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North Carolina Brunswick County GOP issued the following announcement on June 23.

As an individual that sides with the Democratic party, but has some Republican values I knew deep down inside that this would be the most difficult essay that I would ever write. When I first examined the prompt I thought “what could I possibly write about the Republican party that is positive?” After a few weeks of research, I was able to find important information that provided me with insight into how the Republican party has impacted the African American community from Juneteeth till the present day.

Many individuals view the Republican party as an evil party that is not considerate of African Americans, the poor, or actually any people of color. They also believe that this party is here to take from the poor and the party’s main goal is to protect their own monetary assets. However, since the 1800s African Americans have had the support of Republican members. One of the main members that African Americans had the support of was Republican President Abraham Lincoln who issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. This was a huge milestone for the civil rights of African Americans, Republican President Abraham Lincoln played a huge role in ending slavery for many African Americans. When the house and senate voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 more than 80% of the house Republicans supported the act, and surprisingly less than 63% of Democrats supported the act. This information is vital because so many individuals believed that it was the Democrats that pushed the agenda to enforce civil rights for African Americans. Unfortunately, many people fail to do research due to the Republican reputation changing drastically. Republicans have played a huge part in the African American community and promoting change that many individuals overlook due to differing perspectives, this is proven throughout history.

The Republican Party plays a huge role in the economic aspect of society. In Today’s society under the leadership of Republican President Donald Trump more than one million new jobs have been created for African Americans. African American unemployment has reached a record low, and the poverty rate is the lowest that it has ever been. The president has worked alongside other well-known individuals to issue criminal justice reform, in which most of these individuals were African Americans that were charged with minor possession of drug charges. More than 3,000 Americans have been released under justice reform and more than 90% are African Americans.

President Donald Trump and the Republican party are also supporters of education. It seems as if they understand that many African Americans do not pursue their education after high school due to difficult financial situations that a large percentage of African Americans are incapable of handling. Many Republicans pushed the agenda that schools should not be determined by one’s zip codes. There are many failing schools across the nation and some Republicans believe that students should be able to go to the school in which they will be capable of succeeding. In addition, Trump has secured more funds for Historically Black Colleges and Universities than any other president. There is still the question of, “Is this just a political act to receive the black vote.” No matter the agenda Republicans continue to support African Americans in underlying ways that are not often talked about. As an African American male who has a strong value for education, I have gained a greater respect for President Trump and the Republican party due to their drive to promote education for all Americans.

For an abundant amount of African Americans, the views of the Republican party on certain issues such as religious issues is the reason why there are a great amount of African American Republicans. Throughout history, African Americans have had a strong Christian background that is said to help them overcome slavery and many more obstacles throughout life.

The Republican party is more biblical and tends to stick to the commandments of the bible.

Many African Americans will agree with the idea of being pro-life, instead ofbeing pro-choice. Some African Americans faith shapes their political outlooks, they want to stand with a party that better reflects their views. As an African American that is a Christian and that upholds Christian morals and values, I do agree with the religious perspective of Republicans and uphold them with the utmost respect.

”Don’t judge based on others perspectives, do your own research.” This is the moral of the story that I received from the scholarship essay prompt. I am a strong Democrat with some Republican morals, however, this essay allowed me to examine the positive impacts of the Republican Party from Juneteenth up until the present day.

Elizabeth Pratt

Analysis of the Impacts of the Republican Party on African Americans

On June 19, 1865, the lives of African Americans in the United States were changed forever. Known as Juneteenth, this nationally revered holiday celebrates the day when all African American slaves in the US and the Confederate South were informed of Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which declared all slaves to be free. While this declaration was put forth more than two years prior on January 1, 1863, it applied only as a military measure to Confederate states, not to border or rebel states. It was not until Juneteenth, or June 19, 1963 when Union soldiers led by Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, bringing news of the end of the Civil War and ready to enforce the order of the Emancipation Proclamation made by the Executive more than two years prior.

The struggle of the Civil War and the emancipation of slaves were largely championed by the Republican Party of the time, today known as the “Party of Lincoln”. The modern

Republican Party was formed in the 1850s in opposition to the Kansas-Nebraska Act which permitted slavery in newly formed states. Through the Civil War and into the twentieth century, members of the Republican Party supported abolition and civil rights for newly freed African American individuals, specifically men. Following Juneteenth, the majority Republican Congress ratified the Thirteenth Amendment on December 6, 1865. This amendment outlawed “slavery” and “involuntary servitude” in the United States. This Congressional majority continued to act on behalf of freed African Americans into the Reconstruction period. While southern Democratic president Andrew Johnson supported the establishment of Black Code in the South to facilitate integration of freedmen into labor and society, Radical Republicans in Congress denounced these Codes, seeing them as discriminatory and reversive.

