Juneteenth is the celebration of freedom. It tells the story of America’s promise and the power of the Presidency to do good for the people. President Lincoln, a Republican, used his powers as President to do what was right to preserve the union and unite the country. At the heart of the civil war was this issue of freedom for enslaved Black Americans as our new nation strove to grow into the country we have today.
Liberty and the Republican Party have always gone hand in hand, and they continue to do so today as members of the Republican Party fight to protect our constitutional rights.
On a recent episode of the talk show “The View,” progressive liberal co-host Joy Behar had the audacity to tell guest co-host Lindsey Granger, who happens to be a Black American, that the federal government was goingto take away guns “once Black people get guns.” Black people are American citizens entitled to all of the freedoms and protections guaranteed to us by our God and the United States Constitution. Those rights include being able to bear arms to protect our families and property.
In fact, according to a surveys conducted by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), between 2019 and 2020, there was a 56% increase in Black Americans buying guns.
Democrats have pushed a dangerously radical defund the police policy that left many predominantly Black cities in America vulnerable to a widespread increase in violence, crime and murders. Thankfully, we have the freedom to protect our families should we so choose by legally owning a firearm.
Because of the Emancipation Proclamation, Black Americans have had the opportunity to fully pursue the American Dream and a lot of our power has come through the power of our vote. We have the freedom to decide which party best represents our values and interests.
In recent decades many have selected the Democrat Party and we can see what that has gotten us: little to nothing of substance. Just look at predominately Black cities where Democrat politicians and liberal policies have been the standard. You almost invariably see high crime, poorly performing public schools, little access to capital, food deserts, and a lack of economic development.
Fortunately, there is a political shift happening with more Black Americans coming over to the Republican Party. President Trump more than doubled his support from Black women in his second run for the presidency. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin received 13% of the Black vote in his recent election. And across the country we have seen record numbers of Black Republicans running for office like Wesley Hunt, Herschel Walker, John James, Jennifer-Ruth Green, and Anthony Thornton.
Black Republicans are also winning elections. North Carolina has seen that in Lt. Governor Mark Robinson. It’s also happening nationally with Winsome Sears, Tim Scott, Byron Donalds, Burgess Owens, Daniel Cameron, Michael Reichenbach and Jane Powdrell-Culbert just to name a few.
Ultimately, we have this power to vote because we have the freedom to select who will represent us well by voting for policies that empower and uplift. When we look at the recent failed leadership of Democrats in control of the White House, the Senate and House of Representatives, we have seen high crime, more illegal drugs, intense racial tensions, discriminatory mandates, and an economy working against us.
The May jobs report is not a sign of building back better for Black America, with the Black overall unemployment rate increasing to 6.2%, the Black female unemployment rate increasing to 5.9%, and the Black youth unemployment rate increasing to 18.3%.
When you look at the actions, the works, the policies, and the lack of positive impact on the future of Black Americans, it becomes abundantly clear that President Biden is no President Lincoln. He is not using his position to make the lives better, unite the country and empower the Black community.
This Juneteenth, under the leadership of Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, the Republican National Committee is hosting dozens of events nationwide, many at our community centers in North Carolina, Ohio, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Wisconsin.
As we honor the legacy of freedom reaching enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas so many years ago, let us work today to live, work and use our freedoms as Americans so the blessings of liberty will be there for all of us now and those to come.
Paris Dennard is the National Spokesperson and Director of Black Media Affairs for the Republican National Committee. Follow him on Twitter: @PARISDENNARD.