It's time to set the record straight about Democrats and Republicans when it comes to civil/human rights of Black people, descended from slaves brought to American shores from the continent of Africa. The Democrat Party, comprised of Southern states, seceded from the Union, and fought to preserve chattel slavery. The Republican Party fought to end this inhumane practice. In fact, they started out in 1854 WI as the anti-slavery Whig Party, and fought to prevent slavery in the Northern Territories.
After the Union Army won the Civil War, Republicans amended the Constitution to grant newly freed slaves, freedom (13th Amendment); citizenship (14th Amendment); and the right to vote (15th Amendment). In response, Democrats passed Jim Crow laws in their local jurisdictions of southern states to deny Blacks their constitutional rights. The Republican-controlled Congress passed Civil Rights laws during the 1860's to guarantee Blacks the rights they were entitled to.
This legislation occurred during the period of "Reconstruction" under former Union General Ulysses S Grant (R) in 1868, backed by the "Radical" Republicans in Congress. Grant received votes from 450,000 freedmen. The "Moderate" Republican voices in Congress backed Democrat challenger, Horace Greeley. After the 1872 presidential election president Grant wanted more protection of Black rights. The Republican Party was more split along idealogical lines at this time; some who supported Black civil rights, and others who wanted more local self-governance in the South. "Liberal" Republicans backed Horace Greeley.
The presidential election of 1876 between Rutherford B Hayes (R) and Samuel J Tilden (D) was a turning point in American political history. During Reconstruction, federal troops remained in the South, however, in 1874, Democrats took control of the House of Representatives, and Democrat support of the Republican president Hayes was conditioned on assurances that federal troops would not interfere in southern politics. At this time, Republicans controlled the states of SC, LA, and FL. In what was known as "the compromise of 1877" federal troops were withdrawn from All southern states; despite "Republican" protests over the treatment of Black voters.
When Grover Cleveland (D) became president in 1892, the Democrat Party took over both Houses of Congress, and in 1894 passed the Civil Rights Repeal Act; which overturned the civil rights laws of the 1860's. Although there were 3 Republican presidents following this time, from 1896-1912 (William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, and William Howard Taft. Woodrow Wilson (D), who was a racist and segregationist became president in 1912, despite having large support from Black voters who thought he was a 'different' kind of politician.
Woodrow Wilson probably would not have become president if Theodore Roosevelt, who wanted to be re-elected, split the Republican Party; forming his own Bull Moose "(Progressive") political Party. Afterwards, there were another 3 Republican presidents from 1920-1928 (Warren G Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover). After 1928, the political landscape began to change as Democrats carried the 12 largest cities (in the North).
The "Great Depression" started under Hoover, and not surprisingly, Franklin D Roosevelt (D) became president in 1932. Democrats also controlled Congress. The 1936 presidential election was a pivotal period for African-Americans, who had traditionally voted Republican, switched to FDR in "record numbers" with 71% support.
NOTE: FDR is the only president in United States political history to be elected to 4 terms (1932, 1936, 1940, 1944). He died in office in 1945.
Harry S Truman (D) became president in 1948 against Thomas E Dewey (R), who, despite having a solid record on civil rights, tried to appeal more to White southern Conservatives. Truman received 77% of the Black vote and was the first president to desegregrate the military. The Democrat Party adopted a strong Civil Rights platform, however, southern delegates walked out, forming the States Rights Party ("Dixiecrats") of which such political figures were: George Wallace, Strom Thurmond, and Robert Byrd.
At this time, 40% of Blacks moved out of the South and lived in the North (mostly, NY, IL, PA, OH, and MI), which was about 1.6M people. Truman said that Northern Negroes were the road to the presidency. Former WWII General and Head of Columbia University, Dwight D Eisenhower (R) becane president in 1952 over Adlai E Stevenson (D). After his re-election in 1956, he said that "segregation" is a threat to national security and sent the 101st Airbourne to protect Black children going to segregated White schools in Arkansas. Eisenhower received 40% of the Black vote.
Let's fast forward a little further to the 1960's: It was Senator Everett Dirksen (R) who championed the Civil Rights legislation of 1957, 1964, 1965, and 1968; although reluctantly, at first, and was instrumental in getting it passed through Congress. Ironically, both John F Kennedy and Lyndon B Johnson, as members of the Senate, "opposed" the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Senator Barry Goldwater (R) supported the Bill and opposed it in 1964 on Constitutional grounds because he felt it involved too much goverment overreach into local state jurisdictions; he later regretted that position until his dying day. Also, it was a little known fact that Goldwater was a lifelong member of the NAACP.
John F Kennedy (D) was elected president in 1960, beating out Richard M Nixon (R), who basically held the "same" position on Civil Rights as JFK. Nixon, unlike JFK and LBJ, voted for the 1957 Civil Rights Act, and received 32% of the Black vote. After JFK's assassination, Lyndon B Johnson ran against Barry Goldwater in 1964, and defeated him; receiving 94% of the Black vote. At this time "most" Blacks were prevented from voting in the south by "Jim Crow" Defacto laws by Democrat legislators or Dejure practices.
Goldwater wanted to eliminate Social Security, increase bombing in North Vietnam, and said that there is hardly a "difference" between Republican Conservatives and Southern Democrats. LBJ became the "first" president from a southern state since Andrew Jackson.
NOTE: After Barry Goldwater, Blacks fled the Republican Party in droves to the Democrats for good!!
In 1968, Richard M Nixon (R) ran for president against George McGovern (D), and won. At this time southern Democrats were responding favorably to Republican Party ideas about big business, less government regulation, personal responsibility, and government non-intervention in the matter of integration and school busing; as opposed to civil rights for Blacks. Despite Nixon's "Law and Order" mandate, he started the first 'Affirmative Action' groundwork with the 1969 "Philadelphia Plan" crafted by Black Republican Arthur Fletcher; which was intended to undo federal job discrimination policies by "Progressive" Democrat president Woodrow Wilson.
The election of Jimmy Carter (D) as president over Gerald Ford (R) coincided with Democrat contol of Congress from 1968-1976. Carter received 83% of the Black vote as the Democrat Party tried to deepen ties with African-Americans. Ronald Reagan (R) served 2 terms as presudent (1980, 1984); and George H.W. Bush served 1 term before Bill Clinton (D) beat him in the 1992 presidential election. In 1996, Clinton ran against Bob Dole (R) of Kansas, and won re-election; although he only carried 4 southern states.
In the following presidential elections of 2000 and 2004, the Democrat Party has NOT carried a single southern state-why?? Democrats have controlled the South for over 100 years, and Democrat policies in Black communities for well over the past 60 years have left behind impoverished, crime-infested, drug dealing, economically-devitalized urban jungles (da' hood), food insecure islands, high unemployment, failing schools in a social wasteland and crumbling infrastructure in cities like Detroit, South Chicago, and Baltimore. More cities could be added to the list; along with communities of color in states like, again, NY, IL, PA, OH, MI, etc. So, who are the Real 'racists'? I think the evidence is clear, however, it is up to you to decide for yourself.
Robert Randle
Houston, TX
November 20, 2020
robertrandle51@yahoo.com
