Adjective: Removing the Black from Black Conservative

Adjective - The part of speech that modifies a noun or other substantive by limiting, qualifying, or specifying and distinguished in English morphologically by one of several suffixes, such as -able, -ous, -er, and -est, or syntactically by position directly preceding a noun or nominal phrase.

I was about to blast another 'black conservative' yesterday for his particular rant on the rest of us 'stupid blacks' who aren't Republican. I didn't though. I really have been trying to not minor on the minutia. In other words, I want to stop wasting time on folks who really have relatively little influence on blacks and our experience and outlook in the world. This is difficult for me though, because I love deconstructing foolishness as much as my 9 month old son likes knocking down the big lego towers my daugher builds. So I am, just a little bit today, and in a general way going to knock down some fake black cons.

First don't get me wrong, as I have stated before there are some conservative and Republican brothers and sisters I love in the blogosphere, as well as in public life. Many folks might define me a some what of a conservative depending on how you define that term, and that would be a fair assessment. But these are folks who have an ability to be introspective and critically reasoned, and not ideological buffoons parroting white conservatives and getting tossed scooby snacks.more-->

So the general thesis of my article today is that brothers need to detach the black from the conservative, if you aren't a black applying the blackness to conservativism.

Riddle me this huh?

As stated above, an adjective is a word used as a modifier and descriptive term for a noun. For example, if I say 'white' wall, then I have identified the wall by virtue of its color. Now when we use it for humans, and adjective can be used as a state, or as an expression. Check it, the 'black' guy down the corner versus he is in a 'black' mood today. The first adjective is state, IE the guy has dark melanin skin, his state is 'black'. The second adjective is an expression, he is expressing himself through his 'black' mood.

Now as this relates to the black conservative we have to ask ourselves if it is a state or an expression. If it is a state, IE it is simply a 'black' guy who practices conservative ideology, then there is really no purpose for being identified as a 'black' conservative, because there is nothing materially different from a 'black' conservative and a 'white' one. However if it is an expression, if the 'black' truly modifies the term conservative then this is much different. In this adjective scenario the conservative noun would be modified by 'blackness' meaning that the black conservative would be using conservative philosophy and innnovative conservative thought specifically applied, derived, and in relation to black American life.

It is my belief that most so-called 'black' conservatives are simply talking about state. They are 'black' but that blackness has nothing to do with their conservativism. They don't offer innovative conservative solutions to black life and culture, they don't offer critical conservative reasons specific to and derived from 'black' culture, they simply are what they are, conservatives. They parrot non-unique standard conservative ideology, nothing more nothing less. To me they have no real relevance for the black experiences and answer no questions for the disparity that blacks face that we could not get from a white conservative.

But the true 'black' conservative whose blackness colors and truly modifies his/her conservatism uses as a framework for innovative social change conservatism distinctly colored and applied to the very real conditions of black Americans. Although common principles may be seen in relation to white conservatives, the expression of these principles is unique to the unique condition of blacks and the black culture which shapes this expression.

The reason Project 21 cats, and other so-called black conservatives are outcast, isolated, and deemed as foolish asses, is because the 'black' in the black conservative is a state, and being that it is a state, it has no relevance to the masses of us blacks. They should just drop the adjective 'black' all together, because it has no bearing on the expression of their conservative ideology.

But I think there is opportunity for true black conservatives who express blackness and black culture through conservatism and apply it for the betterment of the race to make some head way.

We will see...but as long as Black Conservatives like Jesse Lee Peterson, Michael Massie, LaShawn Barber, Bob Parks among others are the leading voices of 'black'conservatives, those who truly could have a relevant conservative voice in our communities are getting drown out by those who never will.





Dell Gines is the President of the The Urban Center for Economic Education and Development, ., He has been blogging since June 2005 at Dellgines.com AKA Adequate Defense, and discusses a vast array of topics dealing from Urban Culture, Politics, and Faith