with black conservatives to make their causes appear more mainstream across racial and class lines. In this vein, the Family Research Council (the lobbying affiliate of Focus on the Family) recently named as vice-president Kay Cole James, a black anti-abortion activist.
- "Lexington: The school of very hard knocks". The Economist. 2007-10-04. Retrieved 2011-05-17.
- Wright Rigueur, Leah (15 February 2015). "The Forgotten History of Black Republicans". The Daily Beast. New York City. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
- For an overview of these themes, see Stan Faryna, Brad Stetson, and Joseph G. Conti, Eds., Black and Right: The Bold New Voice of Black Conservatives in America, (Westport, CT: Praeger, 1997)
- Brian Greenberg; Linda S. Watts; Richard A. Greenwald; Gordon Reavley; Alice L. George; Scott Beekman; Cecelia Bucki; Mark Ciabattari; John C. Stoner; Troy D. Paino; Laurie Mercier; Andrew Hunt; Peter C. Holloran; Nancy Cohen (2008). Social History of the United States [10 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 360. ISBN 978-1-59884-128-2.
- Pew Forum: Many Americans Uneasy with Mix of Religion and Politics Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- Part 1: Party Affiliation: The 2004 Political Landscape Archived April 11, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
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- "70% of African Americans backed Prop. 8, exit poll finds". Latimesblogs.latimes.com. 2008-11-05. Retrieved 2013-11-01.
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- Gilmore, Glenda Elizabeth (2016). These United States: A Nation in the Making, 1890-Present (First ed.). New York: W.W. Norton & Co. p. 24. ISBN 9780393283075.
- Dawson, Michael C. (1995). Behind the Mule: Race and Class in African-American Politics. Princeton University Press. p. 102. ISBN 0691025436.
herbert hoover fired black republicans.
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Further reading
- Blain, Charles J., Black Churches Can't Stand Strong If They Keep Democrats as Their Platform (2017)
- Conti, Joseph G & Brad Stetson, Challenging the Civil Rights Establishment: Profiles of a New Black Vanguard (1993)
- Eisenstadt, Peter, ed. Black Conservatism: Essays in Intellectual and Political History (1999)
- Farina, Stan, Brad Stetson & Joseph G. Conti, eds. Black and Right: The Bold New Voice of Black Conservatives in America (1997)
- Lewis, Angela K., "Black conservatism in America," Journal of African American Studies, Vol 8, Issue 4, pp. 3–13 (2005)
- 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
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