Creating Conservative Outreach to Black America

As happens every Black History Month, politicians will often “invoke a catchy phrase” uttered by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to try to remain relevant. But Project 21 member Demetrius Minor wants to know how many conservative leaders are actually willing “to heed King’s convictions.”

In a commentary syndicated by InsideSources, Demetrius wrote:

It’s quite easy for us to clutch quotes about racial harmony, but are we willing to welcome King’s chastisement to the status quo? For example, he issued this provocative statement: “The great majority of Americans … are uneasy with injustice but unwilling yet to pay a significant price to eradicate it.”

Demetrius believes this is an imperative. And doing so will reap powerful change in black understanding of conservative policies:

[A] consistent conservative model of faith and genuine interest could establish a permanent presence in vulnerable communities.

Noting that “[l]aw and order is a core principle of conservatism,” Demetrius implored conservatives to also understand the reasons for some racial acrimony. But he eschewed the usual liberal solution of growing government:

The solution isn’t a litany of government services. It’s found within the local community, and exemplified by faith-based initiatives and services that strengthen and uphold the family unit.

And he noted that there is liberal obstructionism that must be overcome:

The Senate’s lone black conservative, Tim Scott, attempted to address these woes in a police reform bill that unfortunately collapsed because liberals could not agree with him about how law enforcement should be funded.

“Conservatives must champion intact and healthy families,” Demetrius explained. “A greater concerted effort to stabilize and strengthen families would be a winning message for conservatives in black communities.”

Of course, “[c]onservatives must not shy away from faith.”

Project 21, the National Center’s black leadership network, has proposed dozens of free-market, pro-family and pro-faith solutions to empower black communities in its “Blueprint for a Better Deal for Black America.” A new edition of the blueprint, featuring additional recommendations, will be available this spring.

“It’s time to move from talking to action,” Demetrius declared. “The generations that shall follow us are depending on it.”

Demetrius’s commentary has appeared in publications such as the Lafayette Leader, Walla Walla Union-Bulletin and Marietta Daily Journal. To read it in its entirety, click here.

InsideSources syndicates to almost 300 newspapers nationwide with a readership of over 25 million people.