In response to this continued discrimination in the South, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866 which invalidated Black Codes. Aggressive measures were taken by these Radical Republicans in Congress during the Reconstruction to dismantle the previously upheld laws and customs of the South. The Reconstruction Act of 1867 required Southern states to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment, granting equal protection under the law to African Americans; this was followed by the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment which banned discrimination of voting rights against African Americans based upon “race, color, or previous condition of servitude”. Though this wording would be manipulated to discourage the African American vote with poll taxes, literacy tests, and grandfather clauses, the movement solidified an American attitude of freedom and equality within our US Constitution.

Republican infiltration of the South led to the increased representation of African

American leaders, including North Carolina’s Hiram Rhodes Revels who became the first

African American Senator. This increase was short-lived, as Southern ideals never truly changed.

Union forces left the South at the end of the Reconstruction period in the late 1870s, and

Democrats largely resumed their control of leadership.

African Americans remained loyal to the Republican Party through the early decades of the twentieth century, but the Great Depression brought a shift in ideals. Republicans were largely blamed for the stock market crash, and Democrats like Franklin Delano Roosevelt had decidedly more productive solutions to the economic crisis. Though lacking a remarkable record in defense of racial justice, FDR stimulated a small shift of minority voters to the Democratic side due to the economic benefits posed to all individuals.

This shift culminated in the 1960s, the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Though not in direct opposition to the abolition or civil rights, the Republican Party of the 1960s was more concerned about national security and economy than the advancement of civil rights for African Americans. It was the Democratic Party that passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibiting discrimination based upon “race, color, religion, sex and national origin”. This movement brought about the most significant ideological shift of the twentieth century, as previously Republican African Americans began to vote Democrat, and previously Southern Democrats changed sides as well. This ideological shift of the Republican Party impacted the lives of African American citizens through silent disenfranchisement.

Today, the population of Republican African Americans have grown. Though the majority of African Americans identify as Democrat, the twenty-first century has observed a slow and subtle shift from the ideological shift of the late twentieth century. African Americans have decidedly faced disenfranchisement from both sides of the political aisle, as well as from majority and minority races alike. While Republican African Americans are praised from the right for rejecting “plantation politics” of the left, they are also labeled as sell-outs from the left, stopping “just short of…Uncle Tom,” (Scruggs, 2020). This political playing field has made it increasingly difficult for young African Americans to determine their opinions aside from racial or moral expectations.

In conclusion, the impact of the Republican Party on African Americans can be easily observed following the original Juneteenth celebration of 1865. Though tangible, effective Republican efforts to better the lives of African Americans have decreased in the last century, the political playing field is ever-changing. As our country and the Republican Party looks to a more prosperous future, it also looks to make a difference on the lives of minorities in ways not yet imagined, that can also bring unimaginable prosperity and abundance to the lives of today’s Americans.

Citations

Gates, Henry Louis. “Yv’hat Is Juneteenth? African American History Blog.” PBS. Public Broadcasting Service, September 19, 2013.

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/what-is-juneteen

“Hiram R. Revels.” Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, June 28, 2019. https ://www.biography.com/political-figure/hiram-r-revels.

“History of Juneteenth.” Juneteenth World Wide Celebration. Juneteenth.com. Accessed April 20, 2020. https://www.juneteenth.com/history.htm.

History.com Editors. “Emancipation Proclamation.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, October 29, 2009.

https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/emancipation-proclamation.

History.com Editors. “Reconstruction.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, October 29, 2009. https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/reconstruction.

History.com Editors. “Black Codes.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, June 1, 2010. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-codes.

History.com Editors. “Republican Party.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, April 4, 2018. https://www.history.com/topics/us-politics/republican-party.

Scruggs, Afi. “In a World Full of African American Democrats, Black Republicans Stand Alone.” USA Today. Gannett Satellite Information Network, February 6, 2020.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2020/02/06/election-2020-black-republicans-standalone-ideological-island/2787551001/.

“Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.” U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Accessed April 20, 2020. https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/statutes/titlevii.cfm.

Original source: http://www.brunswickgop.org/bcgop-2020-juneteenth-winning-scholarship-essays/