HOW AND WHEN BLACKS BECAME DEMOCRATS
It may be difficult now in November 2016 to fathom that the Republican Party was once the liberal party and that the Democrat Party was once the illiberal party for blacks.
It may also be difficult to fathom now that, as recently as the 1960 election, the black vote was in doubt.
The black vote was neither, as now, almost wholly Democratic--since blacks could not vote in the South. Neither was black vote still wholly Republican, due to the memory of betrayed Reconstruction hopes.
Black people were in a type of political phased transition in 1960, by reason of 1930s' "New Deal," Depression-Era, alleviation policies from which they had benefited to an extent under Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt, coupled with World War II's burgeoning factory jobs demands, North, opening up, on a first-come, first-served basis.
The 1960 Presidential election between Republican Richard Nixon and Democrat John Kennedy was to decide the fate of the Negroes' vote.
In the balance scales of destiny was the fate of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King , Jr., whose prominent civil rights activism had landed him in jail at Georgia Prison. Dr. King's wife, Coretta, called the Campaign of each contender out of fear and concern for her husband. Her calls set off a heated chain reaction that culminated in Kennedy making a commiserating call to her (unlike Nixon ) and a call to the prison . King was soon released unharmed.
Notice of these calls swept like fire the entire black community, which rewarded Kennedy with its vote. It was enough to elect him President!
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
HOW AND WHEN BLACKS BECAME DEMOCRATS
HOW AND WHEN BLACKS BECAME DEMOCRATS
It may be difficult now in November 2016 to fathom that the Republican Party was once the liberal party and that the Democrat Party was once the illiberal party for blacks.
It may also be difficult to fathom now that, as recently as the 1960 election, the black vote was in doubt.
The black vote was neither, as now, almost wholly Democratic--since blacks could not vote in the South. Neither was black vote still wholly Republican, due to the memory of betrayed Reconstruction hopes.
Black people were in a type of political phased transition in 1960, by reason of 1930s' "New Deal," Depression-Era, alleviation policies from which they had benefited to an extent under Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt, coupled with World War II's burgeoning factory jobs demands, North, opening up, on a first-come, first-served basis.
The 1960 Presidential election between Republican Richard Nixon and Democrat John Kennedy was to decide the fate of the Negroes' vote.
In the balance scales of destiny was the fate of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King , Jr., whose prominent civil rights activism had landed him in jail at Georgia Prison. Dr. King's wife, Coretta, called the Campaign of each contender out of fear and concern for her husband. Her calls set off a heated chain reaction that culminated in Kennedy making a commiserating call to her (unlike Nixon ) and a call to the prison . King was soon released unharmed.
Notice of these calls swept like fire the entire black community, which rewarded Kennedy with its vote. It was enough to elect him President!