The Lie of Black Conservatism: How White Supremacy Manufactured the Illusion of Proximity to Power

I absolutely love our black culture, our brilliance, our resilience, our histories. But just as I call out white supremacy in its most obvious forms, I must also call out how it has crept into our communities—how it has convinced some of us to uphold the very system that was built to destroy us. It isn't to criticize, but rather educate the many who are confused as to why individuals in our communities vote and align with systems that were never built for us, and continue to harm us today.

There is a lie that has been circulating for years: that Black people have always been conservative, that we have always aligned with right-wing values, that the Republican Party is somehow the "natural home" for Black Americans.

Let’s be clear: This is historical revisionism.

The truth is that Black conservatism, as it is framed today, is a product of white supremacist engineering, not an inherent political ideology among Black people. Black people have historically aligned with the movements that served our survival—movements that demanded radical change, redistribution of power, and the destruction of systems that oppressed us. But over time, white supremacy did what it does best: it co-opted, manipulated, and rebranded history to convince us that aligning with the very systems that once enslaved us was the path to success.

To understand how this happened, we have to dissect the strategic shifts in political party ideologies, the economic co-optation of Black leadership, and the deliberate misinformation campaigns that sought to rewrite our history.

? Reconstruction Era (1865-1877): Newly freed Black people supported policies that were radical for their time—land redistribution, voting rights, and social programs. Many associated with the Republican Party because it was the party of Lincoln, but this was not conservatism; it was a demand for justice.

? Post-Reconstruction & Jim Crow (1877-1960s): As the Republican Party abandoned racial justice in favor of white Southern voters, Black people shifted toward policies that supported labor rights, civil rights, and economic equality—all inherently progressive movements.

? Civil Rights & Black Power (1960s-1970s): Black activism became explicitly anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, and anti-police state. This is why figures like Malcolm X, MLK (who died while fighting for economic justice), and the Black Panthers were seen as threats.

? The Southern Strategy (1960s-present): After the Civil Rights Movement, white conservatives aggressively recruited Black spokespeople to argue against Black liberation, framing dependency on government assistance as the new form of "slavery."

? Modern Era: The Rise of Black Tokenism (1990s-present): As some Black individuals gained wealth, the illusion of "Black success under capitalism" was used to justify policies that disproportionately harmed the majority of Black communities.

The bottom line? Black conservatism, as presented today, is not rooted in historical Black politics—it is a project of white supremacy designed to create ideological division within our communities.

Black People Have Always Been Revolutionary, Not Conservative

There is nothing "traditional" about our fight for liberation. Black people in the U.S. have never been a monolithic voting bloc, but the idea that we were historically aligned with conservatism is not only misleading—it is a deliberate distortion of history.

? During Reconstruction (1865-1877), newly freed Black people were overwhelmingly aligned with radical change. They fought for voting rights, land redistribution, and social reforms that directly challenged the foundations of white supremacy.

? The Civil Rights Movement was never conservative. It was a mass uprising against systemic oppression, led by radicals who believed in abolishing segregation, dismantling racist policies, and confronting capitalism’s role in Black subjugation.

? The Black Panther Party, Malcolm X, and Black feminists were all deemed "too radical" by conservatives, both white and Black. Their calls for economic justice, anti-imperialism, and an end to police violence were revolutionary, not reactionary.

? Even Black Christianity—often cited as a foundation for conservatism—was deeply tied to liberation theology. From the abolitionist movements of Frederick Douglass to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s demands for economic justice, Black faith has historically leaned toward progress, not the status quo.

The truth? White conservatives have spent decades gaslighting Black people into believing that our natural political stance is "traditionalism." But the historical record proves otherwise.

How White Supremacy Rebranded Itself as "Black Conservatism"

Black conservatism as we see it today is not organic—it is a manufactured product of white supremacy. It is the result of decades of propaganda, economic manipulation, and political co-optation designed to make us believe that the only way to succeed in America is to play by the rules of whiteness.

? The Republican Party’s "Southern Strategy" (1960s-present): After the Civil Rights Act was passed, the GOP actively recruited Black figures who were willing to speak against their own people in exchange for political power and financial gain.

? The "Welfare Queen" Myth (1980s): White conservatives weaponized the image of Black single mothers as "lazy" and "dependent on government," while simultaneously gutting social safety nets that Black communities relied on.

? The Rise of Black Millionaires & The Illusion of Class Mobility (1990s-2000s): As more Black entertainers and entrepreneurs found financial success, conservatives used them as examples to say, "Racism isn't holding you back—your mindset is."

? The Obama Backlash & Trump-Era Tokenism (2010s-2020s): When Obama’s presidency reignited conversations about systemic racism, white conservatives responded by elevating Black conservatives like Candace Owens, Herschel Walker, and others willing to parrot anti-Black talking points.

White supremacy does not need every Black person to be conservative—it just needs enough of us to reinforce the lie that "racism is over" and that Black people who struggle simply aren’t trying hard enough.

Breaking Free: The Future of Black Political Consciousness

We are not obligated to carry the politics of white supremacy simply because it has been marketed to us as "Black independence." We do not have to fall for the illusion of proximity to whiteness. We do not have to trade our history of revolution for the illusion of assimilation.

The future of Black politics is not about "left" or "right"—it is about liberation. It is about reclaiming the radical legacy of our ancestors, rejecting the lie that success means aligning with our oppressors, and building movements that serve our people instead of the white gaze.

? We fight for economic justice because capitalism was built on our backs. ? We fight for abolition because the police were never designed to protect us. ? We fight for reparations because stolen wealth must be returned. ? We fight for each other, not for approval from those who have never wanted us free.

White supremacy will continue to dangle the illusion of Black conservatism in front of us, hoping that we take the bait.

But we are the descendants of revolutionaries. We were never meant to beg for scraps at the master’s table.

?? If this hit you, share it. Let’s start conversations, call out the false narratives, and reject the politics of white appeasement. We decolonize together, or we stay shackled forever.

#Decolonize #BlackLiberation #AntiRacism #BlackHistory #WhiteSupremacyExposed