Op-ed submission by Project 21
Glenn Beck was more ahead of his time than I realized in 2009 when he aired his first program to prove the existence of black conservatives.
Despite Beck’s assistance, we remain largely unseen on the news channels. As a black conservative advocate of how blacks should (and, in many instances, do) embrace conservative values for more than a decade, the media does not call us as often as it should.
Black conservative voices must become ubiquitous. We aren’t anomalies. The problem is that we aren’t being heard.
That’s a shame since it is precisely because black conservatives are infrequently invited to espouse our views that the misperceptions about black conservatives fester.
Some want this silence because the more we talk the less unusual it is to be black and openly conservative.
That’s why the left appears adamant in trying to silence black conservatives. After I appear on television, for instance, I can be assured pervasive and virulent e-mails meant to intimidate me are on their way. For instance:
“And you even with your straight-hair wig would have been mistaken for a welfare gal. Beck is using you. I hope it pays well.”
“…you display that sad self-hating stereotype black conservatives are known for by not recognizing your African heritage.”
An oft-expressed, but baseless, suspicion by slanderers is that black conservatives adopt the conservative position for attention. We are called on by factions of the right, they argue, as a sideshow to validate their bigoted and racist views… simultaneously selling out our community for financial gain.
If that’s true, whoever they think is passing out the paychecks forgot mine. Furthermore, I recognize my African heritage more than just every time I look in the mirror. I’m secure in my heritage and my beliefs.
But making a respectable name for ourselves isn’t helped when people such as Ann Coulter appear to validate the suspicion. On a recent edition of Hannity, she said “our blacks are so much better than their blacks.” For Coulter to seemingly take ownership of black conservatives had me throwing trail mix at my flat screen.
This type of flippant remark from a white conservative speaking for blacks whom she purports to support (or, in this case, approves of) unfortunately only justifies the accusation that black conservatives are indeed mere puppets.
MSNBC, CNN and other networks aren’t expected to look to the black conservative commentators to talk about how the Obama Administration has set the black community back. But what about the Fox News Channel?
Fox News has a steady stream of liberal black commentary on their roundtables as opposed to black conservatives. Juan Williams, for instance, shares the Sunday roundtable with Chris Wallace. Marc Lamont Hill is a consistent presence on The O’Reilly Factor and Jehmu Greene is a regular Fox News contributor.
Being a black liberal apparently does pay well, even on Fox News.
In trying to determine what prevents black conservatives from making the cut, I can only surmise that my comrades are also like me: modest in querying producers; afraid to appear arrogant or boastful; insecure about stature and dubious about appearing self-serving.
Likewise, is Fox News leery of being perceived as “using” us? MSNBC and Al Sharpton surely aren’t worried about this, considering Sharpton seems to be taking the race issue to the bank. Cha-ching!
But isn’t there room for a black conservative on The Five or as a foil to Sharpton? After all, respected conservative commentators… white, yellow, brown and black… are considered qualified to comment on issues revolving around the black community. Why aren’t black conservatives called more often to discuss policies pertaining to America at large?
I hadn’t realized that Glenn Beck needed a show to prove to America that black conservatives exist. To a more relevant degree, however, we still don’t.
Lisa Fritsch, a member of the Project 21 blackleadership network, is the author of “Obama, Tea Parties and God”. Her personal web site is located at www.lisafritsch.com.
I don’t think most African Americans have issues with real conservative values. What most of us take issue with is the uncle tom foolery and cooning exhibited by black conservatives in the Republican Party. (As an aside, I find the same type of foolery exhibited by blacks on the other side of the political fence too). I’m a conservative myself. But I define my conservatism through the values bestowed upon me by my ancestors and those men and women that fought for the freedom that I now enjoy. Any African American that holds up the banner carried by racists like Thurmond, Lott, Delay, Gingrich, Helms, the tea party and..yes…Glenn Beck has self-hate issues in my opinion. It’s time we come off of the political plantations of the democratic and republican parties and begin to define our own political and cultural agenda and start dictating policy to our elected officials like other cultures do in this country.
