The Loneliness of the Black Republican: With Leah Wright Rigueur

How has Black Republicanism evolved throughout American history and what has (or hasn't) been done to attract Black voters to the party? Michael Steele speaks with Leah Wright Rigueur, Associate Professor of History at Johns Hopkins University and the author of the award-winning book, “The Loneliness of the Black Republican: Pragmatic Politics and the Pursuit of Power.” The pair discuss the transactional nature of Black Republicanism, celebrity endorsements by Black Republicans, Jackie Robinson and the notion of the "militant Black Republican."
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[@JB-vb6dh]

Good guest! It’s important to understand the motivations of black people and how we vote. This is a history that should definitely be studied and shared thoughtfully!

[@TyroneNorwood]

My takeaway from this show, is that the Republican Party is supporting it's own Nationalism and cannot move away from it and any report to the contrary to who they are runs into deep identity politics.

[@Selah_Saint_1865]

What's wrong with nationalism? The only alternative is globalism which destroys national sovereignty & leads to an assault on human rights.

[@katboss4886]

I learn every time I see this show. Thanks Michael

[@anndelorge8451]

This was so informative and well done. Thank you.

[@deloreswillis9224]

Yessssssssssssssss I literally LOVED this podcast❤ extremely informative!!!!

[@ritamary72]

I've been a student of history since the 1960s. This was an excellent, informative conversation. Thank you!!!

[@MentalS6k]

I am a Black Male citizen of London UK, with a keen sense of US politics. Especially since 2015. Though my natural disposition would be labelled towards left wing, I have been aware & seen a lot of you Michael over the years. & have had nothing but profound respect for you. Despite you being a Republican 😂😂 I jest. You are a good man. I clicked on this video just to catch a flavour of the conversation. Boy did I learn a lot. I watched the whole thing, listened with great interest, & ultimately gained more knowledge & broader perspective. Thank you & your guest for a truly enlightening & riveting topic of discussion. Btw, I was already a subscriber ☺️ All the best with the channel brother 👊🏾

[@actualkarenokboomer3158]

Well, Tim Scott just raised his hand that he would support Trump even if he is indicted.

[@hazellove2144]

1964. Now we reap those damn consequences. I am an old white woman who has always seen Jackie Robinson as one of my heroes. As a woman I identify with being tired of hunched shoulders, hat in hand with worn knee pads before males to survive in this world. Great show.

[@ritamary72]

I'm an old white woman too. The racism in this country has repelled me since I was a child.

[@deloreswillis9224]

OmGOD

[@djeanshowell9475]

Love the conversation each time bring fresh new ideas to what is needed to bring into the centre of politics and we all learn something more each time from other guests perspectives on the landscape of America. Great as always Michael Steele podcasts 👍👍👍

[@mdh5090]

I so enjoyed this conversation. Thank you for having Ms. Riguer.

[@deloreswillis9224]

Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

[@naomiloeb2736]

wow That was an awesome conversation, I learned so much. Thank you Michael.

[@ElaineMLove]

Motel 6 Mike 😂, Great interview!! Got a lot of history that didn't know, so thank you. The guest, the Associate professor of history @ Johns Hopkins was just lovely and it was a great conversation to listen in on and learn. I do hope you have her back again. 😊

[@deloreswillis9224]

Amen

[@ronlouisphotos]

Powerful conversation here, thank you

[@alexis-doss]

She came to my college during my freshman year to promote her book, and I’ve never felt more heard. Being a black Republican woman is such an anomaly these days. Despite how the party has shifted, my conservative values have not. It is possible that the party is going through a shift due to Trumpism, which is natural in the political progression of ideas. This is such an interesting topic. Thank you for having her on!

[@francesbatycki404]

She’s so brilliant! Thank you!

[@justmyopinion9883]

Thank you for sharing this very educational conversation. Ms Rigueur is a great teacher. I learned a lot.

[@lewisjohnson8297]

So, what attracted Michael? I was born in '48, into an Eisenhower, family of veterans. At that time, Republicans were essentially progressive. I still look for an improvement to GOP policy stances, but have never been rewarded.

[@curtisdush5686]

Great show, and such an interesting conversation. Thank you both for what you are doing. 🌟🌟💕💕✌️✌️

[@TyroneNorwood]

My next Blog will be on this subject matter. Thank you Michael. Loved the podcast.

