As I have traveled across Allegheny County, I have witnessed and spoken to persons of all persuasions, particularly Black people. These persons are voters and too many non-voters overwhelmingly vilify politicians. They generally are in love with the Democratic Party and usually attack the Republicans. The voters are classified in two categories—there are those who read, but lack the ability to comprehend, and the second and largest rely almost completely on what they hear on the radio and television. They have absolutely no clue why these personalities expound on certain issues or if they just have axes to grind.
On a personal level, I have been an active participant in both political parties, and have privately and publicly taken serious issues with both parties. I never allowed myself to fall in love with either party. Over the course of my life I have met and known all of the major colored and Black politicians (there is a difference) who made a name for themselves with the Democratic bosses. The overwhelming majority of them only cared about self, a minority really attempted to make a difference. Some of these persons were and are classified as friends, associates, professionals, civil rights advocates, devoted Democrats who absolutely refuse to analyze whether there is a difference within either party when it relates to Blacks.
In the early years of my political career the Democratic Party was known as the party of the working people, colored people and the poor people, and the Republican Party was known as the party of the rich and the party that freed the slaves.
Once Black-owned newspapers such as the Pittsburgh Courier began to publish the horrible atrocities performed against Blacks, by southern Democrats (conservatives), the northern Democrats began to refer to themselves as liberals. In the deep south, colored persons had separate public accommodations, denied voting rights, right to work, lynched, raped and killed. The state of Pennsylvania had more KKK chapters than Mississippi and Alabama combined.
The label LIBERAL has been abused and overused. For example, former President JFK (liberal) was born and raised in Hyannis Port, Mass., in a house that the deed stated no non-Caucasian could purchase the property. Former President Jimmy Carter’s (liberal and born-again Christian) church bylaws stipulated no Blacks could join. Former President Richard Nixon (conservative) was the first president to include HBC (Historical Black Colleges) in the national budget. Republican Senator Everett (conservative) was the leading senator fighting on behalf of civil rights during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. In our hometown, Pittsburgh, the Democratic Party (liberals) has been in absolute control since 1937, a total of 82 years. A vast number of persons have begun to realize that political labels no longer work—the liberals now use the term, “progressive.”
The absolute failure of those who currently operate the Republican Party locally has become a reason in the minds of some colored persons to allow themselves to become disciples for the Democratic Party, irrespective of how they treat or mistreat Blacks.
(Louis “Hop” Kendrick is a contributor to the New Pittsburgh Courier.)
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