Who wants to silence black conservatives?
I thought black conservatives never saw themselves as victims.
I will use their own philosophy here to explain their situation :
No one is stopping black conservatives from having the spotlight and notoriety they feel entitled to.
This is certainly a nation in which everyone is always ready to grab the spotlight at all cost, regardless of how ridiculouss they appear.
Why blame the left?There are enough white conservatives’ programs;those are the ones that should be inviting black conservatives to espouse their views.
Why is Ms. Fritsch screaming at the darkness?
Ms. Fritsch should ask her white counterparts to turn the lights on for her so she and her fellow black conservatives can come out of the cold.
Wouldn’t that be a plus for the conservative movement?
The problem stands with those that wear the moniker “black conservative.” They are nothing be chocolated versions of white conservatives repeating the same nonsense their white coutnerparts spew. More of the same, just coming from a black face. Lisa Fritsch and her comrades are not true conservatives, for if they were they would be highlighting the line the marks the continuation of policies that GW put into action and Obama continues. If they were true fiscal conservatives she may have a case to present, but she and her comrades are not, they are only clones of their pale masters.
Peace!
“The problem stands with those that wear the moniker “black conservative.” They are nothing be chocolated versions of white conservatives repeating the same nonsense their white coutnerparts spew. More of the same, just coming from a black face.”
I agree 100% with this statement. However, the other side of this coin is also true. Those who wear the moniker “black democrat”, “black liberal”, “black progressive” are nothing but chocolated versions of white democrats, liberals and progressives, repeating the same nonsense their white counterparts spew. More of the same, just coming from a black face. I would even extend this truth to those who veil themselves in the so-called “black revolutionary” moniker… the ones who idolize and parrot the ideologies of Marx, Lenin, Mao and Assange.
Obama=Bush; Michael Steele=Harold Ford; Herman Cain=Jesse Jackson; Shelby Steele=Al Sharpton; Hilary Clinton=Condoleeza Rice; NAACP=Project 21.
Fortunately, because I don’t live in America and not blinded nor enslaved by the political propaganda of either side, I see clearly that there is no benefit in demonizing or idolizing another black person, especially for a eurocentric political ideology which ultimately benefits only their… or should I say… “your” pale masters. It’s the foundation for the continued stunting of the growth of African Americans and the formula for their own self-destruction.
If the “best and brightest” of black people in America would engage with each other, regardless of their religious and political ideology, and jointly work for their upliftment and empowerment, they would certainly be more enlightened politically (at least) and henceforth more influential within the political process than they are now. Instead, they are once again easy prey for the “schuck and jive” of a “liberal” Obama or a “conservative” Herman Cain, who are nothing more than media creations… “African”-American Idols and X Factor hyped pied pipers… and the strategy of “divide and conquer” is once again self-perpetuating.
As always, the struggle continues towards the abyss…
Asagbna:
There is plenty of reasons to be critical of Black liberals and progressives but being carbon copies of white co thinkers is not one of them.
it is quite easy if you are not aware of the inner dynamics of Black political thought to say that Black progressives are just chocolate versions of white progressives just like Black conservatives are darker versions of white conservatives. However a close examination of the facts does not bear this out. Black progressives and liberals for all their faults almost always dictate their own agenda. Even with a Black President in the White House pushing a white political agenda the Black Caucus has consistently pushed an Black agenda to the left of Obama and most of their white Democratic Party comrades. This has always been the case for Black Democrats. When Obama opined that the arrest of Professorial Henry Louis Gates in his own house was stupid, white liberals shuddered and lamented that Obama had taken his eye off the ball of passing the Healthcare bill. Black commentators meanwhile were happy to have someone shine the spotlight on police racial profiling and abuse of power. Whites were relieved when he backtracked and played up the beer summit while Black liberals and progressives were still talking about police abuse.
Black Democrats at least have some influence upon the rhetoric, the political line and direction of the Party. When they do not Black Democrats feel free to be critical of the Democratic Party and its spoke-people. Black conservatives remain silent or defend white conservatives no matter how racist or idiotic the statement. Case in point was when Harry Reide refereed to Obama as a Negro and Joe Biden talked about him not being a “regular black”. Contrast that with the Ann Coulter statement and the lack of response by Black conservatives .
