When you read comments from Kanye West and Candace Owens, you might be tempted to think that black Americans are moving away from the left. Then, you can look at statistics from the Romney-Obama election and see that even then, young black men were embracing the right. Trump’s presidency has only served to accelerate the matter, and now Republican groups are reporting more new black voters than at any point since the Civil Rights movement.
It almost seems impossible that so many people could be waking up even while mainstream media screams about Trump’s racism 24/7. Yet, it is somehow true. Today, we’re going to peel back the curtains and see what is really driving this change.
Antonia Okafor
Sometimes, the best way to understand a group or movement is to look closely at a prominent individual within. We’re going to be doing that with Antonia Okafor. She recently took to the media to explain her change of heart in the political arena, and the details of her personal journey reveal much about the growing wave of black Americans heading to the right.
In her interview, Okafor explained how she voted for Obama twice. She believed in the Democrats’ causes and trusted them to do what is best for women, black Americans and minorities in general.
By 2016, her views were completely flipped. She owned and carried a gun. She also voted for Trump. While she was ahead of the curve, her move was indicative of a now mainstream movement of black voters.
In her own words, it all boiled down to “common sense.” Obama’s eight years didn’t do anything to improve her life or the lives of the minority circles she saw. Instead, Obama’s nice words lacked any follow through on policy, and things actually got worse.
As Okafor’s own station in life improved in opposition to that of most black Americans, she realized that self-reliance was the key issue. Republicans are the voice of self-reliance and true empowerment.
She explained that education is the most important tool for self-reliance, and firearms are the second most important. These revelations led to an inevitable conclusion: it was time to switch parties.
Broader Lessons
So, how do Okafor’s lessons on self-reliance reflect the larger movement that we’re witnessing? For starters, it highlights the primary problem with the Democratic Party. They’ve long relied on identity politics to amass voters, and it’s a technique that really amounts to nothing more than a parlor trick. Appealing to ideological monoliths doesn’t offer real substance or real empowerment.
Instead, it appeals to victimhood. Unfortunately for the left (and fortunately for the nation), black Americans are losing their sense of victimhood. With unemployment levels hitting all-time lows, they’re seeing opportunity at levels that have never existed before. Never in any country in the history of the world have they been in a better place, and they’re noticing.
Obama and the Democrats had every opportunity to win the continued loyalty and votes of the majority of black Americans. Their social agenda failed in every measurable way. Black incarceration, unemployment, low wages and general social problems all held steady under America’s first black President. His promises were empty.
Then, the accused racist came along and immediately started making things better. People will believe the money in their pocket over the cries of mainstream media any day, and the result is record numbers of black voters switching to the right.
These ideas hit full stride when you look past Obama. Since he left office, the Democrats have outdone themselves in their hysteria. Their increasingly bold predictions of inevitable doom continue to fall flat.
In their panic, they have searched for a new voter block. Since they won’t abandon identity politics, they need victims. As you have no doubt realized, the new group is illegal immigrants. It used to be all immigrants and minorities, but that has rapidly changed.
Trump and his group have worked hard to improve conditions for immigrants and minorities. The only true group of victims left are people who don’t fall under Trump’s jurisdiction.
It all sounds dramatic, but it’s actually inevitable. When Trump’s policies didn’t create the massive wave of victims the Democrats need for votes, they got desperate. They moved on to their next “cause” before most of the previous voting groups were ready to change. They effectively pushed black and minority voters to the right.
And, this is exactly what the prominent figures in the new movement are saying. Democrats care more about illegal immigrants than the minority groups they used to claim to champion. Abandoned by the party, they looked for a new political home, and it’s only natural that they turn to the leader who has brought them measureable gain.
To bring this full circle, Okafor’s story reflects what we have seen with Candace Owens and Kanye West. They predicted and heralded the shift, but it’s the individuals who comprise the movement that matter. They are not a monolith, and their educated, informed votes can only be won through a combination of promise and follow through.
The latter is where the Democrats continue to stumble, and it is where Trump has exceeded all expectations. His “tired of winning” comment seemed like hyperbole. A year and a half into his presidency, it now feels ordinary.
All of this is to say something simple. When you acknowledge the individuals within the intersection (or whatever language liberals use these days), you grant the natural respect people grow to appreciate. When you serve the individual, you promote true empowerment.
Like Okafor said, education and firearms are the ultimate equalizers. It is by protecting the autonomy and freedom of everyone, minorities included, that really helps them. Rather than winning the favor of the mob, Trump’s leadership is winning the hearts of Americans. It’s sustainable, valuable and powerful. And, it is the true meaning in making America great again.
