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The New Black Conservative: Rhetoric Or Reality?, Byron D. Orey

Department of Political Science: Faculty Publications

In recent years there has been growing speculation regarding an increase in the number of African Americans identifying themselves as conservatives. Much of this speculation has been heightened by the increase in the number of African American elites who identify themselves as conservatives. This list includes icons like Clarence Thomas, J.C. Watts, Alan Keyes and Ward Connerly, to name a few. Despite the increase in the number of African American elites who identify themselves as conservatives, there has been a dearth of systematic analyses to determine if this phenomenon has trickled down to the masses.

Models that have traditionally been …