Hip Hop Republican

If there's one thing I respect most about Barack Obama, it's his partisanship. When I first heard "there's not a liberal America or a conservative America, there's the United States of America", I don't think I understood the significance of a presidential nominee so openly and proudly baiting bipartisanship on a national stage (now let's talk about how much of that has to do with him being a Black candidate...).

Frankly, I couldn't do it. And I've got plenty of problems with the Democratic party. But conservatives? Black conservatives? I'm good.

And now, there's Hip Hop Republican?

I've been scouring the site for almost half an hour, looking at their "proud" biographies and blog posts.

After taking a look at their declaration of -- whatever it is they're declaring, I'm still confused:

A “Hip Hop Republican” is not an Uncle Tom, sellout, or race traitor that would trade the best interests of the Black community for the scraps off of the proverbial political table.

Right.

It means that YUPpies and BUPpies (Young Urban Professionals and Black Urban Professionals, respectively) must take advantage of the current tax climate and invest their capital into private endeavors that will create wealth and opportunities (i.e., legacy and employment) for our communities. In a society that embraces social Darwinism, only the strongest survive. We must invest time and money into our communities to become stronger.

Oh, right!

Republicans? I can deal with. Black people? I can [try] to deal with them too. Young folks? I'm there. But a Black Republican who uses hip-hop as their agent of social deform? Can't do it.

I make no claims to owning hip-hop or the its representation to strangers. All I know is what it's meant to me, growing up as a Black girl from a working class home in the city. But this angers me most because it's using the moniker of hip-hop to impose a doctrine that has literally killed millions of young Black people in urban cities. Gun control? Access to high quality public education? Stable, unionized jobs with benefits? These are just some basic issues that no Republican platform has ever pushed, nor seen as important to the development of the country.

If the Republican party were to stick to an agenda that says "We're acting in the interests of our own wealth", I'd be fine. But to front like you're working on behalf of millions of working folks is a crude and dangerous misrepresentation.


Listen, and you be the judge:


Oh, and FYI: American Solutions, the conservative organization that's funding these folks to get the word out, was started by Newt Gingrich. And we all know how friendly he's been to Black People.

9/16/08 Correction: American Solutions does not fund Hip Hop Republican.