As the GOP attempts to appeal to minority voters especially Black and Latino voters their initial attempt is reminiscent of the Barbara Streisand/Gladys Knight song “Memories”

As GOP Chairman Reince Priebus attended the Christian Cultural Center pastored by A.R. Bernard in Brooklyn New York and Republican Senator Rand Paul went to the historically black college Howard University, it was clear that the strategy was to remind black voters of republican history. Both attempted to create warm and fuzzy memories by reminding the audience that it was black republicans who started the NAACP coupled with the litany about President Abraham Lincoln.

Historically all of this is true. During the 19th century and early 20th century a large segment of the black community especially in the south were republican. This should not come as a surprise given the republican’s anti-slavery stance. No one disputes that reality. It is also true that a higher percentage of republicans voted for the 1964 civil rights act than democrats. In fact, while most democrats voted for it, the majority of southern democrats voted against it.  

Nevertheless, as this halfhearted attempt at minority outreach continues the song that comes to mind and that republicans do not want to hear is Janet Jackson’s “What have you done for me lately.” The problem is that Republicans, championed by people such as Barry Goldwater and Strom Thurmond, a onetime Dixiecrat who became a republican, had done a 180 as it pertained to civil rights and equality. When it came to the civil rights bill of 1964 President Lyndon Johnson  stated that “We just delivered the South to the Republican Party for a long time to come”  Because of politics and the subsequent southern strategy, republicans become the anti-black party.

Of the strategy Nixon strategist Kevin Philips  said the following “From now on, the Republicans are never going to get more than 10 to 20 percent of the Negro vote and they don’t need any more than that…but Republicans would be shortsighted if they weakened enforcement of the Voting Rights Act. The more Negroes who register as Democrats in the South, the sooner the Negrophobe whites will quit the Democrats and become Republicans. That’s where the votes are. Without that prodding from the blacks, the whites will backslide into their old comfortable arrangement with the local Democrats”.

The GOP probably wants to recall a song by  James Brown called “Return to Me” as they understand that with the changing demographics they cannot win a national election without increasing minority support for their party. .As the GOP claims they want blacks to return to the party they must remember that blacks did not  leave the GOP. As Ronald Reagan said about his decision to join the GOP. I didn’t leave the Democratic Party,” “The party left me.”

While a serious debate of ideas from diverse perspectives is important for democracy, Republicans cannot seriously expect a party with anti black sentiments to be a serious option for the Black community.  Blacks still do not understand how the GOP voted out their first black chairman Michael Steele after a very successful 2010 but gave Reince Preibus a second term despite a dismal 2012. Blacks will remember the birther campaign and the race baiting by Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, John Sununu, Fox News and Ann Coulter just to name a few. The memory is still raw about voter suppression across the nation.

Blacks will not seek to be with a party that is afraid to confront race baiting radio and television hosts.  Perhaps Reince Priebus and the GOP should heed the example of the late former governor of Alabama George Wallace who apologized for his racial stances. The GOP needs a mea culpa moment rather than a cheap attempt at creating a family reunion. Secondly, it cannot hide behind its mantra of small government and freedom.The idea of small government and low taxes is not enough for blacks to sell their soul. Historically the GOP has always expanded government and the black community does not need the GOP to tell them about freedom individually or collectively. 

They will also have to renounce the xenophobic tendencies that are so prevalent in their party today. Thus far, the outreach attempt has not wielded success. Even the attempt to attract Latinos has failed thus far as their Florida director for Hispanic outreach Pablo Pantoja resigned and become a democrat when he said “I have changed my political affiliation to the Democratic Party. “It doesn’t take much to see the culture of intolerance surrounding the Republican Party today. I have wondered before about the seemingly harsh undertones about immigrants and others”

The GOP will continue to have great difficulty in attracting minorities because Latino and Black communities understand that this effort is not about compassion for the issues facing these communities but the desire for power. As he courted Donald Trump, Mitt Romney defended this decision when he told a reporter “But I need to get 50.1 percent or more and I”m appreciative to have the help of a lot of good people.”  At this stage, the black and Latino community is not willing to give the republicans 50.1%.

The issue is not for blacks to return to the GOP but for the GOP to return to the black community.