Finally Black Nationalist and Pan Africanist make up a much larger percentage of the Black Community than Black conservatives who make up a miniscule fraction of Black Political thought. Nor are Black conservatives influential in determining Black opinion. This is not the fault of the white corporate media which puts way too many of them in front of microphones. This is because Black people would rather laugh at Uncle Ruckus and his co-thinkers than follow them.
Happy Kwanzaa to all!
I think it’s important to have people who think differently politically in either party. I don’t necessarily agree with most conservative thought, but I think it’s important that the Black community have more than one or two voices. My issues with Black conservatives is the speaking about racism not existing anymore or that things like affirmative action didn’t help the community. But I also have problems with liberals saying that welfare didn’t do some damage the black community as well. I frankly don’t like it when people talk smack no matter who it comes from. Perhaps you need to approach TV One or BET to have a show with competing sides like there used to be years ago with Jim Brown.
Greetings Sis. Alison,
“I think it’s important to have people who think differently politically in either party.”
This is true. Regardless of our political beliefs, we need to find common ground to realize our common purpose. I find it ironic and a true gauge of the success of the disunity within the African-American community when black democrat Al Sharpton can go on an Education Tour with white republican Newt Gingrich in 2009… the same Newt Gingrich who believes that black children aren’t being taught the value of work so they should be the janitors in their schools… while the same black democrat Rev. Sharpton can’t find any common ground to work with a black republican like Michael Steele! In fact, this same black democrat Al sharpton was against black progressives Tavis Smiley and Dr. West and their tour to highlight the Obama’s adminstration’s lack of policies to assist the poor in America.
smh…
The issue here is that “different thought” is construed as the equal and opposite of the Liberal or the Conservative, Unfortunately, what I would consider as different thought is not even on the table, at least in most political circles. Different thought for me is the idea that Conservatives, Progressives, Liberals, Taxed Enough Already ideologies are all sides of the same coin. This is why Sharpton can go on tour with the likes of a Newt Gingrich. Or, that Tavis Smiley can bring a “health” tour to black communities sponsored by McDonalds.
It’s high time we recognize this is a huge game being played on the people in the United States and the world. Once we really begin to see the game, Liberal, Conservative,Progressives, T.E.A Party, Democrat, Republican, Green Party, JLP, PNP, PNM, UNC, FMN, PLP, Fanmi Lavalas, Farmers Reponse Party or New Democratic Party…will mean nothing. Once we the people realize these are all fictions we may really begin to make progress for real. That will be a different viewpoint to be heard.
Peace my people!
The woman in the video presents a “different” view. This will not be in the mainstream. This is how some of the younger generation is thinking.
Peace
The issue isn’t about Gingrich or MacDonalds, the point is these 3 black men: Steele, Sharpton and Smiley, who I believe sincerely want to empower and uplift African-Americans in their own way, are an example of the bigger problem that we can`t get our shit together to find common ground to unite among ourselves… but are quick to “ride and die” with the white man… as their bitch and feel honored to eat the crumbs from their table!
“It’s high time we recognize this is a huge game being played on the people in the United States and the world.”
We would recognize the game being played on us, if we would stop playing ourselves first and foremost!
The sister in this video has some enlightening things to say for sure, but it means nothing until people of African descent move beyond their self-defining labels and come together for real! Uniting with those who think, worship or vote like us, isn’t true unity at all… it’s just a form of self adulation.
just saying…
Hey Asa, I do agree with you. Even if people want to maintain their titles, we can still come together against that which is against us. Like we have agreed before, Unity is not Uniformity. If that idea can be grasped and understood and overstood we may gain some ground. This arena is too small to really express it. Have you ever given any thought to Blog Talk Radio for the Afrospear? I am thinking of hosting a program there. Hit me here ensaynreality@gmail.com and give me your thoughts, please.
Peace!
Great idea Amenta… i’ll hit you up for sure!
Blessings!