Why Would Blacks Join The Republican Party?

ST. PAUL -- All throughout the week I have spoken with blacks of different walks of life attending the Republican National Convention, from small business entrepreneurs to law clerks. All of them gave different reasons for joining the Republican Party, but one thing was consistent: they felt that the GOP's plans and policies are the best way to ensure that they succeed in this society.

While he was a student at Grambling State University, Republican National Committee member Shannon Reeves was told by one of his professors that his writings were quite conservative. It was this comment that sparked in his interest in the Republican Party.

Reeves, a former secretary of California's Republican Party, says he actually made the decision to join the GOP "because I felt that black people were being used by the Democrats." He also agreed with Republicans on issues such as the importance of "personal responsibility and economic self-sufficiency." Ironically, at the same time Reeves was committing himself to the Republican Party, he was still the president of his college's chapter of the NAACP; belonging to two groups that on the surface seem fundamentally at odds with each other.

"People get more conservative once they have something to conserve," says Reeves, explaining the evolution, adding that both blacks and Republicans are interested in holding on to what they've gained once they've reached their goal. He continues, "When you buy that first house or get that first major job and see all the payroll taxes coming out of your check, you find out just how conservative you really are."

Reeves believes that the task of black Republicans is to not allow the Democrats to cast a racist cloud over the Republican Party so that blacks are scared away. Instead, "It's up to black Republicans to take the initiative, to lead the conversation in the black community. That's how we can attract more blacks.

"I have to vote for basic policies that create a certain quality of life for my today and my children's future," says Reeves, who also believes that race should not be a barrier to fulfilling the American dream. That's why he thinks that other African Americans who want to achieve should give the GOP a second look as well.