So, about a week ago a dear family member sent me a video of an African American granting validity to the current Republican Party based on it's policies and political history during the late 1800's and early 1900's. I do not wish to give the video any more publicity than it has, but for the sake of integrity, I am bound to mention the title of this video and where it is posted. The video is titled "Man tells Black History as it really was"; posted on x.com. The video is narrated by a confident black man geared towards a specific political audience. It has the feel of the "in your face" approach so popular with today's youth. Below I have written most of the main assertions made (addressing them all is just so exhausting) in the video followed by context and historical information I found from reliable sources and articles (indexed at the end of this blog).
1. Lincoln (Republican) signed the Emancipation Proclamation (January 1, 1861).
True. President Lincoln did sign the Emancipation Proclamation (a military measure) with multiple intended purposes: to inspire enslaved people and Black people in the Confederacy to support the Union; and to prevent England and France from giving military aid and political recognition to the Confederacy. Analyzing it a bit further, once the emancipation took place, it caused a great disruption of the South's economy sealing the Confederacy's demise and bringing an end to the American Civil War (1861-65). Although Lincoln and the northern Republicans did fight for the ending of slavery; it seems to me, that the Emancipation Proclamation (and consequently the passage of the 13th Amendment on December 6, 1865) was more of a strategic, calculated move than the benevolent moral conviction history has portrayed and the current Republican Party wishes to align with for the benefit of gaining the African American vote.
2. Republicans freed the Slaves.
The Free Soil Party, who merged with the Republican Party in 1854, first brought the notion of slavery free expansion of any new territories. Abolitionists also exhorted pressure upon the federal government to end slavery. Back then Republicans and Democrats were comprised of northerners and southerners, respectively. Once the post Civil War Reformation (which sought to equip the former slaves with land, livestock and business opportunities) fell through, the disgruntled confederates consolidated into the Democratic Party in the southern states. Founding the KKK and committing all kinds of atrocious acts against it's black American population. So technically, yes, the Republicans of that time were instrumental in abolishing slavery; with a little help from outside influences and political self-serving maneuvering.
3. Equality in Republican Party Platform.
Republicans advocated African American equality for it's first two decades. This equality advanced several prominent men of African American descent to enter into governmental offices such as Senate, House of Representatives and Congress for the first time. Republican "equality" was short lived. In the early 1876, GOP leaders began to abandon black Americans. Ohio Republican Rutherford B. Haynes agreed to withdraw federal troops from the South in exchange for southern Democratic support. This act embolden Democrats to enacted "Jim Crow Laws" and segregate the south. Lynching of black men, women and children spread throughout the southern states. "Not even with the scourge of lynching did Republicans muster enough enthusiasm to take federal action." The Republican Party and African-Americans: The Real History, Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, by David Greenberg, (online link below). House Republicans passed an Anti-Lynching bill in January 1922, the Senate wouldn't enact it. Idaho Republican William Borah allied with southern Democrats to kill the bill. Furthermore, Republican counterparts were more than willing to go along with the obstruction of a more diversified representation of the people through voter suppression, intimidation and fraud. Sound familiar?
4. More Republicans supported the Civil Rights Act.
Actually, it was the Democratic presidents in the 1960's who enacted civil rights legislation; which the Republicans are trying to undo today. "...the lynch pin moment of this realignment was the Civil Rights Act, which scrambled political allegiances and led Lyndon B. Johnson, the Democrat President from Texas to declare "Democrats had given away the South for a generation." Andrea Gillespie, Emory Political Scientist.
Andrea Gillespie further stated, "Barry Goldwater (GOP nominee in 1964) opposed the Civil Rights Act. During this election cycle, Democrat segregationists saw in the Republican Party more of a home for them. Vast majority of white voters, over a 50 year period, changed parties and voting behaviors to that of the Republican Party. It turned African Americans, the largest minority in the South, into a permanent minority position [Created a 1/3 black Democrat voter population to a 2/3 white Republican voter population in the states of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana]."
"Northern Democrats won the loyalty of black Americans as they fled from the South to northern cities. These Democrats eagerly absorbed the newcomers. The Republican machine, by contrast, reacted coolly when black leaders sought to join their ranks." The Republican Party and African-Americans: The Real History, Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, by David Greenberg, (online link below).
Today's electoral map reads: South red and Northeast & West Coast blue.
George Wallace, a Democrat segregationist who won 5 southern states (1968 Presidential Election); ran on a platform of white fear of black violence. Since then Republican Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and Trump maintain the same platform of invoking the fear of working class voters towards minorities.
I realize that political science is not sexy or entertaining, but it is of upmost importance that we all have some knowledge of our political history so that we can call out a lie when we hear it. As the saying goes "If you don't know where you come from, you won't know where you are heading." Back to the video. The continuous misinformation narrated by this gentleman was just to bolster a skewed version of how the Republican Party, and specifically Trump, is for the American people. To combat this nonsense I suggest people start researching reputable, unbiased history books and articles. The political scene is counting on us to just go with the flow, turn a blind eye and accept alternative facts as our reality. Nothing is written in stone. Do not let someone else determine what kind of future you and your family will have. Be proactive. Make your vote count.
Additional Sources:
https://www.archives.gov
https://education.nationalgeographic.org
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/whig-party-united-states
https://origins.osu.edu/history-news/republican-party-and-african-americans-real-history
