Thoughts on Black Republican Larry Elder and his Party.

I was scrolling through YouTube and on the The Rubin Report I watched a two year old interview of Larry Elder, a black Republican who hosts his own radio show.  I did not know anything about either Dave Rubin or Larry Elder. This was not the first time I saw the viewpoints of black Republicans  since Colin Powell and Michael Steele are men I respect and listen to, even if I don't always agree. This, however, was the first time I sat for a long time and listened to a viewpoint that you don't hear often and is difficult for most black people to comprehend. I decided to listen and give his words food for thought. Some of the points he gave made me think, yes, he has a point. Black people as a voting bloc are more conservative in their values on issues like gay marriage, abortion and even immigration. Or on the other hand, wow, this man is off his kilter (systemic racism doesn't exist anymore). I find problems with Elder's argument that there has been an equalization of America that no longer separates different races from resources.

I'll start where we agree. Black people in America, if we have to generalize, have a hard time thinking outside the Judeo-Christian framework for their moral compass when it comes to gay marriage and abortion.  Even blacks considered radical because of their Islamic faith, according to "unwoke" white people, are generally conservative because their faith is priority.  Even though I don't share the general discomfort of these issues with black people, the truth is that conservatism is an issue that sways the black vote.  Remember that image of the Congressional Black Caucus praying over Obama? That is where most black folks are, steadfastness in their religious beliefs.  In spite of this, they rarely jump on the Republican bandwagon because Republicans prove time and time again that they do not support true faith-based values.

Even before the election of Trump, Republicans made it clear that their first agenda is the rich, White Anglo Saxon man. If he is happy, the entire base should be happy.  Where were Republicans when President Bush ignored the cries of the black Hurricane Katrina victims, drowning them by apathetic, wimpy decisions unfit for a Commander in Chief? Where were Republicans when black people fell prey to predatory lenders, causing droves of foreclosures on black families? Where are the black faces in the Republican Party as a whole? Why isn't the party catering to black people by at least being inclusive by a margin? Have you seen the image of the Republican interns in Congress versus the Democratic interns? Dare I see a black man or woman stand amongst the Republicans. There is little to no representation. They don't even try.

Despite this, I still respect the perspective of the Republican black man. He may have been grandfathered into the Republican party based on a family history of Republicans before the great post-civil rights era migration to the Democratic party by most black people. Legacy is legacy for many and if you dig deep into family history of any black person you will find this is the case. 

And what leaves a distaste in my mouth is the sheer fact that many black Americans can't stand the idea of immigrants coming to America. Seeing the success of immigrants in an America many blacks think turned its back on them makes them think white America favors  immigrants. This way of thinking is difficult for black immigrants to understand as they grow into black American culture and experience racism. What is upsetting is that there is power in numbers and having more black people is a more powerful group able to have more sway. And also the blending of immigrants and black America is culturally enriching for both groups. Many immigrants of the Caribbean and Africa, feel the need to stand up for black rights on a whole because the situation becomes clear quite profoundly. It is harder to get a quality education in majority black communities. It is harder to build credit and buy property as a black person. It is harder to get jobs as a black person in America. It is a challenge to keep black people out of the prison complex when the system seems to gravitate towards men of color. It is harder to keep drugs and guns out of black communities. All these things can be debated on the cause, but systems set in place decades upon decades ago have residual effects on the current population. This isn't an excuse. This is black reality in America. There are more problems in the community than just the breakdown of the black family as Elder suggests. He also said he believes the Democrats make black people think their main problem in America is racism. In his opinion, it is not. Until you break down the structures in place and the mentality that black people are inferior students, workers, parents, landowners, etc., there will be gaps of prosperity in this land. That's all I'm going to say for now. 

I had all these thoughts on a conversation Elder had two years ago. I can't imagine what I would unpack with today's current events.

But really, one thing is certain; people of any color in America should understand that the most prevailing issue of all issues in America is the difference between the rich and the poor. There are suffering black, white, brown, asian, native - pretty much every background in this country. If everyone worked together instead, so much could be achieved. And ideally, if we worked towards giving more people opportunities, then what a better country this would be. For example, the coal miners suffocating to death because of black lung disease need our love and protection as well. So many people can have conversations together on how to live a prosperous life in America. Politicians and corporations and anyone in that 1% running the country need to be held accountable. Laws can change. Mindsets can change. Maybe mine needs to change, too.  In this moment, though, I am glad to add to the conversation and I hope my readers are left with things to think about.