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COMMENTARY: Republican Party’s Anti-Slavery Roots

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“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”~ Marcus Garvey

It is always good to subtract fact from fiction and since many of our conversations will revolve around the Republican Party. It is important that we set the record straight with some of their historical contributions.

The Republican Party was formed as the anti-slavery, abolitionist party in 1854.

On November 6th, 1860 Abraham Lincoln became the first elected Republican president and on January 1, 1863 President Lincoln issued by Executive Order the Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves.

Republicans pushed for and passed the Thirteenth Amendment January 31, 1865 to abolish all slavery in the United States.

Republicans pushed for and passed The Fourteenth Amendment that was ratified in 1868 granting Blacks full US Citizenship.

Republicans pushed for and passed the Fifteenth Amendment which granted Blacks the right to vote.

Abolitionist and ex-slave Frederick Douglass opined “I am a Republican, a Black dyed in the wool Republican, and I never intend to belong to any other party than the party of freedom and progress.”

The first Black Republican was elected to the US Senate in 1871.

The first 22 Blacks elected to the US House were all Republicans.

Republicans started the NAACP in 1909 to commemorate the 100th birthday of Abraham Lincoln.

The first Black leader of the NAACP was Republican James Weldon Johnson who became the general secretary in 1920. Mr. Johnson is also well known for writing the lyrics to “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

Republican president Dwight Eisenhower sent federal troops to protect the school children and desegregate the Little Rock, Arkansas school district. This was the first time federal troops had been sent to the South since Reconstruction.

Republican Senator Everett Dirksen of Illinois was the main architect and was instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Legislation of 1957, 1960, 1964, 1965 and 1968. Dirksen wrote the language for the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. commended Dirksen’s “able and courageous leadership” and the Chicago Defender also praised Senator Dirksen “for the grand manner of his generalship behind the passage of the civil rights measures that have been enacted into law since Reconstruction.”

All the Civil Rights Legislation of the 1960’s and before was voted overwhelmingly with

Karen Watson is author of the book, “Being Black and Republican in the Age of Obama”

Karen Watson is author of the book, “Being Black and Republican in the Age of Obama”

Republican support.

Republican president Ronald Reagan signed into law the Dr. Marin Luther King Jr. National Holiday on November 2nd 1983, the first and only Federal Holiday that recognizes a Black American.

This is only a small snapshot of the intertwined history of Black Americans and the Republican Party, yet many still ask:

Is the Republican Party racist? As a lifelong Republican I can easily answer no, the Republican Party is not racist. And yet I do acknowledge that there are racist Republicans just like there are racist Democrats and racist Libertarians within each political party.

Next week we will divide the fact from fiction of the Democratic Party.

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Activism

Remembering George Floyd

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing.

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Mural showing the portrait of George Floyd in Mauerpark in Berlin. To the left of the portrait the lettering "I can't Breathe" was added, on the right side the three hashtags #GeorgeFloyd, #Icantbreathe and #Sayhisname. The mural was completed by Eme Street Art (facebook name) / Eme Free Thinker (signature) on 29 May 2020. (Wikimedia Commons)
Mural showing the portrait of George Floyd in Mauerpark in Berlin. To the left of the portrait the lettering "I can't Breathe" was added, on the right side the three hashtags #GeorgeFloyd, #Icantbreathe and #Sayhisname. The mural was completed by Eme Street Art (facebook name) / Eme Free Thinker (signature) on 29 May 2020. (Wikimedia Commons)

By April Ryan
BlackPressUSA Newswire

“The president’s been very clear he has no intentions of pardoning Derek Chauvin, and it’s not a request that we’re looking at,” confirms a senior staffer at the Trump White House. That White House response results from public hope, including from a close Trump ally, Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. The timing of Greene’s hopes coincides with the Justice Department’s recent decision to end oversight of local police accused of abuse. It also falls on the fifth anniversary of the police-involved death of George Floyd on May 25th. The death sparked national and worldwide outrage and became a transitional moment politically and culturally, although the outcry for laws on police accountability failed.

The death forced then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden to focus on deadly police force and accountability. His efforts while president to pass the George Floyd Justice in policing act failed. The death of George Floyd also put a spotlight on the Black community, forcing then-candidate Biden to choose a Black woman running mate. Kamala Harris ultimately became vice president of the United States alongside Joe Biden. Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison prosecuted the cases against the officers involved in the death of Floyd. He remembers,” Trump was in office when George Floyd was killed, and I would blame Trump for creating a negative environment for police-community relations. Remember, it was him who said when the looting starts, the shooting starts, it was him who got rid of all the consent decrees that were in place by the Obama administration.”

In 2025, Police-involved civilian deaths are up by “about 100 to about 11 hundred,” according to Ellison. Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African-American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing. During those minutes on the ground, Floyd cried out for his late mother several times. Police subdued Floyd for an alleged counterfeit $20 bill.

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 30, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 3, 2025

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Black Feminist Movement Mobilizes in Response to National Threats

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States.

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By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States. The event, led by the organization Black Feminist Future, is headlined by activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis. Paris Hatcher, executive director of Black Feminist Future, joined Black Press USA’s Let It Be Known to outline the mission and urgency behind the gathering, titled “Get Free.” “This is not just a conference to dress up and have a good time,” Hatcher said. “We’re building power to address the conditions that are putting our lives at risk—whether that’s policing, reproductive injustice, or economic inequality.” Hatcher pointed to issues such as rising evictions among Black families, the rollback of bodily autonomy laws, and the high cost of living as key drivers of the event’s agenda. “Our communities are facing premature death,” she said.

Workshops and plenaries will focus on direct action, policy advocacy, and practical organizing skills. Attendees will participate in training sessions that include how to resist evictions, organize around immigration enforcement, and disrupt systemic policies contributing to poverty and incarceration. “This is about fighting back,” Hatcher said. “We’re not conceding anything.” Hatcher addressed the persistent misconceptions about Black feminism, including the idea that it is a movement against men or families. “Black feminism is not a rejection of men,” she said. “It’s a rejection of patriarchy. Black men must be part of this struggle because patriarchy harms them too.” She also responded to claims that organizing around Black women’s issues weakens broader coalitions. “We don’t live single-issue lives,” Hatcher said. “Our blueprint is one that lifts all Black people.”

The conference will not be streamed virtually, but recaps and updates will be posted daily on Black Feminist Future’s YouTube channel and Instagram account. The event includes performances by Tank and the Bangas and honors longtime activists including Billy Avery, Erica Huggins, and Alexis Pauline Gumbs. When asked how Black feminism helps families, Hatcher said the real threat to family stability is systemic oppression. “If we want to talk about strong Black families, we have to talk about mass incarceration, the income gap, and the systems that tear our families apart,” Hatcher said. “Black feminism gives us the tools to build and sustain healthy families—not just survive but thrive.”

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