[@timhenderson5284]

Great conversation 💯🙏🏾

[@sandraspidle5972]

This was educational and interesting at the same time. Thank you so much, Michael and Leigh. 👍💯❤️

[@MrDazzM]

Great conversation and great information!

[@cgpcgp3239]

This the best conversation you’ve ever had. Congrats Leah for keeping Michael of subject. Wheh!😂 I used think black conservatives were sellout uncle toms. Until I started following principled black conservatives on twitter. I learned a lot from them. Yeah good can come from social media. I long believed that most black ppl are moderately conservative except on civil rights. I realized in 2016 campaign the top priority of a significant % black ppl especially black men is owning there own business. But they’re shut out of the traditional capital markets. Most of us are not anti capitalism. We’re pro business. We like most ppl we want rich ppl to pay fair share of taxes. We want a safety net for poor. We want better police and less crime. As a soft democrat I’m disappointed that the party and liberal media heavily influenced by the leftist activist class.

[@superclaymaster]

Liberal/conservative descriptions only works so far. Taxation, monetary policy, foreign trade, it works fine. Once civil rights is being discussed, voting access, your either pro democracy or not, good or bad. Don’t get put off because people are heated about social Justice over the more bread basket issues. That’s largely a creation of media, and not all of them are concerned with reality.

[@DonBrownII]

good conversation.

[@cpmf2112]

The trees voted for the axe because it was one of them.... 🙄

[@marilynsmith6086]

Great Show

[@bryanb30]

1:02:59 You both are very insightful! Thanks 🙏🏿

[@debs.9612]

Interesting discussion....thank you 😊

[@bigdre7120]

This was a great discussion and I learned a lot!!! I enjoy listening to people showing their intelligence without being condescending.

[@ronaldtthomas]

You have a great show. I flirted with this party in years past...BUT THERE IS NO WAY THAT I COULD COMFORTABLY ALIGN WITH A MEGA MINDSET. It is not going to ever happen. The R party has been hijacked...

[@deloreswillis9224]

TRUE

[@jamesbest7810]

love love love it

[@sandraspidle5972]

This was great :-)

[@alex124241]

I love listening to Michael and Leah

[@royparrish2515]

Micheal is forgetting the Theological side of the whole thing in the South as well. That and the backroom autocratic wanna-be ism of the Major Donors. It's the big money that talks, even though the small money or not even able to donate at all that are the ones that will keep the power going.

[@actualkarenokboomer3158]

JC Watts was my Rep in Oklahoma, and he was pushing exactly what they are pushing now, his religious freedom Act was a perfect example. Tax money for "recognized church" programs. I remember calling his office to ask, which religions are recognized. The guy in his office said, "you know". I did know that my religion was one of them, but I knew that it did not include some. I asked how much religious doctrine would be spread with my tax dollars. I had done everything from running a crisis closet to a teen basketball team in my church and the entire idea was to lead people to Christ. JC's guy said, "it would be just a little proselytizing. I said, "so you are telling me that JC wouldn't mind his tax money going to a good drug treatment program at a Satanic church". He thought it was funny, but I said, if I want to tithe to a church for them to use my money I am okay with it, to fund another church I am not okay with. I knew JC's dad, but not JC.

[@lunaholiday8585]

Also from Oklahoma, couldn’t stand him.

[@TyroneNorwood]

Please have her back. She looks as if she could be your daughter.

[@Weezie007]

She does look ALOT like him!

[@chrispalmer9075]

I’m about 9 or 10 days too late but I really enjoyed the conversation!

[@caluke85]

I always enjoy Michael Steele conversations and I have great respect for him. I respect his willingness to call out the GOP for its wholesale buy in of Trump and MAGA. However I can’t get past why remains a Republican when his party has adopted racism, bigotry and homophobia. Does Michael Steel still believe he can bring about change? Is he still holding out hope? I’m afraid he is going down with the ship and tarnishing his credibility.

[@bert3163]

What confuses me is that Michael is smart, logical, and well-intentioned. Yet he made bedfellows with some people who have proven *finally, even to him* that you just CANNOT ally yourself with racist authoritarian populists, no matter how many policy points you have in common. I just don't understand why it took him this long to open his eyes to this, when I'm sure people (particularly Black people) had been telling him this for decades. And out of respect, I'd never ask him to contort himself into masquerading as a Democrat or a liberal (whatever the various labels mean/meant at any point in time) on things like taxes or abortion or whatever. But on the other hand, the enthusiasm with which he promoted the GOP will always be a head-scratcher for me.

