Who Are the Black Sheep?: Understanding the Makings of a Black Republican

• In Event: Unpacking Black Political Perspectives

Abstract

The common focus on why most Black people are Democrats (White and Laird 2020) comes at the expense of understanding what it means to be a Black Republican. Not only are Black Republicans the significant political minority within their racial group, but they are also an understudied population (Fields 2016). To this end, this paper asks a basic question: What does it mean to be a Black Republican? Using two nationally representative surveys with large samples of Black Republicans, I focus on three dimensions scholars frequently return to when discussing Black partisanship: ideology, racial group attitudes, and social environment. Three key findings emerge from my analysis. First, there are minimal ideological differences between Black Democrats and Black Republicans but significant ideological differences between Black Republicans and White Republicans. Second, contrary to conventional wisdom, Black Republicans demonstrate a deep concern for racial group interests that rivals that of Black Democrats. Lastly, the social environment of Black Republicans is their most defining characteristic and suggests the need for future research exploring Black Republicans’ relationship or lack thereof with Black social networks and institutions.

Author

• Michael Strawbridge, Washington University in St. Louis