The African American community is divided over the declaration of President Barack Obama favoring gay marriage, and his general backing for gay rights.
A large percentage, often thought to be a majority of the African American community, is theologically conservative, and detests the concept of gay marriage.
They helped to contribute to the defeat of Proposition 8 in California a few years ago, and to the success of the amendment to the state constitution of North Carolina banning same sex marriages, civil unions and any other recognition of same sex relationships.
This is the case despite the historical reality that many Christian groups remained silent for decades over the lynchings of African Americans in the South, and the denial of interracial marriages, and the fact that the Mormon Church, so active in California in mobilizing opposition to gay marriage, did not allow African Americans to become Mormons until an epiphany in 1978 led the Mormons to change their theology!
So the question arises whether the black community will, in large numbers, abandon Barack Obama in November.
The idea that large numbers will vote Republican for Mitt Romney is highly unlikely, but if they stay home and do not vote for President, the African American community could affect the result in some states in a close race.
The point is that if they do just that, stay home, and if Obama and the Democrats lose, who will be the ultimate “victims” of a Romney victory? The answer is that the African American community will spite themselves, in the name of a religion which stood by in large numbers for a long time as they were themselves denied equal rights, only seeing change after many decades of discrimination, as many churches and sects started to change their views, and finally back civil rights for blacks.
So it would be counterproductive for blacks to forget their own struggle for civil rights, and let religion betray their better judgment about human rights!
Hello Professor,
I agree with your statement that the African American community will spite themselves, in the name of a religion. Those who would have marched with Dr. M. L. King for Civil Liberties, will now denied Equal Rights to others. In doing so, by not supporting and voting for President Obama, are only going to harm themselves in the long term.
Just as the population has turned against support unions to give themselves a Labors Voice, and are now suffering the corporate abuses today. Those forgetting how much our grandfathers fought to establish those Rights, were too soon forgotten and tossed away.
Well the same is going to happen with Civil Rights and for those whose grandfathers, and fathers fought the Status Quo Establishment to gain those Rights. Those who gave their lives, suffered dog and fire hose attacks, non-stop police abuse, even the 16th Street Baptist Church “Bombing in Birmingham†that killed 4 little girls in church, are now going to toss those gains away because of some superstitious religious belief.