[@lewisjohnson8297]

Thank you for the Kanye and Herschel comment!

[@0-Elias-0]

Black Republican: " _This red R makes me master's favorite pet. Yeaaaaaaaaa_ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Other Black People: " _I'm not anyone's pet. Nayyy_ ." Black Republican: " _Shucks; chasing my tail has made me so lonely. I wanna play fetch with master_ !!!!!"

[@0-Elias-0]

For all you self-described "Black Republicans"... ...please keep in mind, once your master exchanges his republican moniker for some other label, you'll be chasing after him once again. He'll stick a bone in your mouth (once again), and you'll wear that new collar like a good boy/girl (once again). Won't you? Oh, who're you kidding, b!tch (48:34); *of course you will*

[@0-Elias-0]

Just remember... ...when you wear your master's new collar, keep those wretched chains away from me. So - by all means - play fetch with your master; chase your tail; chain yourself to his post; brand yourself with his oft-changing monikers; and/or do whatever tricks he wants you to do. That's your prerogative. Just keep your paws off of me. Thanks.

[@diamondintheback2329]

Malcolm X . . . That's not even a stretch, that's a gulf.

[@jilltoby8]

"They're not coming for me, they're coming for you"🙄.. [Nope, coming for ypu.]

[@lunaholiday8585]

I’m not at all surprised that Phyllis Schafley said her awful beliefs out loud. She was horrible.

[@sharondessisso8400]

Yes Trump told them they could say the quiet parts out loud and they've been delirious ever since.

[@alex124241]

My question is when does the next person like Donald trump make his or her way into the party? My fear is it’ll be a smarter more subdued one. A smarter version of trump.

[@stanleycross6000]

...But you still identify Republican. Is this a "The party left me as a Black American" logic? Im not a Republican, so maybe that is why there is something missing in this very (otherwise, imo) substantial conversation...

[@pats8219]

Yea, Michael is no militant Republican or he would have joined Steve Schmidt and Rick Wilson and left the party for the way they are now.

[@stanleycross6000]

@@pats8219 I actually admire Steele for that... Again Im not a Republican, but have Republican "friends" like MS. 🙂

[@johnstapler5956]

A black republican is an oxymoron

[@lewisjohnson8297]

What a good discussio, but, ...: Republican conservatism has NEVER been really conservative! It has been anti-progressive ever since Eisenhower sent those soldiers into Little Rock and Kennedy called MLK on the phone! I had definitely been a Jackie R. fan! He almost lost me with that Nixon stunt!

[@deloreswillis9224]

Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy the absolute TRUTH

[@user-jd7xg1vd1s]

😊R

[@royparrish2515]

So, why is this Comment being Deleted: "Woke - An undefined, undefinable concept that can evolve to mean anything that you want it to mean."

[@journeyman378]

How can she know the history and still be a conservative?

[@lunaholiday8585]

Is she? I think she writes about the topic, but that doesn’t mean she shares the GOP’s beliefs.

[@journeyman378]

@@lunaholiday8585 sounds to me like she is one of them, but I could be wrong.

[@realpcpayne5847]

For the record on "Mrs. Hardaway" (R.I P.), She hardly if EVER used her formal name PUBLICLY... I viewed her and her sister's show before and she virtually always went by her AKA "Diamond" of "Diamond 💍 and Silk", Many of her viewers (including myself) didn't know what her formal name was, (and didn't care), We ENJOYED her show and called her what she DESIRED to be CALLED! So please, your comment of Pres. Trump NOT knowing her name, (if true), should not in ANY way reflect his sincerity. By the way, Mr. "all-knowing" sir, He INSISTED and PAID for the PREMISES where her Home-Going event took place! So if you are honest, please MENTION that before you attempt to speak disparagingly of him. Just saying.

[@realpcpayne5847]

But aren't these "takes" of yourself and your guest gaslighting at it's best??? No statements given toward Democrats historically doing quite the SAME...

[@misspm8157]

ABSOLUTELY mind blowing and truly PATHETIC!

[@markendicott6874]

Too bad.