MACMILLAN African Americans in Conservative Movements: The Inescapability of Race

Providing an expansive view of the making and meaning of African American conservatism, this volume examines the phenomenon in four spheres: the political realm, the academic world, the black church, and grass-roots activism movements. In his analysis of their activities in these realms, Louis Prisock examines the challenges African American conservatives face as they operate within the context of (largely white) conservatism. At the same time that African American conservatives challenge the white conservative movement’s principle of “color blindness,” they are accused of being “racial mascots,” or “tokens” from those outside of it. Prisock unwinds the intricacies of black conservatives’ relationships to both the wider conservative movement and the everyday life experiences of black Americans, showing that they are as vulnerable to the “inescability of race” as any other individual in a racialized America.  Review “This volume is the best study on black conservatism in contemporary US politics. Period. This study delineates and explores the fascinating and underappreciated genesis of black conservatism in relation to the reorganization of the US Right in the 1970s. By so doing, the author identifies a recurring tension that emerges when a sub-set of conservative black political thinkers and operatives claim to represent “black interests”―inside and outside conservative movement networks―but consistently oppose the well-established preferences of a black Americans who continue to support government intervention to protect workers’ rights, combat labor and housing market discrimination, expand educational opportunities and access, and generally sees health care as a right. Ultimate, as Prisock shows, black conservatism is buoyed by the well-oiled machinery of the American Right, not by any meaningful connection to black civic organizations.” (Dean Robinson, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA) “Prisock draws on a rich variety of empirical data to offer an important and necessary contribution to the study of both conservative politics and black political behavior. The book traces the expansion of color blind ideology within conservative politics and illustrates how this development impacts organizing and activism among African American conservatives. Though framed as a way to make the conservative movement appear less racist, the book shows how color blind ideology actually works to marginalize African Americans who engage with the conservative movement. With African Americans in Conservative Movements, Priscock offers a well-written and compellingly argued account that will be of interest to anyone concerned about racial politics in the conservative movement.” (Corey D. Fields, Associate Professor of Sociology, Georgetown University, USA) From the Back Cover Providing an expansive view of the making and meaning of African American conservatism, this volume examines the phenomenon in four spheres: the political realm, the academic world, the black church, and grass-roots activism movements. In his analysis of their activities in these realms, Louis Prisock examines the challenges African American conservatives face as they operate within the context of (largely white) conservatism. At the same time that African American conservatives challenge the white conservative movement’s principle of “colorblindness,” they are accused of being “racial mascots,” or tokens from those outside of it. Prisock unwinds the intricacies of black conservatives’ relationships to both the wider conservative movement and the everyday life experiences of black Americans, showing that they are as vulnerable to the “inescability of race” as any other individual in a racialized America.  About the Author Louis Prisock is Assistant Professor of Africana and American Studies at Rutgers University, USA. He has published on political sociology, urban so